4 libraries could extend open days
Bookworms, seekers of silence and parents looking to fill their children’s time with wholesome activities, rejoice: Hours and programming at four Kern County Library branches in some of the neediest areas of Bakersfield will expand to five days a week if the City Council approves such a plan as expected at its Wednesday night meeting.
It’s a significant jump from the current two-day-a-week schedule of some branches in metro Bakersfield.
The county and city have drawn up a $2.78 million, five-year agreement to open the doors at the Northeast, Wilson, Baker and Holloway-Gonzales branches Tuesday through Saturday for seven hours per day.
It would happen within three months of the signing of the agreement.
“This significant increase in library hours would create much greater access to literacy for residents. In addition, it would significantly increase access to libraries as a safe public space and community gathering point,” states an administrative report that’s part of Wednesday’s City Council agenda.
Bakersfield City Councilman Andrae Gonzales has assembled a phalanx of city and county officials to celebrate the plan at 10 a.m. Monday at the Baker Branch, 1400 Baker St.
“As the percentage of young people involved in gun violence increases, the city of Bakersfield is set to implement effective strategies focused on preventing youth violence by promoting positive youth development,” said a news release Gonzales issued.
The city of Bakersfield has not historically funded the Kern County Library system’s branches. But that would change under this agreement.
Specifically, the city intends to use federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay the county $172,000 for one-time costs to update collections ($66,000) and technology ($106,000).
The annual operating cost for
more library staff starts at $443,000 for the first year, with modest annual increases for a total of $2.39 million over five years. Money will also be paid each year for programming.
The city notes in its administrative report that there’s $1 million in its current budget for funding violence prevention plus ongoing funds in the Public Safety Vital Services budget — and that providing more robust library availability is one way to do it.
In 2022, the City Council asked staff to research violence prevention programs that worked, which was followed in 2023 by a report on best practices, including targeting literacy and educational attainment.
The written reimbursement agreement spells out what the county will provide, including: staff to ensure services are provided ranging from collection and technology help to programming ranging from story time to Lego clubs to resume-writing workshops; funds for programming vendors such as storytellers, magicians, musicians, photographers and other specialties; technology updates such as new computers, wireless printing and wiring and infrastructure; and collection development.
The plan is to add about 3,900 new titles across genres and for all ages. The agreement notes that more than half of the titles at these branches are more than 10 years old.
Communities across the county have clamored for more library services in recent years.
The Shafter Library & Learning Center, for one, used to be a county library branch but is now owned and operated by the city of Shafter in collaboration with Bakersfield College and community supporters.
Meanwhile, the city of McFarland’s pitch to take over the county’s Clara M. Jackson Branch Library in the city for a police headquarters was met with an uproar from a range of community members and politicians.
Last year McFarland was awarded $5 million from the 2023-24 state budget to be used toward constructing a new police department.
And as of Jan. 2, operations at the Rathbun Branch and Rosamond Branch libraries were expanded to five days a week.