A few weeks ago, there seemed to be a possibility that the library would be closed for two days a week because of budget cuts. But thanks to a shift in the Educational Review Augmentation Fund in the state's revised proposed budget, that may be changing.

The Educational Review Augmentation Fund allows the state to redistribute money collected as property taxes from counties, cities and special districts and give it to the school districts. In the revised budget, it is proposed that the state will not take away as much money from the libraries as originally planned.

"We are now looking at a one-day closure and some curtailment of hours on other days," said Dolly Barnes, community librarian at the Saratoga facility. "We are hopeful that we will not take further hits, but we are waiting."

"Even if we adjust our hours, it will not be as severe as before," she added. "The tentative closure is for Mondays. But we might be looking at more cuts in succeeding years."

Barnes said that more details would be forthcoming as the summer progressed.

Melinda Cervantes, county librarian for the Santa Clara County Library system, said, "The use of the Saratoga Library has gone up by 70 percent since it reopened. But there has been no increase in staff."

Twenty-four positions lie vacant countywide in libraries due to a hiring freeze. Out of these, three—a librarian, a clerk and a janitor—are at the Saratoga Library. "I am not sure what the future of those positions will be," said Barnes. There are also 14 retirements countywide. These positions are not being filled.

"We are in negotiation with the governor's office and hopefully libraries statewide will be exempt from the additional money that we thought libraries had to give to the state," said Cervantes.

"I am still concerned about the looming budget cuts for next year," said Cervantes. Barnes said that she found it very painful to cut back on library service.

In 1992, county libraries lost $1.5 million because of a state budget cut, and another budget cut the following year forced libraries to reduce their hours of operation from 54 hours a week to 34.