From Sacramento and Your Neighborhood
Greetings Neighbors!
Public libraries are more popular and invaluable than ever. With an estimated 1.1 billion visits annually, library attendance numbers in the U.S. far surpass that of all professional and college football, basketball, baseball and hockey sports events combined. Here in San Francisco, citizens have made our public libraries a priority by voting to approve local investments in the system four times within the last 20 years. This commitment to our public infrastructure has given San Franciscans of all ages access to first class libraries and the opportunity for lifelong learning.
In 1988, 1990, and 2000 voters approved bond measures to provide seed money necessary to rebuild and revitalize the San Francisco Main Library and to retrofit and restructure the branch libraries throughout the City. Additionally, voters decided in June of 1994 to support Proposition E, which established the Library Preservation Fund and earmarked a percentage of City revenue for the Library. It also set specific operation levels for the next 15 years and has allowed the library system to remain the only free cultural institution in the City.
In the years that followed the passage of these measures, San Franciscans have benefited from increased hours of operation, wider selections of materials and more programs and services, such as author readings, lectures, films and panel discussions. This year, the Main Library is celebrating its 10th year anniversary at its current location in the Civic Center. San Francisco’s 27th public library recently opened in the fast-growing Mission Bay neighborhood. It’s the first new public library in 40 years. A majority of our other branch libraries are or will be under construction to accommodate expansion and community needs or being retrofitted for earthquake safety. You can find information about the Main library and each of the neighborhood branches, hours of operation, construction timelines, and services provided, by visiting www.sfpl.org or by calling (415) 557-4400.
The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support to our public library system, enriches the educational and social opportunities that libraries can provide communities. This nonprofit organization has raised over $8 million dollars within just the last five years to provide furniture, books, materials, and other internal and structural furnishings for the Main and the neighborhood branches. This extra income for our public system of libraries allows for a rich, diverse and welcoming learning atmosphere. In addition to raising funds for the libraries, the Friends also provide grants to important cultural and educational seminars and programs that illuminate the role of the library in our civic life. Their annual spring Library Laureates dinner honors Bay Area authors and helps to keep alive the spirit of our literature and local community thinkers. If you’d like more information about the Friends, please see their website at www.friendssfpl.org or call them at (415) 626-7500.
The modern-day library is not just dedicated to quiet reading and research. Many of the library activities encourage group interaction, music appreciation, community discussions and neighborhood dialogue. While the internet has provided us with a powerful research tool we can access from home, new and inventive community programs have redefined the library in ways not imagined just a few short years ago.
Our San Francisco public libraries offer free and equal access to all. You can find at least one library in almost every neighborhood within our City. These civic institutions not only instill a rich tradition of learning in our neighborhoods, but they also serve as vital community hubs, safe and educational environments for our children, lecture halls, and social and professional networking avenues. Whether you want to read for pleasure, research your next vacation spot, or listen to a panel discussion, I encourage you to take advantage of our uniquely strong and vibrant civic institutions and make them a part of your life.
If you would like more information, please feel free to contact my office here in San Francisco, (415) 557-3013, or email me directly at Assemblymember.Leno@asm.ca.gov.
Last year, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) sponsored a bill banning two types of toxic chemicals used as fire retardants in foam padding in furniture. These chlorinated and brominated chemicals are linked to cancer, birth defects and reproductive disorders; they migrate from furniture to dust particles, are breathed in by children and pets, and are found in the breast milk of nursing mothers. That bill, however, never reached Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk, falling victim to election-year squabbling.
