Donate to Library

All of us are very fortunate that the Jan. 17 earthquake struck when it did, at 4:31 a.m. on a holiday while the Thousand Oaks Library was closed. Only one person was in the building. The razor-sharp metal ceiling slats came down, slicing water pipes and books, gashing shelving, furniture and counters, cutting through the carpeting as well.

The sheared-off water mains gushed angry torrents of water for hours after the initial shock. The force was strong enough to bore holes through triple walls, leaving six inches of water standing in some parts of the building.

Had this happened when our library was open, I hate to think of the carnage. Between 2,500 and 3,000 library patrons visit the Main Library daily. There can be between 300 and 400 people in the library at any one time, with as many a 500 on weekends.

It’s time to pick up the pieces and start over. The Thousand Oaks Library Restoration Committee’s goal is to raise $250,000 to replace library materials that will not be covered by FEMA loans and other government intervention.

If everyone who holds a Thousand Oaks Library card will donate $5, we will more than meet our monetary goal. If only the citizens of Thousand Oaks will make a donation of $46, an amount equivalent to the annual cost per resident allocated to library services by the city, we can open a “new and improved” Main Library. Think of the possibilities.

The bottom line is, “How important are superior library services to you?”

Ruth Ann Cooper

Thousand Oaks

Ruth Ann Cooper is vice president for membership of the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library .