Library Closures and Alternatives

* Cities facing county library closure should consider withdrawing from the county library system. If a city’s withdrawal from the county library is approved by its city council and county supervisors by Dec. 31, 1995, then that city could receive all library taxes collected after Jan. 1, 1996, and use them to operate its own library. They would have added income from state and federal grants, and fines, fees and donations.

This would be similar to cities which recently withdrew from Orange County’s Fire Authority or animal services and thus became able to provide these services for themselves.

County library buildings could be purchased in exchange for funds the county owes cities from recent investment loses. If no funds are owed, buildings could be purchased gradually from library income.

In addition to asking the county for more options, cities facing closures should obtain second opinions regarding estimated income and expenses from directors of city-run libraries, such as Newport Beach, Anaheim or Yorba Linda.

Residents from cities withdrawing from the county library could still use all public libraries in Orange County. The state-funded Santiago Library System would continue arranging their inter-library loans and book returns.

MARCIA LEWIS

Mission Viejo

* The committee to Save Our Garden Grove Libraries denounces the plan to close two branches in Garden Grove as shortsighted, unfair and pernicious for the following reasons:

* It will be, if put into effect, irrevocable. Once the buildings are stripped of librarians and books, they will never reopen. If they are kept open for as little as one day a week, their time can be readily expanded in the future.

* These libraries are small-town America at its best with high esprit de corps and close relationship to patrons.

* Garden Grove has the most diverse ethnic mixture of all Orange County cities. Asians in particular would be hard hit. A much higher percentage of them do not own cars, so getting to a more distant library would be difficult or impossible, particularly for the young.

* The music collection at Chapman is unique, and the staff is particularly knowledgeable of and adept at service for it. People come from all over the county and even beyond to take advantage of this resource. The donors gave this valuable music with the explicit understanding that it would be used for the Chapman collection in their home area.

MALCOLM STOLER

Garden Grove