New questions arise around library

Deirdre Newman

NEWPORT BEACH -- Reservations about a proposed Mariners Branch Library

aren’t resting solely with parents worried about their children’s safety.

The library clerk at Mariners Elementary School says she, too, has

serious concerns about the proposed joint-use library that would replace

the aging Mariners Branch Library, despite it being touted as an

advantage to Mariners students.

Gerry Nack contends that forcing students to abdicate their own

library in favor of a schoolchildren’s section at a new public library

will decrease the number of books available and create an intimidating

atmosphere because of the myriad safety precautions that will be

incorporated into the design.

If approved, and if the city gets $2 million in state funding, the new

library will be a one-story, 14,000-square-foot building closer to the

school than the existing branch library on Irvine Avenue.

Nack said supporters’ infatuation with the project overlooks

significant drawbacks for the students.

“People just aren’t thinking of all the options and alternatives,”

Nack said. “People are thinking, ‘Oh, a new state-of-the-art library.’

Anything new and shiny sounds good, but when you get to thinking about

what’s available to the children and how they’re going to use it . . . I

do not perceive the advantages.”

Mariners Principal Pam Coughlin contends the joint-use library is a

boon for students, saying it will alleviate the space squeeze at the

current library -- located in a portable building the size of 1 1/2

classrooms.

“We cannot fit more than one classroom in there and don’t have enough

chairs to fit a whole upper-grade classroom,” Coughlin said. “So going in

to do research is pretty difficult.”

The 900-square-foot portable became the school library three years

ago, after the two classrooms that had housed it were needed for a

growing number of students.

Nack’s primary concern is that the number of books available to

students will decline. At Mariners, students can check out books for only

one week at a time, but at the public library, it’s three weeks, Nack

said.

And although students can check out only two books at a time, at the

public library the maximum jumps to about 25, Nack added.

Supporters of the library plan this week announced they had reached

their $1-million fund-raising goal, which they hope will pave the way for

the city to get the $2-million in state bond money.

But even as they raised the money, opposition to the proposal grew,

based largely on security concerns. A vocal group of parents has

questioned whether having a combined public and school library would

place children at risk of unwanted or dangerous encounters with the

public.

While Nack doesn’t have any qualms about security with the proposal,

she charged the extensive security measures that have been put together

in response to parental concern will not create a cozy library

environment.

Although the final details are still being hammered out, current

safety precautions include a roll-down door separating the

2,000-square-foot student section from the public children’s portion

during school hours, a separate entrance for students, video cameras and

a security patrol.

“Is that the vision and atmosphere we desire our students to associate

with libraries?” Nack asked. “Don’t we want an inviting, friendly feeling

to be associated with books and reading?”

Coughlin rejects both of Nack’s concerns. The principal asserts that

the security measures will not be noticeable and will afford a greater

sense of safety than the current setup.

“Anyone could walk off the field and walk straight into [our]

library,” Coughlin said.

And Coughlin said she doesn’t believe the number of books available

for students will decrease as the entire children’s section will include

the existing volumes in the school library plus 20,000 additional books.

The project now awaits approval from Newport Beach and Newport-Mesa

Unified School District officials at their respective meetings on

Tuesday. Even if the application makes it to the state, it will still

have to compete for the money Proposition 14 makes available for

joint-use projects.

* Deirdre Newman covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at o7 deirdre.newman@latimes.comf7 .

INSIDE

The Newport Beach City Council prepares to vote on the Mariners

library proposal. See Page A3