One Thing Is Still Right With O.C. Libraries: The Staff : Survey of patrons shows appreciation for job being done despite handicaps imposed by cuts in funding.

As National Library Week approaches, residents of Orange County have become accustomed to seeing their county library described in the local press as “embattled,” “beleaguered” and even “fighting for life.”

Though the financial problems facing the library (caused by the state Legislature’s 1993 tax shift and aggravated by the county’s bankruptcy) are indeed serious, it seems appropriate to focus for just a moment on what is still right about Orange County’s libraries: the people who work in them and the public’s perception of those library workers.

In January, the Orange County Public Library conducted a user survey to determine what people thought of the library, what services were most valued and what most needed improvement. In an era of constantly declining library dollars, deciding what to cut from the program is a difficult task and customer input is crucial. Surveys were placed on checkout counters in all 27 branch libraries.

Though the survey makes no pretense of “scientific sampling,” it does reflect the opinions of 1,800 library customers who felt strongly enough about their library to fill in a form.

Not surprisingly, major problems were identified. Reduced hours at some libraries, fewer new books and databases and decreasing numbers of children’s programs were all cited. On the plus side, however, an overwhelming majority (94%) of library customers judged the staff as “courteous, knowledgeable and helpful,” and 80% ranked the library staff as a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5.

For nearly 75 years now, residents of Orange County have counted on their librarians and libraries for assistance in meeting their information needs. Founded in 1922 with eight branches, the library system today operates 27 libraries serving 1.4 million people. The system’s 75th year, however, promises to be a crucial one.

The past few years have not been easy ones for Orange County librarians. There are a lot fewer of them these days. In 1993, before the state shifted about $6 million of Orange County property taxes away from the library, there were 403 employees. Today there are 324, and on July 1 there will be only 306. Yet, at a majority of libraries, service hours are the same as they were in 1993. This feat has been accomplished by the tremendous dedication of library staffers and to an infusion of community volunteers to keep the library doors open.

Nearly 100,000 hours of volunteer help is being donated to Orange County libraries this year; without such assistance, a number of libraries would be closed.

Librarians in Orange County also have fewer tools to work with today. Since 1993, the book budget for the 27 branches has been cut from $6 million to half that amount, and in the coming year, additional cuts will have to be made.

The daily work for Orange County library people has changed too. Staffers who used to keep checkout lines moving rapidly now have to act as cashiers, collecting a multitude of new user fees and increased charges for services that used to be free. Librarians who held story hours for kids and answered reference questions are now recruiting and training volunteers. Branch managers who used to plan services programs and carefully select new items for the public are now out raising money and attempting to explain to angry taxpayers why their library isn’t what it used to be.

Over the next few months, elected officials of the county and cities will be exploring options for future public library service. Discussions will consider who should be responsible for libraries, how they should be governed and what service priorities should be. While much of the discussion will be political, it should not be forgotten that the problems facing our libraries are basically financial in nature and that, ultimately, only the recovery of the money taken by the state can provide the full recovery of the library system.

For the sake of the dedicated men and women of the Orange County Public Library--who every day are “courteous, knowledgeable and helpful” and, more important, for the 750,000 library cardholders who use their libraries for educational needs, business research and cultural enlightenment--let’s hope the process is productive.