Children spending long summer hours in the Goleta Branch Library without an expert for their literary needs won’t be out in the dark much longer. A handful of determined families took to the Goleta City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon, where the council voted unanimously to pay additional money to find a new children’s librarian, keep the library open on Mondays, and obtain control of the library from the City of Santa Barbara. The council will draw money from the city’s General Fund to add $42,000 to the $60,000 it is providing.
The public library, located on North Fairview Avenue, is currently under the umbrella of the Santa Barbara system. Recent times have been tough for the Goleta branch, which is operating at a current-year deficit of over $150,000. The City of Santa Barbara had recommended options to alleviate the problem, which Deputy City Manager Kathleen Trepa presented to the council. The options included leaving the recently vacated children’s librarian position unoccupied and closing the library an hour early Tuesdays through Thursdays, as well as entirely on Mondays. This would push the library back into budget positives, according to the data Trepa presented.
Speakers at the public forum wholeheartedly opposed the recommendations. Parents, children, and concerned citizens took issue with the idea of closing on Mondays, saying the library serves as an important hub for schoolchildren because of the information and study space it provides.