Libraries Will Stay in County System

Council members unanimously agreed not to pull the city’s two libraries out of the beleaguered county system after County Librarian John M. Adams promised increased funding and extended operating hours.

Adams told council members late Tuesday night that a new spending formula for the county’s 27 public libraries will provide an additional $176,000 to Irvine’s branches, which could be used to open them from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

“This would be the first time since 1978 that a county-operated library has been open on Sunday,” Adams told council members.

Adams also is recommending that an additional $10,000 be spent to equip Irvine’s Heritage Park and University Park libraries with computers that would give people Internet access.

Council members said they are reserving the right to withdraw from the system if the funding increases are lost in future years.

“I don’t want to be known as bankrupting the [county] library system out of pride. That’s why I’m willing to take a chance,” Mayor Mike Ward said. “We’re going to try it for a while, but we’re not giving up our option of pulling out.”

Irvine first threatened to pull out of the system last October because of ongoing service cuts. Council members also complained that Irvine contributes $2.8 million in property taxes to the county system but receives only $2.3 million in return for library services.

But Councilwoman Christina Shea said it soon became clear that the Board of Supervisors would not return all of Irvine’s property tax contributions if the city withdrew from the county system.

And, she said, “We don’t have the funds to run an independent library right now.”