Measure W would continue extra support for county libraries

Additional library funding, approved by voters in 2016, would continue should Measure W win in November.

photo credit: Courtesy, Sonoma County Library
New library cards were introduced earlier this year, such as this design by indigenous artist Hadassah GreenSky.

Sonoma County aficionados of lifelong learning, entertainment and access to knowledge are hoping a measure at the end of the November ballot passes.

Measure W extends an eighth of a cent sales tax for libraries approved by voters in 2016 as Measure Y. It passed then by a wide margin, and library officials said it remains popular. Officials are confident few voters have regrets.

"We told people that we would invest that eighth of a cent, which is very small, it's the smallest sales tax in Sonoma County in free public services for them, and that's exactly what we've been doing," said Ray Holley, a spokesperson for the Sonoma County Library system. Reauthorization, Holley said, would continue improvements started under the earlier effort.

"We were open five days a week, now we're open seven, we extended hours in the evenings, we extended hours on the weekends, We are investing a lot in technology and collections, and we're investing in the staff. Lending books is still our primary business. The sales tax funds allow us to invest more in collections. We buy more books, we get more electronic books, e-books, audio books, we have databases, we have a free alternative to Netflix, free alternative to spotify, you can read the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, The New York Times, even the Press Democrat. All this stuff is free with your library card, and that's what we use our tax funds for, Holley said.

While Measure Y's funding won't run out until early 2027, with higher voter turnout expected this year, officials opted to try their luck now. That's despite a lengthy list of taxes and bonds going before voters this fall, knowing that worst comes to worst, the library would get a mulligan.

"If we do not prevail, it gives us a chance to come back in a couple of years, but we feel really good about it," Holley said.

More physical work also lays ahead.

In Petaluma we're working with the city to modernize the library which was opened in the 70s and still has it's original carpet, and believe me, you don't want to get anywhere near that carpet. We're working with the city of Healdsburg, we'll be doing work in Windsor, we are going to be doing work in East Santa Rosa at the Rincon Valley branch, of course we're building a library in Roseland. This is what having adequate funding allows the library system to do, Holley said.