By Stella Cha
Copy Editor

The Los Altos and Woodland branch libraries will be forced to close Mondays, starting October 11, due to the lack of funds that came with the rejection of the new parcel tax this year. The libraries will continue to operate at their regular hours for the other days.
The reason for the new schedule is a $1.1 million shortfall in their budget. Every year 20 percent of the library’s funding comes from a parcel tax. Since the tax cannot be renewed, the library must make a new one and pass it with a 2/3 vote in each of the respected counties in order to receive the necessary funding. The parcel tax passed in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills but did not in the Woodland area.
“We are lucky not to have to do more. On Monday, we have little programming so we thought it would be more effective to just take Monday off rather than lay off workers. We already have 40 less positions in the County library,” Community Library Cheryl Houts said.
The shortfall in budget also has to do with an increase in personnel costs, due to both health care and salary raises.
While the Monday closures might prove to be somewhat of an inconvenience for visitors, Houts remains hopeful that when the new library bill comes up in June of 2005, the libraries will get the money they need in order to not have to continue the Monday closures.
“I know [the libraries] will have the support they need. I’m sure Los Altos will pave the way and pass the measure for the County libraries,” Houts said.
Houts is very confident in the people of Los Altos and appreciates the understanding of the lack of funding. The new schedule for the Woodland and Los Altos branch libraries will remain at least until June 30, when the people of Los Altos have a chance to vote on the new bill to give the libraries their 20 percent.