To Our Community: Every week, the City Council receives letters, emails and phone calls from our residents. Most recently the Council has received several heartfelt emails regarding the upcoming change to our library system. I wanted to share some key information from these letters, in the event that others in the community have similar questions. Should you have any questions or comments, please let me know at: mmclean@santa-clarita.com.
Best regards, Marsha McLean
• Come July 1, 2011, the new Santa Clarita Public Library system will have three libraries: Canyon Country, Newhall and Valencia.
• Through a partnership with the Inland Library Network, we will have seamless, online access to eight independent library systems totaling 76 branches, which will offer our patrons quick access to 1.1 million titles; 90,000 more than are currently offered through the County system.
• The Inland Library Network catalog will replace the County Library Catalog as the source of materials for our new City library system. County library cardholders may still use the Castaic library to access the County’s collection.
• The City is also applying for membership in the Southern California Library Cooperative, which is the same cooperative enjoyed by Los Angeles County Library, and includes nearly all of the public libraries in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura Counties.
• The City of Santa Clarita’s Public Library system will be expanding the hours of all three local branches by 19 percent; all three of our libraries will be open seven days a week.
• The City will have its own online system, effective July 1, 2011 at: www.santaclaritalibrary.com.
• City library patrons will need to obtain a City library card. There will be no charge to obtain a City library card.
• The City will spend upwards of $750,000 for books and media for the new Old Town Newhall Library (opening July 2012). The City will also be increasing the current book and media budget by 22 percent for the three libraries; that is an annual amount. There will be a greater and larger variety of library materials, including books, periodicals, audio books, DVDs, music CDs and the like at our three libraries.
• For the first year, the City will subscribe to all of the databases currently provided by the County library. In subsequent years, we will add or change database subscriptions based upon the expressed needs of our library patrons. The City of Santa Clarita public library system will provide online tutoring homework help and a wide variety of other services identified by the community as important.
• Right now, the County of Los Angeles operates the three local libraries. Effective July 1, 2011, the City will assume responsibility for the three libraries. In anticipation of the new change in management, the County has ceased its inter-library loan program to assure that all of the materials are in place prior to the change in management.