At a Dec. 3 meeting, board members of the Library Joint Powers Authority approved Measure B, which would allow the creation of a Community Facilities District and an increase in the amount residents pay in parcel taxes for a seven-year period.

For residents living in single-family homes, taxes would increase from $33.66 to $42. For owners of nonresidential retail spaces, taxes would increase from $84.15 to $105. Nonretail-business owners would have to pay an additional $63 beyond the current $252.45, while undeveloped-property owners would need to put out an additional $2 beyond the current $6.52.

The measure, which is an extension of one passed with a 71 percent vote in 1994 and is set to expire in June 2005, will be one of several on the March 2004 ballot. Others are related to school funding and toll fees on Bay Area bridges.

Terry Trumbull, campaign manager for the measure, admitted that he is a bit concerned that residents may be overwhelmed with the number of items on the ballot involving funding. However, he said that he is hopeful that residents, especially Saratogans, will pull through.

"Saratogans are spectacular when it comes to libraries," Trumbull said. "The city has a wonderful track record of supporting their branch."

According to a telephone survey conducted by Gene Bregman & Associates, 65 percent of residents throughout the county who participated in the study said that they would support an increase of $34 to the parcel tax for library purposes, while 72 percent of residents said they would agree to pay $50. In addition, the survey revealed that 86 percent of the residents questioned said having a "good public library system is extremely important."

Up until the actual election day, several volunteers, like Virginia Parker, will be doing their part in bolstering support in the Saratoga community.

Parker and other library enthusiasts will be handing out fact sheets to passersby outside the Saratoga Library and the Book-Go-Round. They will also be collecting cards that residents can fill out indicating their support.

According to Trumbull, volunteers have gathered approximately 500 cards so far. In addition, 3,300 cards have been mailed to those who have been involved with previous library-funding measures.

"It's important that residents understand what this measure is all about and what the effects would be if it doesn't pass," Parker said.

According to Library Supervisor Dolly Barnes of the Saratoga Library, the vote will determine whether the library would be able to maintain its hours of operation, an updated collection of books and other resource materials and the same level of services it has provided for the past several years.

Barnes said it's difficult to predict exactly what will happen if the library does not receive proper funding. She said that the library experienced a "dramatic cut" prior to 1994 when Measure A was approved. During the fiscal crisis, library officials were forced to close the facility for two days of the week and significantly curtailed their daily hours of operation. In addition, the volume of library materials was also reduced.

Currently, the library is open seven days and provides several services, from story-time hours for children and book clubs for adults to training sessions for those interested in learning how to use library resources. Barnes said that although these are valuable features, they would most likely and "unfortunately be the first to get cut."

Barnes said she hopes, and is "cautiously optimistic," that the library will not experience another cutback.

"Our goal is to provide as much service as possible," Barnes said. "But it will all depend on how the vote goes. I think residents will pull through as they have done in the past."