Slowly but surely, we are beginning to see spring arrive in Santa Cruz County. Of course, the change here is not as complete as in some places I have lived, like New England, but it’s still recognizable as a time of new energy and rebirth. And one rebirth that we can look forward to this Spring is the reopening of several of our branches throughout the county. In March we expect to see Boulder Creek and Garfield Park handed over to the Library from the contractors, and a few weeks later these branches will reopen to the public with grand openings to celebrate their return to the towns and neighborhoods that have missed them so much. And then we will see Branciforte, Scotts Valley, and Live Oak reopen over the balance of the year.
None of these events would have been possible without the generous and constant support of this community and the work of so many volunteers who worked with the Friends on the Realizing the Promise fundraising campaign. We have exceeded the goals that we set, and I look forward to signing the check when we provide those funds to the library system. So once again I want to say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! We are so grateful for your support!
I’d like to ask you to express that support in another way now, one that only requires a moment of your time when you are next visiting one of our branches. This has been a tough couple of years for all of us, and the staff at our libraries has felt the stress especially hard. They have had to deal with changing policies, restrictions on access to the library, dealing with the understandable frustration of some of us with the time it has taken to move through these renovations, and so much more. During this time many have been evacuated from their homes, and some have lost their homes and much more.
They have managed to work through all these issues and still support our patrons in so many ways without losing their cool. So please, the next time you are in one of our branches, just take a moment to say “Thank You” to them. Let them know that you appreciate what they have been through and that you are glad they are there. One thing I have learned over the years is that books and media don’t make a great library, Great Staff make a Great Library! So be sure to let them know you are aware of them and support them. Thank you again for all that you have done and continue to do for the libraries here in Santa Cruz, I appreciate you all more than I can say.
Next month Yolande Wilburn, our new Library Director, will be using this space to introduce herself to all of you. I know you will be interested in what she has to share.
