Nearly three years after the Salinas, California, city council voted to close them because of a massive budget deficit, the city’s three libraries have made an impressive comeback: The addition of 10 hours each week per branch, effective July 17, brings the system’s total weekly hours to 117–39 for each branch.
The additional hours, which follow a previous schedule boost in March, stem from the November 2005 passage of Measure V, a half-cent sales-tax increase to restore the libraries and other city services.
“It’s finally getting us to a consistent schedule,” library Administrative Manager Jan Neal said in the July 18 Salinas Californian. She added that the library has also more than doubled its staff to 38 full-time employees and reinstated weekly children’s programs. Future goals include adding wireless internet service to all three branches and restoring the system’s technical services department.
Posted July 20, 2007.