Inside Bay Area - Library checks out hour expansion

Fremont Library Commission votes to request renewed City Funding to reopen Main Library and fund add'l days of service at the City's branch libraries.

Inside Bay Area - Library checks out hour expansion

After hearing from several community members requesting expanded library hours at our most recent meeting, the commission acted to request renewed City funding.

The Fremont Library Advisory Commission voted unanimously (3/20/2007) to request that the Fremont City Council consider renewing funding for Sunday library hours at the Fremont Main Library and adding additional hours at the Fremont Library Branches in Centerville, Irvington and Niles.

Some background information: Such annual contracts for additional library service hours are standard in the county . Under the contracts, libraries in Dublin, Newark and Union City pay the county library system to provide additional open hours at their main and branch libraries.

The city of Albany has a similar agreement with the county and funds additional library hours through the 1994 Albany Library Services Act.

The city of Fremont canceled a similar agreement with the county in 2003 citing fiscal constraints. Since 2003, Fremont is the only City in the Alameda County Library System that does not offer city-funded Sunday Open Hours.

With the Ohlone College Library closed on weekends and many working adults unable to visit the library with their families except on Sunday, the City's funding of these hours is of importance to the quality of life in Fremont.

Fremont Library Commissioners shared information about library use patterns with City Council during the 3/20/07 budget work session, are committed to work with Council and staff at the City and County to ensure the provision of quality library services in Fremont.

System Reference Center - March 2007

System Reference Center - March 2007

I have an interesting fact to update for Fremont CA's City Council! Today I heard Stephen Abram give a talk on the future of libraries. He quoted $6.50 as the return on every $1 invested in libraries calculated by a study done in Florida, 2004 - so we are going to have to give Commissioner Gaby a couple more dollars to wave around!

In September 2004, a comprehensive taxpayer ROI study on the impact of public libraries in Florida found (all figures US$):Overall, Florida's public libraries return $6.54 for every $1.00 invested from all sources. For every $6,448 spent on public libraries from public funding sources in Florida, one job is created. For every dollar of public support spent on public libraries in Florida, gross regional product increases by $9.08. For every dollar of public support spent on public libraries in Florida, income (wages) increases by $12.66.

Abram said the actual ratio was probably higher (likely around $20), but the study didn't consider soft "returns" only direct dollar measurables. ALA has a page of articles and studies related to Library ROI . You can read more about the ROI in: The value of libraries: Impact, normative data, and influencing funders. by Abram, Stephen . Scroll toward the bottom of the left side of the page to get to the stats.