Downtown Library Closure News

(From September 29, 2003) Any of Palo Alto's libraries can be summarily shut down by the City Council, without a vote by the public. In fact, in August 2003, the Library Advisory Commission officially recommended to the City Council that the Downtown Library, a 110-year old institution, be closed.

The Friends of the Palo Alto Library opposes the closure. Despite what the Commission has said officially, the Downtown Library is "not the least popular branch." In fact, it gets almost twice as many users as the College Terrace Library¹ There is also no need to close it for budget reasons, as the current budget covers its present operations. The Downtown Library, which sits across from City Hall, is a popular daytime spot for reading current magazines and newspapers and for Internet access. The Library is used heavily by seniors and downtown workers, for whom driving to a different library is not an option. Moreover, while other parts of the city have recreational and community facilities, the branch is the only community service available downtown, the one area in Palo Alto where hundreds of new housing units are being added. The Friends of the Palo Alto Library are joining with neighborhood groups and all Palo Altans who support widespread access to libraries to lobby the City Council, which is where the issue is now headed. Over 1,200 people from across the community have already signed a petition opposing the closure. Public response has preserved libraries and other facilities in Palo Alto in the past, so your opinion matters! Here's what you can do:

If you haven't yet signed our petition, please do so here electronically:

"We are opposed to the closure of the Downtown Library. We value this neighborhood resource and we want it to remain a library, open to the public."

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Updated 9/29/03: Read Kat Kohlsaat's letter in the September 28 Palo Alto weekly, the September 26 Palo Alto Weekly article, Council candidates Nancy Lytle's remarks (in favor of the Downtown Library) and Bern Beecham's remarks (undecided), the September 6 San Jose Mercury and September 3 Palo Alto Weekly articles, plus previous July 30, July 18, and July 11 articles. See Janice Sedriks' letter in the Tuesday, July 22, 2003 Palo Alto Daily News on page 8. See 13 letters from 1998 when the City previously tried to close libraries.

Updated 9/26/03: Read the Commission's proposal, the minority report in favor of keeping the library open, and new public comments.

E-mail the City Council.

Updated 9/26/03: Speak out at the Special City Council Study Session on the library closure plan on September 29 from 6 pm to 9 pm. This will be held at the Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium at 1313 Newell Road. The LAC will present its case briefly, followed by a discussion with council members until 8 pm. Then, the public will be able to comment.

Send us an e-mail so that we may keep you informed about this issue.

Send a letter to the editors of the local press via The Palo Alto Daily News, The Palo Alto Weekly, and The San Jose Mercury News.

Collect more signatures to oppose the closing using the petition form. Also print out and display our poster in full-color or for colored paper (full-size and four-to-a-page).