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Your Branch Library -- Use it or Lose it!

Only three months ago, several hundred supporters of the Felton branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library system urged the Library's Joint Powers Board to vote against closing the branch. Students of all ages, parents, elders, and other members of the community spoke of the value of the Felton branch to their lives. Not only did the Board vote to keep the branch open, but it voted to consider closure of any branch in the system only as a last resort.

Since then, the idea of building a bigger and better branch library, an idea that has been fairly dormant since 1999, has received renewed interest. Various preliminary discussions have occurred, and a group calling itself Felton Library Friends has formed to build support for the branch, both in its current location and in any future one.

And yet circulation statistics for the Felton branch are not encouraging, showing a decrease in the past several months and in the past year overall, compared with previous numbers. This should be a cause for concern for all supporters of a Felton branch, for the library administration will understandably direct its resources where they will be most appreciated. A branch with decreasing usage is vulnerable to funding cuts, and even less likely to be expanded.

Almost everyone agrees that the current Felton branch is inadequate for the needs of its users. Books, recordings, magazines, computer terminals, and reading areas are cramped into a charming building that lacks handicap access, adequate bathroom facilities, and air-conditioning. Is it possible that as the limitations of the current building become more and more glaring, library users are choosing to go to other branches or not to use the library system at all? If so, the Felton branch will be caught in a downward cycle, with decreased usage leading to fewer new materials, leading to a further decrease in usage.

The current branch is frequently quite crowded, with families in the children's section, readers in the magazine area, and computer terminals booked fairly continuously. Is it possible that the Felton library users value the services and activities that a library provides -- reading groups, children's story hour, current magazines, web access - more than the books, recordings, movies, and other materials that create circulation statistics? Felton Library Friends will be asking this and other questions about current use of the branch, as we work to maintain and, if possible, improve library service to the Felton area.

Meanwhile, every library friend, especially those of us who rallied to save the branch from closure, might well ponder whether we are using our local branch or whether we are perhaps taking it for granted. Are we simply committed to the "idea" of a local branch library -- the idea that our community would be much the poorer should it be closed - or do we actually use it? Now might be a good time to revisit our branch library and browse the new books, or visit the library website to place requests, specifying Felton as our pickup location.

Readers unfamiliar with the library's "request" function have a treat in store for them. From the library catalog (available on the web at http://www.santacruzpl.org) you may ask that any item in the library system (book, CD, DVD, etc.) be delivered to the Felton branch for you to check out -- most items arrive in two or three days unless they are being used by another person. So, although the Felton collection is admittedly limited, you have ready access to the entire library system of over half a million items. And your requests will communicate that Felton library users do use library materials, and do in fact want a larger selection here in Felton.

But, you might say, I like to browse the shelves to find the books I want to check out. Here are two suggestions for you. The library web site includes marvelous tools for finding your next favorite book, all listed in the section "Book Finding Aids" within "Reader's Link." Alternatively, take a book you love and look it up on Amazon.com. Follow the links for similar books, or books bought by people who also liked your favorite; Amazon will show you the cover, let you read the first few pages, and include numerous reader reviews. Perhaps you'll want to buy some of the books, but if not, jot down the titles and be prepared to find most, if not all, of them in the Santa Cruz Public Library.

In voting to keep the Felton branch open, the Library Joint Powers Board responded to the huge showing of valley residents who love their local branch. However, low use of materials will make Felton vulnerable whenever the library budget is tight. So, now is the time to use your Felton branch, or lose it!

Kari Gunn, Felton Librarian
Paul Machlis, Felton Library Friends