Concern over limited hours has prompted Atherton (Calif.) Town Manager Don Guluzzy to review alternative governance options for the town's library, a branch of the San Mateo County Library system. Branch librarian Linda Chiochios told American Libraries that the county can only fund 40 open hours per week in communities with fewer than 10,000 residents. But Atherton residents—many of them affluent—want more.
In several weeks, Guluzzy will report to the city council on alternatives, including having the town take over the library, contracting with neighboring Redwood City to run it, or outsourcing the management to Library Systems & Services—the company that manages the Riverside County Library system and claims that it can do more with less.
The last option has caused some consternation among patrons and staff, according to the June 1 San Francisco Chronicle: "If a private company is running the library, the allegiance is to the company," Chiochios said. "We're not here for profit."
Posted June 8, 1998.