Costa Mesa to get new library

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- Amid the frustration some residents may feel about the

city’s libraries lies a glimmer of hope for a brighter future with the

addition of a new branch, set to open in November.

“I think it’s a good way to spend the money,” said Tom Egan, the Costa

Mesa Library Foundation’s president. “We felt that this was good

recognition that technology and computers and Internet access are getting

to be a pretty important part of intellectual life.”

The 2,375-square-foot Technology Branch Library, with about 25

computer workstations and minimal print material, is scheduled to open in

a suite at 3033 Bristol St.

The branch is part of a pilot program and differs from other Costa

Mesa branch libraries because it will operate out of leased space rather

than a building owned by the city.

The city is part of the Orange County Public Library system, along

with 23 other cities, said Assistant City Manager Anne Schultz. The city

owns the two buildings where the existing Costa Mesa branches are, but

the county operates them. In the case of the new library, the county

entered into a five-year lease with a private land owner.

Libraries in the county’s system are funded by property taxes of

member cities, County Librarian John Adams said, with each city receiving

service funds according to a strict formula.

Because of an unexpected increase in revenue-based funds, the Costa

Mesa City Council was able to choose how it wanted Orange County Public

Library system to spend the money in Costa Mesa, officials said.

At the Oct. 2 meeting, the council approved spending the bulk of

$138,946 of excess funds on the Technology Branch Library, Schultz said.

“The City Council thought it was a great idea and, based on their

desires we are pursuing this project,” Adams said.

In recent years, the council has also expressed other desires

regarding Costa Mesa libraries, funding extensive studies and forming an

ad hoc committee to address resident’s concerns.

An August 2000 report by Arroyo Associates showed that Costa Mesa

libraries had service levels below the average for the library system in

all but one area. With the exception of hours of operation, Costa Mesa

libraries received 67% less square footage per capita, 45% less books and

59% less full-time employees than comparable cities, the report detailed.

The report also indicated that Costa Mesa was a donor city, which

means residents pay more to the library fund than they receive back in

services, Schultz said.

The Orange County Public Library collects an average of $13.94 per

Costa Mesa resident annually, the report said, but only spends about

$12.92 per resident in library services.

The reason for that, Egan said, is that some cities in the system have

a poor tax base and would be unable to fund their own library.

Therefore the Orange County Public Library advisory committee made a

political decision on how to distribute the money throughout the county,

Egan said. It was the distribution that sparked anger among Costa Mesa

residents, he added.

“Local residents got really mad when they found out that not only do

we have [lousy] libraries but we don’t even get all the services from the

money we pay,” Egan said. “It’s kind of like transfusing blood from one

arm to the other and spilling 10% of it along the way.”

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .