Letter: City should focus on library’s overall operations

Re “New year will follow some familiar stories...Museum, library changes” (Jan. 2): If a pending Carrell Associates survey is similar to the survey submitted to the City Council by the Rose Institute in late December, it will ask very general questions of respondents about their attitudes toward the city placing a parcel tax (“assessment district”) for parks, libraries and safety services on the June ballot (“Survey: Glendale residents open to new taxes”, Dec. 20).

Yet, last July the Glendale City Council, on a closely divided 3-2 vote, voted down the following “Alternative 2: (Should the city) Prepare a ballot measure for the June 2014 consolidated election...(which would include) ‘a parcel tax’...to improve the Central Library facility...(or) to enhance Library services, or both.”

I believe if Glendale voters were asked to choose between the Council spending some millions of dollars on two new, north-south side entrances for the Central Library — while closing down the current, perfectly fine (east side) entrance to the general public, versus spending such funds on bringing its operations up to snuff, they would choose to fund an increase in operational readiness, i.e. hours open, etc.

Let’s contrast the Los Angeles Central Library’s operating hours with the Glendale Central Library’s, for example. Both, as of Jan. 12, have the same daily hours of operation. However, the Glendale Central Library will be closed for two days more than the Los Angeles Central Library on the following holidays/closed days: Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Presidents Day; Memorial Day; Fourth of July; Labor Day and Thanksgiving; plus an extra day the day before Christmas.

Harvey Pearson
Los Feliz