City seeks library endowment

On Friday, residents, parents and city officials gathered to brainstorm how to keep the small branch that specializes in children services open.

Ultimately, those in attendance hoped to fund the long-term goal starting with a direct request outreach. A small committee was created, which will hopefully grow to include representatives from each of the Burlingame and Hillsborough schools. At the same time, initial money raised will most likely go to solve the current budget issues.

City Manager Jim Nantell explained there is not a threat of the branchi? 1/2 s closure, but rather that the effort was to maintain all of the cityi? 1/2 s library services.

i? 1/2 If wei? 1/2 re not able to generate funds then they will probably need to do something else, like reducing childreni? 1/2 s staff in the main library,i? 1/2 said Nantell.

Since the Easton branch is so well loved by the community, maybe the community will be willing to fund it for a year or two while economic times are tough, he said.

i? 1/2 We all hope this is a temporary situation. Wei? 1/2 re not seeing this as a long-term funding possibility. Until the economy turns around, wei? 1/2 re seeking help to [keeping] these facilities open,i? 1/2 said Vice Mayor Terry Nagel.

Stephen Hamilton, Burlingame Library Foundation treasurer, disagreed with Nagel. He felt the fundraising would be long term. His ambition was to raise enough to create an endowment that would fund the branch for years to come.

Easton was renovated in 2004 thanks to many community donations. The small branch in the middle of a residential area has limited afternoon and evening hours Monday through Thursday and three hours, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. It costs about $110,000 annually to run the branch, which includes employee, material and facilities costs, said City Librarian Patricia Harding. Closing the facility would mean about $70,000 in savings.

Sixty percent of Eastoni? 1/2 s circulation is for childreni? 1/2 s books. About 40 people show up for the two childreni? 1/2 s story times weekly.

As a result, many ideas played off the youth-based use like inviting childreni? 1/2 s authors, asking parents to make donations during the summer reading program and collecting voluntary donations at traditionally free community events.

One woman suggested taking a successful fundraiser in San Carlos, the Chickensi? 1/2 Ball, and doing it annually for the library. Chickensi? 1/2 Ball is a biennial event in San Carlos that allows locals to dance, sing and perform competing against one another while raising money for education.

Direct fundraising was first step liked by the group.

Councilman Jerry Deal pledged $1,000 and joked if all in attendance pledged the same, all could go home. Other pledges for varying amounts followed. i? 1/2

Nantell hoped to have information out to the community about the fundraising drive in the coming weeks.

To donate to the Burlingame Library Foundation visit http://www.burlingamelibraryfoundation.org or www.saveeastonbranch.org. To help with the coordination effort contact Patricia Harding at harding@plsinfo.org. Please mention Easton in the subject line.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.