A friend of mine asked me the other night, while we were hanging out at Mike Lawson’s birthday party, what I was going to do about Santa Ana’s library shortage. She was a bit upset because she felt that I had made this an issue and done nothing to alleviate the problem. In truth, I have been meeting with Tish Leon, Mary Guzman, James Spady and Ryan Gene Williams, and we have actually come up with a workable solution.
I realize that there is no money available in Santa Ana for building new libraries, or for bringing back the bookmobiles. However, I believe that we can capitalize on a network of libraries that is already in our city, but is largely untapped.
The Santa Ana Unified School District has school libraries all over the city. Opening them up to the general public is a no-go, but synchronizing them via a computer network, with the Santa Ana Main Library, could make thousands of books available to Santa Ana schoolchildren.
Such a network would allow students to request books from the Main Library collection. A courier could then deliver the books to the respective school libraries on a regular basis. He would then pick up books that are ready to return to the Main Library.
The key to this program would be allowing the school librarians to access the main library database – they could then search for books that kids need, and order them for delivery. Currently many families have a hard time getting to the Main Library. This program would solve the problem by bringing the Main Library to our local schools.
So how would such a program be funded? Well, you could sell advertising that would be located on the delivery car (think NASCAR). You could also sell ads that would be printed on the bags that the books could be delivered in. And you could seek private industry contributions to help fund the program, from social service clubs and business organizations, as well as the non-profit community. Government grants might also be available.
I hope to run this idea by SAUSD Trustee John Palacio and Santa Ana Council Members Sal Tinajero and Michele Martinez. I think it can work – but obviously it will need to be refined and we will need to drum up political and community support.
Our city will remain woefully short of needed library space, but rather than wallow in negativity, why not try something that might solve the issue, or at least improve our current situation, without costing an arm and a leg?
Check out this op-ed in today’s LA Times about the Bowers Museum:
Bowers Museum: $66 for mummies
The Santa Ana spot raises its prices to Manhattan levels.
Karin Klein
March 25, 2007
THEY SAY YOU can’t put a price on art, but you have to give the Bowers Museum credit for trying. With its new ticket prices, the quirky but little-known Santa Ana attraction has made itself the most expensive museum on the West Coast. This may be a dubious distinction
Art,
That’s a great idea. If SAUSD and the City buy into it, figure out the true cost annually and post it here. There are some of us who post here that may be able to help you get the partnership(s) to do this.
Poster 2,
Thanks! Here are a few budget items to consider:
1. Computer programming (for online access to Main Library database)
2. A part-time courier
3. A delivery car (maybe someone can donate one?)
4. Fuel
5. Insurance
6. Library staff
7. Promotional budget
I am sure there will be more items to consider…
What learning value is in the books which are censured by the socialists, same as is this blog?…. Huh?
Libraries in Santa Ana are Mexican Communist propaganda.
-Stan
The City/SAUSD partnership looks like a great short-term solution to the library problem. But keep in mind that a good portion of Santa Ana schoolkids are NOT in SAUSD. I know GGUSD serves most of the city west of the river. And I believe OUSD serves portions in the northeast section of the city. Since these kids also have limited access to public libraries, they should also be included in this effort.
But please keep in mind this is a short-term solution ONLY. It should not keep the City of Santa Ana to look at the budgetary priority of it’s library system in the long term.
Here’s a creative way the city could construct two new libraries in Santa Ana. If the City would rewrite the current Development Agreement to include a 1% to 5% fee of total construction cost for all new construction in Santa Ana and use this to build new libraries instead of going to “Arts in Public Places”, everyone would wins.
Let’s see what our new Planning Commission can do with this idea.