Will ‘floating’ books sink or swim?

Some members of the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library are bristling at the proposed expansion of a systemwide one-way borrowing program they just learned about.

The Orange County Public Library, of which the Laguna branch is a part, is proposing to expand a “floating collection” system in which patron-requested books will not be returned to the branch from which they were borrowed but stay at the patron’s home branch.

County librarians say the one-way system saves money and reduces wear and tear on materials.

A minority of the Laguna Friends’ board support the concept, president Martha Lydick said. However, the proposal did not float the boat of the majority.

“It goes against our charter, which says we buy books and materials for the Laguna Beach branch,” Lydick said. “Last year, we donated $23,000 toward the purchase of books.

“How can we expect people to donate money if the books won’t stay here?”

Library patrons can submit requests for any book not available at their own branch. Traditionally, each branch retains ownership of the books in their collections and borrowed books are returned. Under the floating collection concept, the tide would run only one way, which county officials said would save money.

“The county truck goes to the branches every day and picks up requested books: no extra trips would be required to return them,” said Laguna Beach Friends of the Library President Martha Lydick.

A trial of the project began with biographies in 2005. Large-print books were subsequently added. The next category would be audio books.

“The experiment was in operation for a year before the Friends of the Library branches, which raise the money to buy books, were even told about it,” Lydick said.

County officials presented the proposed expansion of the floating collection to the local Friends board at their January meeting.

“This is a test to see what the implications are,” county librarian John Adams said. “The floating collection is something made possible by the enhancement of our computer system.

“If it results in vast shifts of materials from one place to another — that isn’t what we want.”

Adams said the project is being evaluated.

“It has been tried in other parts of the country and had significant success,” Adams said.

Discussion of the county’s proposal to ship out books with no return ticket will be resumed at the Feb. 5 board meeting.

Some categories of special interest to the host community would be exempted from one-way trips: art books, for instance, and local history.

The county’s position was presented to the Laguna Beach Friends board by Stephanie Beverage, a manager of the region that includes the Laguna branch, and Helen Fried, assistant to the soon-to-retire Adams.

“Books would end up where they belong,” Fried told the local board.

The theory is that the books stay where there is the most reader interest. However, it takes only one request for a transfer.

“As far as I am concerned, the books belong where they were bought,” Lydick said.

County officials claim the floating collection would save wear and tear on the books.

Fried said that the branch managers who originally opposed the project have come around.

“She told us the county knew that the Friends would likely be against it,” Lydick said. “The Fountain Valley Friends have notified Adams of their opposition.”

Not all community libraries are part of the county system, and the one-way borrowing brouhaha has raised the question of whether Laguna Beach should separate from the county. Newport Beach, Santa Ana, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Yorba Linda, Placentia, Orange and Mission Viejo all have independent city libraries.

“That [creating a separate city library] is an option that is periodically raised by members of our board and the community,” Lydick said.

The Friends of the Laguna Beach Library was founded in 1955. Funds are primarily raised by the sale of donated books at the Friends’ book shop under the library.

Grants from the city; financial support from community organizations such as the Laguna Board of Realtors, Ebell Club, Hearts of Montage and the Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach, and private donations add to Friends’ contributions to the library.

Last year, in addition to donating money for books, funds were raised to repair, repaint and re-landscape the library at 363 Glennyere St. — projects the county library could not afford.

“Our community has really stood up for the library,” Lydick said. “The county’s proposal is like a slap in the face.”

For more information about the proposal or the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library, call (947) 497-7053.