City begins talks on libraries

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- With too few books on the shelves and not enough space

in the city’s libraries, seven community leaders met this week to begin

efforts to improve the city’s library services.

“There is an interest in the community in creating a Costa Mesa public

library separate from the Orange County library system, and there is a

group of people that feels the county system, with some tweaking, will

serve the community very well,” said Councilwoman Libby Cowan, who is

leading the library “visioning” process.

The county now runs the city’s libraries.

“There are these factions out there, and this is a process of bringing

those groups together to do what’s best for the community in terms of

library services,” Cowan added. “We’re going to look solely at library

services, but eventually it will all work into what I hope will be a city

vision.”

The city hired Arroyo Associates Inc. to study the city’s library

services last year.

In August, the consultant completed a study that found Costa Mesa

libraries have more hours of operation than similar cities throughout the

state but have fewer books, less staffing and less space.

The meeting Tuesday was the beginning of a process,recommended by the

study, to determine what changes should be made to improve the city’s

libraries.

“It was sort of a get-acquainted, team-building sort of meeting,” said

Tom Egan, president of the Costa Mesa Library Foundation. “We’re to visit

each library and find something we like and something that needs

improvement at each, and we’re to bring friends to the next meeting. . .

. For something like this, the community has to be behind [any

improvements] because they are going to involve investments of money,

time and effort.”

The next public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 23 at the

Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave.