TOWN OF LOS GATOS FAQ
A NEW LIBRARY FOR LOS GATOS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How big will the new library be compared to the existing library?
A: The existing library is 13,970 sq. ft. and the new library is expected to be approximately 31,000 sq. ft., which is similar in size to other libraries in the County and the State serving populations comparable to Los Gatos.
Q: Does Los Gatos need a bigger library?
A: The Los Gatos library was built in 1964 when the population of the Town was about 9,000. With a population today of about 30,000 and the high levels of usage (209,000 visits per year and growing), the library does not have sufficient space to meet the needs of the community. The American Library Association and the Pew Foundation have documented through surveys and studies that use of public libraries continues to increase, particularly in the areas of electronic resources, young adult activity, and community gathering purposes.
Q: Will the new library offer any services not currently available?
A: Yes, while the details have not been finalized, it is expected that the new library will have separate space for children’s story-telling programs and reading rooms; reading and study areas for students of all ages; computer areas for research, internet access and technology education; more self-check machines; and space for the Town’s extensive history collection.
Q: Will the size of the library collection be increased?
A: The new library will have space to accommodate increases in adult and youth book collections and multi-media collections.
Q: Where will the library be located?
A: The new library will be located on the southeast corner of the Civic Center property, adjacent to Pageant Park and against the hillside. This location optimizes the parking capacity at the Civic Center, limits the number of heritage trees that need to be removed, enhances the access to Pageant Park, and minimizes disruption during construction.
Q: Will a garage be built to add parking for the library?
A: No, parking will be accommodated by reconfiguring the surface lots and utilizing parking spaces no longer needed due to the relocation of many police staff to the new Police Operations building on Los Gatos Blvd.
Q: How will the new library be funded?
A: The library will be funded with existing Town reserves and with Redevelopment Agency (RDA) funds through a financing method known as Certificates of Participation (COP). The Town Council previously issued $10.6 million in COP financing to pay for downtown improvements, including the renovation of Plaza Park; new sidewalks and streetscape features; parking lots; and paving of N. Santa Cruz, Main St., downtown side streets and alleys. There will be no tax increases to pay for the new library. View a matrix of how other libraries in the County have been funded.
Q: Will the old library continue to be used as a library?
A: No, the existing library space will be converted to other municipal and community uses, potentially to include a community meeting room. Planning for use of the vacated space will occur during the construction of the new library.
Q: What is the timeline for groundbreaking and opening of the new library?
A: The Town is hiring Noll & Tam Architects to develop the conceptual design for the library, which should be completed in Fall, 2008. Although many factors may affect the construction, it is anticipated that groundbreaking would occur in Fall, 2009, with the new library opening in Fall, 2011.
Q: Could the Town join the Santa Clara County library system so that the County would pay for a new library?
A: Local communities that are part of the County library system are responsible for building and financing the branches in their communities. Also, residents in areas with County branches pay additional property tax assessments for operation of the library. Thus, Los Gatos residents would be subject to an ongoing increase in property tax assessments, unlike the current situation in which no additional property taxes are levied for the Town’s library operation.
Q: Could the Town operate a library jointly with the High School?
A: The collections of the Town and high school are very different, with the Town’s 120,000-volume collection serving broad audiences and the high school’s 20,000-volume collection supporting the curriculum. The high school recently remodeled its library, which would be too small to serve the community and is not available to the general public due to security issues.
Q: How does the library relate to the Civic Center Master Plan?
A: The Civic Center Master Plan (CCMP) is a long-term planning document identifying options for meeting the public’s needs for services over the next 25 to 50 years through existing and/or new public spaces. Space for police services and for library services were identified as the two highest priorities in the CCMP. There is no plan to implement any other part of the CCMP in the foreseeable future.