Newspaper clippings · August 13, 1992
Easy Reader — State budget cuts may threaten area libraries
Michael Macdonald reports the County’s hiring freeze and possible cuts. A photo by Kevin Cody shows Norma Burt congratulating Pat Gazin at the anniversary.
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August 13, 1992
Norma Burt (right) congratulates former Hermosa Beach Mayor Pat Gazin on the 30th anniversary of the Hermosa Beach library Saturday. While in office Gazin spearheaded the construction of the county-run library. Photo by Kevin Cody
State budget cuts may threaten area libraries
by Michael Macdonald
In the stream of proposed cuts to balance the state's budget, some of the measures begin to resemble a government at war with its own people.
The Los Angeles County Library system, the busiest in the country, is the latest institution to come under fiscal fire.
"We are currently operating under a hiring freeze," said Hermosa Beach librarian Ron Snider. "In a worst case scenario, our materials budget could be cut 50 percent if AB 8 funds are lost to us."
AB 8 moneys were given to local governments to balance the shortfalls caused by the passing of Proposition 13.
"We spend only $20 per capita in the county to provide 92 libraries to 18 million people with 16 million items including books, magazine and video materials," said Jean Alexander, regional administrator for 21 libraries in the county system. "We are a very efficient public service. Last year we had over 400,000 children in our after-school programs. The schools spend over $5,000 per student."
"We have no budget right now," Alexander said. "The elimination of the special district augmentation fund of AB 8 would be a crippling blow to our system."
The Hermosa Beach branch of the County Library currently stocks over 150 magazines on a budget of about $5,000 per year, off $1100 from last year, according to Snider. "We have a very active Friends of the Library program here in Hermosa. They picked up 20 subscriptions we would have otherwise had to let lapse. In addition, they sponsor most of our children's reading programs. I don't think you'll see any cuts in the programs themselves, but there will be fewer children's, as well as adult books available," Snider said in an interview Tuesday.
"The county uses an activity index to determine how many
>15
KNBC reporter Jim Giggans interviews Kevin Stephanoff of Manhattan Beach about learning to surf Tuesday morning at 16th Street in Hermosa Beach. Stephanoff is one of 100 kids participating in the Hermosa Beach Surf Camp, sponsored by Chevron, Becker Surfboards, Dive 'N Surf, E.T. Surfboards, Spyder Surfboards, Easy Reader, the county lifeguards and the City of Hermosa Beach. Photo by Kevin Cody.
Handwritten notes
• (masthead) Easy Reader
• (beside date) 1992
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Source scan page 56
August 13, 1992 re m- si- Norma Burt (right) congratulates former Hermosa Beach Mayor Pat Gazin on the 30th anniversary of the Hermosa Beach library Saturday. While in office Gazin spearheaded the construction of the county-run library. Photo by Kevin Cody State budget cuts may threaten area libraries by Michael Macdonald In the stream of proposed cuts to balance the state's budget, some of the measures begin to resemble a government at war with its own people. The Los Angeles County Li- brary system, the busiest in the country, is the latest institution to come under fiscal fire. "We are currently operating under a hiring freeze," said Her- mosa Beach librarian Rón Snider. "In a worst case scenario, our materials budget could be cut 50 percent if AB 8 funds are lost to us." AB 8 moneys were given to local governments to balance the shortfalls caused by the passing of Proposition 13. "We spend only $20 per capita in the county to provide 92 li- braries to 18 million people with 16 million items including books, magazine and video materials, said Jean Alexander, regional administrator for 21 libraries in the county system."We are a very efficient public service. Last year we had over 400,000 chil- dren in our after-school pro- grams. The schools spend over $5,000 per student." "We have no budget right now," Alexander said. "The elimina- tion of the special district aug- mentation fund of AB 8 would be a crippling blow to our system." The Hermosa Beach branch of the County Library currently stocks over 150 magazines on a budget of about $5,000 per year, off $1100 from last year, accord- ing to Snider."We have a very active Friends of the Library pro- gram here in Hermosa They picked up 20 subscriptions we would have otherwise had to let lapse. In addition, they sponsor most of our children's reading programs. I don't think you'll see any cuts in the programs them- selves, but there will be fewer children's, as well as adult books available," Snider said in an in- terview Tuesday. The county uses an activity index to determine how many >15 AI KNBC reporter Jim Giggans interviews Kevin Stephanoff of Manhattan Beach about learning to surf Tuesday morning at 16th Street in Hermosa Beach. Stephanoff is one of 100 kids participating in the Hermosa Beach Surf Camp, sponsored by Chevron, Becker Surfboards, Dive 'N Surf, E.T. Surfboards, Spyder Surfboards, Easy Reader, the county lifeguards and the City of Hermosa Beach. Photo by Kevin Cody.