Editorial

'N' will improve community

With no organized opposition to Measure N, it might seem as if the Saratoga Library Bond measure on the March 7 ballot is a sure winner. Complacency, however, has felled many a noble cause. Every vote is crucial, especially when a two-thirds majority is required for passage as it is with Measure N.

The Saratoga Community Library was built 21 years ago with a capacity for 100,000 books and periodicals. It now holds 173,000 publications.

When it was built, personal computers didn't exist. Now, patrons expect computer and Internet accessibility as part of their library experience. The library today offers 27 public-access computers.

Community volunteers, including members of the Saratoga Community Library Foundation, the Saratoga Community Library Commission and Friends of the Saratoga Libraries, have invested an enormous amount of energy researching library and community needs.

They've found that Saratogans are heavy users of the library. And in spite of predictions that the Internet would reduce library use, people are using the library more than ever.

The library receives an average of 1,000 visitors per day; loans 20.1 items per capita (139 percent above the national average), checks out 918,317 items annually and responds to 56,996 reference inquiries each year (nearly twice the national average).

In fact, the library, more than anywhere else in Saratoga, seems to be the community gathering place. The mere suggestion a while back that more space might be made available if the community room were eliminated drew an outcry from the community.

Although patrons are happy with the library's level of service, they would like to see expanded facilities to accommodate changes in the way we live and in the way we use libraries today.

Among the frustrations cited is the noise level, much of it caused by children and teens who use the library after school.

More space would allow for study areas separate from quiet areas. Expansion would allow for many of the improvements patrons want, including a wider collection, with multicultural books and videos, art books, history books and more unabridged books on tape; more programs for children; more computers and Internet access; and a better magazine selection.

In addition to the patron wish list, the library desperately needs to upgrade its wiring to accommodate computers, improve access for people with disabilities, provide adequate seating and lighting, improve safety systems and access to fire exits, and meet modern earthquake standards.

When the City Council put the bond measure on the ballot, the decision was made to ask the public to support a $15 million bond even though a design had not yet been approved. The council reasoned that it would be better to get citizen approval before investing in architectural work and before any more time elapsed which could only result in escalating costs.

A citizen oversight committee will ensure that the money is spent wisely and in keeping with the expectations of the community.

The Saratoga News recommends a yes vote on Measure N.

Photos: Great Race and Highway 9 closure

Editorial: Yes on Measure N

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