Libraries Should Reflect Their Demographics

Re “An ‘Irrelevant’ Library Leaves City Unserved,” Aug. 25: Attention, Santa Ana! Wake up and serve your population. A measly $12.51 in library spending per resident and a 10% stock of Spanish books in a overwhelmingly Spanish-speaking city is pathetic. City Councilman Jose Solorio’s comments (“I would question whether it is the city’s duty to provide materials that mirror the demographics of the city”) make me cringe in disgust.

I worked for a year in Japan and lived in a Tokyo suburb where the handful of international residents could choose from thousands of books and magazines in English, Chinese, Korean, French and German. Naturally, I made efforts to learn Japanese, but looking back, it’s difficult to imagine living without access to English nonfiction, literature and current events. By no means did I expect such a treasure of reading opportunities, but the selection was a godsend. Would Solorio argue that I should have forsaken the printed English language? Would he?

John King

Los Angeles

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I am just finishing my master’s degree in library science. Throughout the program we learned that libraries need to reach more than the typical patron (middle-aged, middle-class white women with children). The library exists for the entire community, and meeting community needs should be the main goals of a library. The problem in the Santa Ana library is reflected in the City Council.

Yes, Councilman Solorio, it is the library’s duty to provide materials that reflect the demographics. Yes, Councilwoman Alberta Christy, there are wonderful things on the Internet; however, your community is poor and largely can’t afford computers. Such a potentially great community resource and expenditure of public funds should not be limited to a small portion of the city’s population. I thought the city government was supposed to represent and serve all of its residents. Apparently this isn’t true in Santa Ana.

Judy Anderson

Anaheim