Ventura County Library Workers Help Save the Library…for Now

Closing Wright Library Would Be Wrong

SEIU 721 members have been attending Ventura City Council and Ventura County Board of Supervisors meetings requesting them to keep Wright Library open and offering to help raise funds of offset the deficit.  At a City Council meeting, Ventura officials recognized the community’s fundraising success and agreed to loan the library the necessary funds to keep Wright Library open through March 2010. Ventura is also considering a sales tax measure for the November ballot to help cover the loss and revenue and fund vital community services including the library. Altogether, library supporters and workers have raised more than $70,000 to keep the doors open.  
“We need to encourage the council to consider options for keeping ALL libraries open because the libraries are helping people in this economic crunch.  Libraries have free internet for people who are job searching, they can do company research on our computers, update their resumes, we have books on how to write resumes.  People need us the most right now.”
> Star Soto, Library Specialist Youth, Wright Library in Ventura County, who testified at a Ventura City Council meeting.

Wright County Library is used by eight elementary schools, three high schools, hundreds of senior citizens and local residents in the community.  Library workers have seen a high increase in job seekers over the last few months and many local residents are relying on the library to help them find their next job. Even more families are utilizing the library’s resources by checking out music and movies.
Wright Library supporters are optimistic that they can keep the library open even though it won’t be easy during these difficult times.  
Links to other library stories:

 

Ventura Temporarily Saves Wright Library: 
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/29/Ventura-offers-loan-not-cash-for-libraries/
Los Angeles Library Cuts:  
http://laist.com/2008/04/29/library_budget.php
National Library Use Increase: 
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6999494&page=1