Books.Sonoma County Library bench
New library bench, Sebastopol
courtesy, Sculpture Jam

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Save our Libraries - Sonoma County

When the libraries closed and workers furloughed in 2009 at year-end, we complained, but not loudly enough.

It's time to stand up and be counted. We want:

  • Budget transparency
  • Library Advisory Board transparency, so our representatives are able to serve the communities they represent.
  • Library Commission accountability to communities they represent
  • Roll back to hours in effect prior to August 1, 2011

Get Involved:

People who use the Sonoma County libraries do not want the cuts in hours, services, and access that are going to be imposed starting August 1, 2011. We are organizing to reverse this change and to prevent further erosions to library services.

The steering committee of Save Our Libraries has developed a full template of materials and activities for staffing a table outside the doors of each of the libraries on Mondays, starting with the first Monday, August 1.

We are hoping you will help in this campaign and volunteer staffing time on Mondays during August at the Sebastopol library, your own local library and/or the Main Library.

To schedule yourself for a 2 hour shift for the "sit in" at the libraries on Mondays (the newly added CLOSURE day):

email Karen: SOCOSOL11@gmail.com   or call: 707 827-1416

Thank you so much,

Save Our Libraries Steering Committee

You can find us on Facebook - SOCOSOL

You can find us on the web - SOCOSOL.blogspot.com

What we have done so far...

  • Called a general meeting June 20th at the Sebastopol Library Forum room. Approximately 50+ people attended and spoke up about what information and actions we needed to take to stop the eroding of library services in Sonoma County.
  • Formed a steering committee.
  • Organized a list of people and skills which they were willing to offer toward investigating the finances and organization of the Sonoma County Libraries.
  • Have utilized skilled financial experts to pore over what financial records are available and prepared a list of questions we would like the answers to.
  • Planned Read-ins, Read-overs, tabling, at as many libraries on Mondays as possible beginning August 1st.
  • Prepared educational materials so people understand how the library system is organized, where the money goes and from where it comes.
  • Contacted library commissioners, started a mail campaign to insist they confer with library users when determining important things like cutting library services.
  • Started a petition with the same goals.
  • Attended Library Advisory Board meetings (each branch has a LAB) to encourage local boards to inform the public and act independently to represent local users, not only support the management of the libraries.
  • Contacted Friends of the Library at several of the local branches (Help us! if you know someone at another branch who would be interested in organizing their branch users, let us know! We'll send them information).
  • Met with the union for assistance in understanding the budget and staffing process of the libraries.

SEE YOU AT THE LIBRARY AUGUST 1, 8, 15, 22, 29!!

Need personal attention? email:SOCOSOL11@gmail.com   or
U.S. Post: SOCOSOL c/o P Boardman P.O. Box 1223 Sebastopol, CA 95472
or call Karen Felker to schedule a spot on Mondays for library tabling or Farmer's Market tabling 707 827-1416
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