The Library We Deserve

Recently I was exploring the City of Goleta web site and discovered some interesting documents regarding the Goleta Library. One in particular grabbed my attention. It is called Background Report No. 4, Library Services. [UPDATE: Since this was posted the City of Goleta seems to have removed the document from its web site. If anyone wishes the full text please contact me by email.]


This report was written in 2003 as part of the research for the Goleta General Plan. Here are some facts library users should know. (Bold text supplied by me.)


"The Goleta library opened at 500 N. Fairview Avenue on January 28, 1973 and has remained virtually unchanged."


"The Goleta library is popular and heavily used. As of June 2003, 34,562 people held library cards where the Goleta branch is their nearest library. And, in the same month, the 'gate count' indicated that 29,303 people had entered the library. In addition, the library is frequently used by many people who work in Goleta, but live in other areas. Commuters from Ventura, Oxnard, Lompoc, Santa Maria and other cities use the library on their lunch hour and after work."

"The number of volumes, which includes all types of materials in addition to books, is estimated at 90,000.. This equates to .96 volumes per capita for the Goleta area, based on a population of 86,539. [Footnote: The nationwide average for public libraries is 2.8, according to the National Center for Education Statistics "Public Libraries Survey Highlights."

"In 1999 the County commissioned an AB 1600 Fee Justification Study which was performed by David Taussig and Associates. A part of that study focused on the Goleta library facility. The study concluded that the facility had a current deficit of 155,855 volumes and needed an additional 26,330 square feet of space at an estimated cost of $6,281,716 (1998 dollars). It also estimated that an additional 22,547 volumes and an additional 3,809 square feet at a cost of $908,666 (1998 dollars) would be required for new development, assuming a 'build-out' scenario in the Goleta Planning Area of 30,028 equivalent dwelling units (EDU's)."

This means as long ago as 1999 it was known the library was insufficient in volumes and space. Why is it taking so long for this situation to be remedied? Part of the reason is that most people didn't know about the deficiencies. Probably the library users who want all the newest books and place early requests noticed that the copies they borrowed came from other libraries. Some people may have noticed that the shelves of new books were a bit sparse. Some people may have noticed that there weren't as many books on tape, videos, and DVDs as they would like.

I am not usually one of those people. I am not as interested in best sellers and have my favorite authors for whom I request their latest books. But I did notice that four books I checked out recently at Goleta were not purchased by the Goleta Library. They are:

Gordon, Alan. The Lark's Lament.
Sedley, Kate. The Three Kings of Cologne.
Dickinson, David. Death on the Nevskii Prospekt.
Davis, Lindsey. Saturnalia.

By the way, I recommend all these authors, especially if you like historical mysteries. I paid 50 cents each for the privilege of borrowing these titles from another library--cheap at the price. It does not begin to cover the cost of the library's getting these books for me. If those books had been purchased by the library, more borrowers would have spotted them on the shelves for new books and enjoyed them.

These observations do not mean that the library is terrible. I think that the library administration is doing the best they can under difficult circumstances. Remember, you can't buy books without funds. These observations mean that we could do better, and I think Goletans deserve better.