Loss of Grant Won’t Kill Library Plan

Oak Park officials are pursuing plans to build a new library, despite the rejection of a federal grant for construction.

George Anterasian, a member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council, convinced the council this week to look into building a library with the $2.2 million in development fees earmarked for the project rather than waiting for more grants like the one for $1 million rejected earlier this month.

“We need to move this along,” Anterasian said. “Maybe we can build 10,000 square feet instead of 15,000.”

Like many libraries in the county system, Oak Park is awaiting the outcome of county budget hearings that will determine the funding libraries receive.

Supervisor Frank Schillo is examining forming new library districts between larger libraries, such as Thousand Oaks and Oxnard, and smaller libraries, such as Oak Park and Port Hueneme, to make up for any cuts. He urged the council to wait for the results of a study of the mergers.

“Even if you have a new building, you’ll only have the money you have now for operations,” he said. “And money is the key to it.”

But Anterasian was not optimistic that larger libraries would favor a merger with Oak Park because the current library is so small. He said that Thousand Oaks has rejected previous attempts by Oak Park to share books and staff.

“They wanted nothing to do with us a few years ago for the same reason they want nothing to do with us now,” he said.