Meetings to Address Library Problems
The city of Ventura has invited residents to a town hall meeting Nov. 9 to address the fate of Ventura’s understaffed, cash-strapped libraries.
Called “visioning” workshops, the sessions will focus on what role residents want libraries to play in the community. The meeting will conclude several months of private interviews with library users and small meetings with focus groups numbering 10 to 12 residents.
Sharp funding cuts from the county in recent years have forced local libraries to pare back hours and drastically cut acquisition of new books and materials. Ventura libraries are now open a total of 72 hours a week.
“It is confusing to the public to know which library is open when,” said Mary Lou Schill, who is in charge of human services for the city. “The major issue is: Will there be a major consolidation to a single library, or two libraries?”
The public forum will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. at City Hall, 501 Poli St.
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