All of the Santa Clara County libraries will be closed temporarily from 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 through noon on Aug. 8 due to upgrades to the facilities' online catalogues, providing better and quicker access to more than 1.5 million collection items. New automation systems will be installed in all nine libraries. The closure will affect libraries in Saratoga, Cupertino, Los Altos, Campbell, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Alum Rock and Gilroy. External book drop-offs will be available, but borrowers are encouraged to hold onto materials until the following week. For more information, contact the county librarian, Melinda Cervantes, at 408.293.2326, ext. 3001, or visit http://www.santaclaracountylib.org.


Agency seeks input for bike rack spots

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is spearheading a pilot program in which bike racks will be installed on public and privately owned properties, including retail, entertainment and dining establishments throughout the county. The agency is encouraging residents to send in suggestions for possible locations to install the racks. Candidate locations meet certain criteria: They must be at existing buildings that are in active use, and locations with existing racks are eligible if the racks are outdated and difficult to secure bikes to. All submittals must be emailed to vtaracks@bicyclesolutions.com or faxed to 650.494.9142 by Aug. 15. Proposals must include the name of the business or public facility, a street address, the number of racks needed, and the suggested position and orientation of the rack.


Commissions have deadline to apply

The application deadline for spots on the arts, finance, public safety and parks and recreation commissions is Aug. 20. Interested applicants must be registered voters in Saratoga and have attended at least one commission meeting prior to the interviewing process, scheduled for September. Applications are available at the city clerk's office at 13777 Fruitvale Ave. For more information, visit http://www.saratoga.ca.us or contact Cathleen Boyer at 408.868.1269.