Government: Public Library Services

Government: Public Library Services

BRIEF SUMMARY: The LWVDV supports public libraries as a basic service of government with adequate funding by local, state, and federal governments and supports free access by all persons to public library services.
Position In Brief: 

The LWVDV supports public libraries as a basic service of government with adequate funding by local, state, and federal governments. LWVDV supports free access by all persons to public library service as a means of lifelong education and learning, and as a major source of knowledge and information necessary for informed, active participation in a democratic society.

Position History: 

(Amended 1983; Adopted by concurrence with positions resulting from studies done by LWVs of Los Altos, Marin, Mountain View, and San Diego; reviewed and affirmed annually)

The LWVDV supports the following objectives:

  • Recognition of the essential service of free public libraries in a democratic society and government’s basic obligation to provide the service with adequate funding.
  • Recognition that basic library services include the following:
  • Provision of services for all users including children, young adults, and handicapped persons.
  • Open hours on weekday mornings, afternoons, evenings and on weekends.
  • Professional staff for children, young adults, reference, and administrative activities.
  • Provision of books, periodicals, documents, California and local history items, large print and audiovisual material, computer-based indexing, and an accurate and easily used catalog system.
  • Support of the use of all available funding for public libraries as follows:
  • Recognition by local governments that they have the prime responsibility to finance public libraries.
  • Increased state and federal aid for public libraries.
  • Support of increased tax revenues to bring library services up to adequate or better.
  • Continued and increased private funding to expand library facilities and supplement services.
  • Opposition to charging fees for basic library services.
  • Support of measures designed to increase the efficiency and economy of public library operations.
  • Consolidation of library functions or systems to achieve cost effectiveness, maintenance and improvement of services, accessibility, and responsiveness.
  • Consideration of fees for special library services.
  • Use of volunteers to supplement paid staff.
  • Support of improvement of existing facilities or construction of new ones to make provision of essential services easier and to increase accessibility. Recognition that library facilities should be accessible to the public; should have adequate light, heating, study space, seating, storage space, work rooms for staff, access for handicapped persons, and parking; and should be clean and properly maintained. 

 

Issues: 
League to which this content belongs: 
Diablo Valley