Opinion: San Diego needs all city libraries to be open seven days a week – San Diego Union-Tribune

Editor’s Note: Reposted with pleasure. I retired in 2016 from SDPL, 15 years of service to the community in various roles: Training Librarian, Government Documents, Librarian II in Science & Technology. Read please and support your Library. It’s Vital for Growth, for Education, for all the People we serve. –DrWeb

Opinion, Commentary

Opinion: San Diego needs all city libraries to be open seven days a week

By Patrick Stewart, Patrick is the CEO of the Library Foundation SD and lives in Clairemont.

PUBLISHED: February 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM PST

In his 2026 State of the City address, Mayor Todd Gloria outlined proposals and priorities for the city in the coming year. However, he notably left out the San Diego Public Library when discussing building, transforming and investing in our city.

The mayor proposed funding the city based on who we are today and how we’re moving forward tomorrow, not funding it based on where we were 30 years ago — and I agree! Sadly, the San Diego Public Library is funded too closely, in relation to the city’s general fund, to the level it was funded nearly three decades ago.

As the city demonstrates its priorities through budget allocations, I urge our leaders to recognize the San Diego Public Library as the cornerstone of public services it truly is. Libraries have long served as more than just places to borrow books.

The San Diego Public Library stands as the region’s largest provider of free cultural programming and serves as a hub for workforce development, lifelong learning, early literacy, civic engagement, and social justice. From a parent whose child relies on the Homework Center at their local library to the entrepreneur learning how to write a business plan, our libraries provide essential services that help San Diegans connect and access key resources.

Inspired and guided by community voices, the Library Foundation SD remains committed to advocating for a 37/7 system, in which all 37 library branches are open seven days a week and reflect the programming needs of our world-class city.

Each year the San Diego Public Library is visited nearly 7 million times, making the library department one of the most widely used services in the city.

San Diegans deserve and have called for a full-time library department. Just last year, thanks to thousands of voices in our community, a crucial budget adjustment was secured that restored Monday hours at 17 library locations. This partial restoration exemplifies the power of collective advocacy, and demonstrates what we can achieve when the community rallies behind the Library Department.

Being open every day of the week ensures that libraries remain important community spaces that close educational gaps, support digital equity and promote workforce readiness. Every day that one of our branches is closed, students, job seekers, families and neighbors who depend on their public library miss out on valuable opportunities.

The annual cost of restoring seven-day service across all branches is less than 0.5% of the city’s general fund — a modest investment that benefits half of all San Diego households.

Now is not the time to cut spending on spaces and services that empower residents and foster connected communities.

Throughout our 37 branches, librarians identify community needs and address problems with programming. Services offered across our branches — ranging from youth academic preparedness to workforce development, technology access, and cultural enrichment — strengthen the fabric of our communities.

If further citywide budget cuts are on the horizon, our library system’s ability to serve the community with essential programs and services will be severely threatened. After last year’s struggles, any additional reductions would have catastrophic consequences for the library’s programming capabilities.

Last year, San Diegans made it clear: “This is unacceptable.” We understand that budgeting is a challenge, but we also have a set of priorities to support, including keeping libraries open 37/7 — every location, seven days a week.

I invite all supporters of the freedom to read and the future of our city to contact your elected officials and let them know you support your library. Find your representative at sandiego.gov/contact.

Get involved in supporting public libraries by signing up for our advocacy newsletter at http://libraryfoundationsd.org/.

Patrick is the CEO of the Library Foundation SD and lives in Clairemont.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Opinion: San Diego needs all city libraries to be open seven days a week – San Diego Union-Tribune

Librarians sound alarm as Trump admin takes aim at IMLS – Spectrum News (Austin, TX)

Ady Huertas re-shelves books at the San Diego Library’s Central Branch. (Spectrum News) – Editor’s Note: Video not available without sign-in :(.

POLITICS

Li­brarians sound alarm as Trump ad­min­is­tration takes aim at agency sup­porting libraries and museums

By Cassie Semyon Washington, D.C., PUBLISHED 4:45 PM ET Oct. 13, 2025

Every day for the last nearly 30 years, you could find Ady Huertas between the stacks of books at the San Diego Public Library’s Central branch.

“My favorite part is empowering our community with information and really making sure that we’re giving access to those core resources,” said Huertas, who manages the Youth, Family, and Equity Services program.

She said she worries her position and programs offered by librarians across the country could drastically change if a directive from President Donald Trump is allowed to go into effect.

Back in March, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of his effort to reduce the size and cost of the government. Created by Congress in 1996, IMLS was created to issue grants for libraries and museums nationwide.

But with the future of IMLS in jeopardy, libraries face a future of uncertainty.

What You Need To Know

• Back in March, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of his effort to reduce the size and cost of the government
• The American Library Association has filed suit against Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who is the interim head of IMLS, to halt the dismantling of the agency
• In 2024, IMLS provided 600 grants totaling about $270 million to libraries across the country Librarians worry that taking away this federal lifeline could put further strain on community libraries, particularly in rural areas

“Our operational budget is just for that: To keep the doors open. But the IMLS budget really supports the programming and engagement that we do with the community and to support and even out that playing field in our communities,” said Huertas, who added that programs such as “Lunch at the Library” for underserved youth during the summer and adult literacy and workforce development programs could be put on the chopping block.

“All of those programs are going to probably be severely minimized if we do not receive this federal support,” she explained.

In 2024, IMLS provided 600 grants totaling about $270 million to libraries across the country. That year, the federal budget was nearly $6.8 trillion dollars.

“It will have a domino effect, because we didn’t build, particularly public libraries or school libraries, on the idea that they should be privately funded. They were a community resource to be shared, and we shared that wealth together, and we shared that opportunity and that impact together,” said Sam Helmick, the president of the American Library Association.

“Access to information means access to opportunity, and our founders knew this, which is why when they came up with this unique form of government, they recognized that an informed society would be necessary to continue and thrive, which is why they invested heavily in libraries,” Helmick explained.

A librarian from Iowa, Helmick said there is a misconception that funding for libraries simply goes towards books.

“In a small community in my state, a grant was provided to create an electronic chair down into the basement of the library because it also serves as its emergency weather shelter, and they didn’t have an elevator,” explained Helmick.

“When folks come in to find a job or find housing or find community, when folks come in and they recognize that they have access to academic libraries across the country and they can research their own health or their own project or their own entrepreneurial goals, and now they have diminished access to them, it’s really difficult to quantify the loss of that opportunity,” Helmick added.

The American Library Association has filed a lawsuit against deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who is the interim head of IMLS, to halt the dismantling of the agency. That case is still ongoing, and Sonderling did not respond to multiple interview requests from Spectrum News.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Librarians sound alarm as Trump admin takes aim at IMLS

#2025 #America #Austin #DonaldTrump #Education #Health #History #IMLS #InstituteOfMuseumAndLibraryServicesIMLS_ #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #SanDiegoPublicLibrary #Science #SpectrumNews #Texas #Trump #TrumpAdministration #TrumpAttacksIMLS #TrumpAttacksLibraries #UnitedStates #Video

“Old Central” – A photo tribute to history of San Diego Central Library – DrWeb

The Photos — Some in 2013, I started taking a lot of photos inside the old Central Library in downtown San Diego, 820 E Street. I worked there for 15 years, Librarian II, was the Training Librarian, Science, and Documents Librarian in my career there. I retired in 2016.

These bring back some rich memories, so I wanted to share. There are still some “missing” basement photos I am hunting for. Stay tuned! The new Central Library opened in 2013, so it was past the time to document the past. –DrWeb

To enjoy the images, browse at the selections, click any to open larger view, and then you are in the slideshow style, and can move back and forward. Enjoy!

#1954Building #2013Taken #2025 #America #AnnaTatar #Archives #Books #California #CityOfSanDiego #DeborahBarrows #History #LibrarianII #Libraries #Library #LibraryDirectors #MistyJones #OldPhotos #Opinion #SanDiego #SanDiegoPublicLibrary #UnitedStates

San Diego Public Library cuts slash Monday hours, prompt ‘great reshuffling’ of librarians citywide – San Diego Union-Tribune

News, Politics

San Diego Public Library cuts slash Monday hours, prompt ‘great reshuffling’ of librarians citywide

The shorter hours are also forcing branches to quickly reschedule activities like author talks, photography exhibits and youth storytelling times — and let patrons know about those changes on the fly.

By David Garrick | [email protected] | The San Diego Union-Tribune

PUBLISHED: September 4, 2025 at 9:02 AM PDT

Budget cuts are about to bring big changes to San Diego’s 37 neighborhood library branches — including shorter hours, shuffled staff and rescheduled activities.

Cuts approved by the mayor and City Council in June will wipe out Monday hours at 20 branches starting Sept. 15., leaving only 17 branches open on Mondays.

And those cuts, which come shortly after Sunday hours were eliminated at 14 branches on July 1, are prompting key staff to jump from branch to branch in what city officials are calling “the Great Reshuffling.”

The shorter hours are also forcing branches to quickly reschedule activities like author talks, photography exhibits and youth storytelling times — and let patrons know about those changes on the fly.

Local library supporters say the changes are disappointing and possibly could have been handled better.

“This was all very sudden for everybody,” said Pat Wilson, president of the Friends of the San Diego Public Library. “A lot of the staff are moving around. It’s kind of disruptive.”

City officials say the shorter hours are needed to help close a budget deficit of more than $300 million. The shorter hours are expected to save $5.1 million in the ongoing fiscal year, which projects to roughly $7 million in a full fiscal year.

They are part of roughly $100 million in cuts enacted in this year’s budget. Mayor Todd Gloria and the council closed the remainder of the deficit with about $150 million in new revenues from parking and fees, and by canceling $64 million in scheduled reserve contributions.

The reshuffling is the result of complex labor union rules regarding seniority and the desire of many workers to avoid working Saturdays, which are now part of the required five-day work week of Tuesday-through-Saturday at branches that will have no Monday hours.

Many branch managers, youth librarians and other key full-time staff are shifting to branches where Monday hours will continue so they can avoid working Saturdays.

And many of those moves are bumping less-tenured employees to other branches, starting the cycle again and bumping other employees with even less seniority.

The process is essentially complete for full-time workers, but it has just begun for part-time workers and is expected to continue for them through Tuesday.

The labor union that represents the affected workers, the Municipal Employees Association, says this is a better outcome than a previous proposal by the mayor to shut all branches every Sunday and Monday.

That proposal would have included nearly three dozen layoffs and would have left a big hole in the mostly lower-income communities where branches will still have Monday service.

“We are focused on promoting fairness in scheduling, but it is just a fact that changing days and hours of operation in the library system is incredibly complicated and disruptive for all,” said Mike Zucchet, MEA general manager. “It is also important to note that this is happening in part because the city restored some Monday hours, maintaining critical services and saving dozens of jobs from layoffs, which are clearly good things.”

A city spokesperson said the complex process is necessary.

“With 573 active employees in the San Diego Public Library system, the city remains committed to providing a fair process and supportive work environment for everyone,” said the spokesperson, Jennifer McBride.

She said the “schedule selection process” was collaboratively developed by the city and MEA with a goal of ensuring that branches remain open and accessible to the communities they serve.

Wilson, the leader of the Friends group, said staff turnover is normal and expected, but this is different because it’s so much turnover happening all at once.

“We’ll muddle through and make the best of it,” she said. “As angry as some people are, I kind of want to put out a ray of sunshine.”

Continue/Read Original Article Here: San Diego Public Library cuts slash Monday hours, prompt ‘great reshuffling’ of librarians citywide – San Diego Union-Tribune

#2025 #America #Books #BranchLibraries #BudgetCuts #CityOfSanDiego #Education #History #Librarians #Libraries #Library #MondayHours #Politics #Reading #SanDiego #SanDiegoPublicLibrary #SanDiegoUnionTribune #ShiftingLibrarians #ShiftingStaff #UnitedStates

“Anyone ages 12 – 26 living in the United States can get a San Diego Public Library Books Unbanned card. With the card, the library’s online collection of banned or restricted eBooks and eAudiobooks are available for FREE, no matter where you live in the U.S.”

H/T @morgandawn

#BannedBooks #BooksUnbanned #SanDiegoPublicLibrary #Books #Library #Libraries https://sfba.social/@morgandawn/111942245094154180

The San Diego Public Library is making banned books available for kids in any state for free. Good onya SDPL!

https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/booksunbanned

#BannedBooks #BooksUnbanned #SanDiego #SanDiegoPublicLibrary

#LACountyLibrary has partnered with #BrooklynPublicLibrary and #SeattlePublicLibrary to join the #BooksUnbanned initiative, a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove #books tackling a wide range of topics from #library shelves. #BostonPublicLibrary and #SanDiegoPublicLibrary are also joining Books Unbanned. All five library systems will work as crucial partners in defending and expanding the freedom to #read . #bookstodon

https://lacountylibrary.org/books-unbanned/