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WORK STUDY SESSION <br /> <br />WS.A. <br /> <br />LIBRARY INITIATIVE - Presentation by Library Director Rob Richard <br />(Continued from October 15, 2001 Council Meeting); highlights of this <br />presentation are as follows: <br /> <br />Library funding per capita in Santa Ana ranks in the bottom 25% of <br />all public libraries in California <br />Ongoing Iow level of Library Department funding has resulted in a <br />net shortfall of 340,000 books, 110,000 square feet of facilities, and <br />3,000 hours of annual service that would otherwise be provided to a <br />community with average library funding <br />There are no facilities to serve residents in the southern portions of <br />the City <br />Maintaining the current status quo will result i,q an additional budget <br />reduction of 11% in constant dollars, and a reduction in staff <br />Alternatives include having the County provide library services at <br />an annual cost of at least $6 million, reducing other City services, <br />or, asking the electorate to approve a Library initiative <br />There have been more than 90 library referenda in California since <br />1978 <br />The overall success rate for these campaigns (requiring 2/3 vote) is <br />about 45% <br />It is important to ballot success that the community has a tendency <br />in general to support public services, particularly schools <br />The voter success rate in communities that supported school <br />measures was 58% compared to a rate of 20% in communities that <br />did not support school measures <br />The Santa Ana Library has 107,000 resident library card holders. <br />50% are eighteen years or older <br />The most successful campaigns utilize polling, targeting, <br />telephoning, door-to-door canvassing, and get-out-the-vote <br />techniques <br />Voter approval of additional library funding could triple the number <br />of new books added to the library collection each year, and <br />increase public service hours by 3,200 annually <br /> <br />COMMENTS <br /> <br />90.A. <br /> <br />Tim Rush addressed the Council relative to the Yale Apartments at 1007- <br />1009 North Broadway, and distributed a written request for an account of <br />the events that led the City to file criminal charges resulting in an <br />agreement between the City and the property owner to vacate and <br />demolish an historic building <br /> <br />CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 469 DECEMBER 17, 200'1 <br /> <br /> <br />