Saratoga News

Cover Story

Photograph by George Sakkestad

Looking out from behind the stacks of books in the Saratoga Library is librarian Dolly Barnes, who will retire after a 36-year career working in the Santa Clara County Library system.

Goodbye, Dolly

It was nice to have her here where she belonged

By Marianne Lucchesi Hamilton

According to popular legend, librarians are prissy sorts who stay cloistered behind silent stacks of books, hair scraped back tightly into a severe bun, their index fingers pressed to lips to shush chatty children.

And then there's Dolly Barnes.

Most comfortable when she's seated on a low stool reading aloud and hamming it up for groups of tiny tots, Barnes is anything but prissy. Instead, her warmth and nurturing nature have made visitors of all ages feel welcome at the Saratoga Community Library for two decades. As her 36-year career in the Santa Clara County Library system draws to a close at the end of the month, her friends--not to mention the Friends of the Saratoga Library--are remembering her considerable achievements.

Barnes has worked at the Saratoga library since 1987 after stints in Cupertino, Campbell and the Santa Clara County Library headquarters. She received her undergraduate degree from UC-Berkeley, then earned a master's degree in library science from Syracuse University. Though Barnes had been a lifelong lover of books, she never would have predicted that her career would keep her in such close contact with the printed page.

"I'd worked in the public library a bit when I was in college, but had other ideas of what I wanted to do in the future," Barnes says. "I did end up getting my degree in the field, but thought I might want to work in an academic library instead of a public library. But once I got the job, I absolutely loved it."

Contrary to that shushing stereotype, Barnes says the best part about her career has been talking--to children, adults and as much of the South Bay community as possible. "The interaction with people is the thing I've loved most," she says. "Finding out what they need, whether that's books or information, and then being able to help them ... it's incredibly satisfying."

For the first 15 years of her career, Barnes was a children's librarian. In that capacity she often staged puppet shows, acted out various characters from children's literature and otherwise connected with the smallest members of the community. In addition, she was instrumental in securing a federal grant that enabled library staff to visit preschools and daycare centers and act as storytellers. The teams also encouraged nursery school teachers and daycare operators to better integrate children's literature and storytelling into their curricula, and helped motivate teachers and families to visit the library regularly.

Though the program is no longer in effect, Barnes is gratified by its legacy. "It changed the model of library services; now librarians go out to more daycare centers, and we've established some great links between the preschools and the library," she reports.

Creating these sorts of outreach programs has been the hallmark of Barnes' tenure as community librarian in Saratoga. All of her efforts can be traced to her knack for anticipating residents' needs and responding appropriately.

"One of the main things that's stressed in library sciences is the ability to interview people and find out what they really want," explains Barnes. "So a big part of my early career was about creating library opportunities, whether that was story times for kids or programs for adults. Since then I've focused on getting to know the community, responding to their interests and needs, and figuring out what would touch them. Librarians know their libraries best, so it's up to us to make these suggestions."

Some of Barnes' most successful programs at the Saratoga Community Library have included the poetry writing and reading groups for teens, regular displays of the work of local artists, and presentations by popular authors.

"Dolly has created an amazingly active library with interesting things going on all the time, not just for kids but also for teens and adults," says Friends of the Saratoga Library member Elaine Brett. "There is a monthly book club for adults. During the summer there are continuing programs for out-of-school kids. This year it was a mystery-solving theme with programs all summer."

Contrary to tradition, Barnes believes the Saratoga Library should serve as a cultural resource for the community. "In Saratoga there is a lot of interest in culture and the arts," she says. "We've been really happy to be able to provide the art exhibits, the authors, and those types of programs. They've helped to make the library seem more relevant; it's not just a place where people show up, but a place where they can get a little more involved."

One of the most important roles Barnes has played in her 20 years at the Saratoga Library has been as point-person for Santa Clara County as the library's expansion got under way. Though construction did not begin until 2000, Barnes says discussions began approximately seven years before; renovation plans launched in earnest when the merging of assets from the old Village Library stretched the Saratoga Community Library to bursting. Through three separate initiatives, Barnes found herself in the middle of countless meetings between county government staff and local residents--and loved every minute of it.

"I really enjoy that role--having groups of people working together to make something special happen," Barnes says. "It wasn't that people were against it; they just didn't understand that there was a need. But then the library commission brought in the Friends of the Saratoga Library, who worked to get the word out about how overcrowded the library was and what better services could be provided with a bigger building. After that another survey was done, which indicated that a bond measure to cover the expansion costs would have a pretty good chance of passing with a two-thirds vote."

Barnes says the passage of Measure N (which specified that Saratoga residents pay $1 per month for every $100,000 of assessed valuation), as well as a parcel tax to improve library services, were two of the most memorable events in her career.

"By voting yes on these measures, people were demonstrating that they recognized what libraries could do for them," she says proudly. "That was one of the best affirmations of the importance of libraries in Santa Clara County."

She also lauds the participation of the Friends of the Saratoga Library, which not only pitched the original measures to the community but continues to raise as much as $150,000 each year for the library.

"The Friends are an extraordinary group," says Barnes, who sits on the Friends' board of directors. "They're very active, and they never rest on their laurels; they're always challenging themselves to do more. They have more than 1,200 member families in the community, which is huge for a town this size. And it's a great vote of confidence for us, that people are willing to step up and say, 'I believe in our community library.' "

Sue Barrera, president of the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries, is quick to return the compliment, saying, "Over the past 20 years Dolly has been part of an enormous amount of change and growth in the Saratoga Library and its volunteers, as well as our community. For instance, in fiscal year 1987, circulation was 310,921 items. By 2007, almost 1,358,407 items were checked out."

"Dolly was a great contributor to the library expansion, and is to large degree responsible not only for the physical plant but also for the wonderful environment that is the Saratoga Library," Barrera adds. "She has gathered an outstanding, professional staff, all of whom reflect the warmth that is Dolly's trademark. She has been an important source of history for the Friends, and her guidance has helped us immeasurably."

In addition to overseeing the 40 full-time and part-time employees who keep the library's doors open seven days a week, Barnes also identifies opportunities for improvements to its systems. Arriving when visitors located books through a printed card catalog, Barnes saw the evolution to a microfilm-based search process, and the interactive computer system of today. She was also instrumental in securing the first U.S. installation of a high-tech method of receiving and scanning returned books, then delivering them to carts that travel to various areas of the library for restacking--all via robotics.

In this and other pursuits, Barnes has kept her professional skills honed through frequent in-service trainings, and attendance at library science conferences. "I'm not a technical expert by any means, but I've learned enough to be able to help when someone has a question about a consumer product, or maybe a medication they've been prescribed," she says. "We'll go online to find the information, and we also have a lot of tools we can draw from, such as prescription databases."

Says Brett, "Dolly is amazingly responsive and accessible. She is someone who will do whatever the community wants her to do, with the added responsibility of seeing what the community will want but doesn't yet know it will want. She is very in touch with current technology."

With her retirement swiftly approaching, travel books are beginning to replace the mysteries that usually sit on Barnes' nightstand. She and her husband, an interpretive ranger with the California State Parks system, are making plans for a January camping trip to New Zealand, where they plan to hike (and possibly visit the local library). Now that she'll have more free time, will membership in a book club also be in her future?

"I'm not in one now. But a friend who lives not far from me is already hitting me up," Barnes laughs.