Saratoga News
News
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Thanks to funding by the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries, the Saratoga Library is now open again on Mondays. Steve Cisler relaxes while working on his laptop at the library on the first Monday it reopened.
Library's 'open' sign comes out on Mondays
ByShannon Burkey
The Saratoga Library is once again open seven days a week after state budget cuts had forced the facility to close on Mondays a little over two years ago.
"We are so excited; this is such good news," said Saratoga librarian Dolly Barnes. "I want to be able to provide quality library service, and this will help achieve that."
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Jan. 8 marked the occasion, and the library will now be open on Mondays from 1 to 9 p.m.
The library will be open Mondays for the next two years because of a $326,000 gift from the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries.
Although the Friends have always raised money for the library, it has typically been used to buy books and computers and to help fund some of the 323 different programs the library offers. The money is not generally used for operating costs.
But in 2001, when the library began a 31,000-square-foot expansion of its facilities that lasted for two years, the Friends were not able to contribute in their usual way because of the lack of space due to construction. The money they were earning during those two years sat untouched, according to Sue Barrera, president of the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries board.
"When it was clear there was an excess of funds, we had to think about what to do with it," Barrera said. "The board felt the best use of those dollars would be to give the community access to a library seven days a week."
Mayor Aileen Kao said the addition of an extra day at the library is a great service to the community.
"You have taken on a huge effort to supplement a public service, and I want to thank you for your generosity of giving your time, energy and money to provide an additional day for us to learn," she said to the members of the Friends of the Library at the ceremony to celebrate the reopening.
When the library first closed its doors on Mondays, Barnes said those hardest hit were the children from the three surrounding schools. Between 100 and 200 children a day spent their afternoons in the library, studying and using the resources to complete their homework assignments. Redwood Middle School, Sacred Heart and St. Andrews are all in the vicinity of the library.
"It's just a shame not to be able to provide service when the students are asking for it," she said. "The students were one of the driving forces for us wanting to reopen on Mondays."
Barnes said the rest of the public is just as excited about the reopening.
"In the course of the last two years, people were constantly coming to our doors on Mondays, not realizing we were closed," she said. "So many people have been asking about our new Monday hours and are so excited about it."
The money is not enough to keep the library open on Monday forever, but it is the hope of Barrera and Barnes that after the two years are up, they can receive some kind of public funding to keep the library open the extra day.
"I am so excited to be a part of this and to be the bearer of good news," Barrera said. "It's nice to see Saratoga come together as a community for an important event such as this one."
