City’s Two Libraries Likely to Maintain Affiliation With County
A special commission is recommending that the city’s two libraries temporarily remain in the Orange County Public Library system.
The Library Services Committee will tell the City Council Monday that it supports keeping the Mesa Verde and downtown branches under county domain for 18 to 36 months while other options are explored. Council members will then vote on that and other recommendations.
The committee was formed six months ago by the council to review library governance and financing after officials learned that the county can supply the branches with only limited hours and resources.
Other cities, such as Mission Viejo, have left the county system recently to form their own districts.
Costa Mesa, however, cannot afford to secede right now, said Eleanore Humphrey, committee chairwoman. She suggested other possibilities, such as partnerships with neighboring cities.
“There are options galore out there,” she said. “Which ones would suit Costa Mesa, economically as well as culturally, is really something that needs to be investigated.”
The council seems poised to adopt the committee’s suggestions for now.
“I agree with the recommendation,” Mayor Joe Erickson said. “We don’t want to create an additional bureaucracy.”
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