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Santa Clarita residents upset about the plan to transfer city libraries to a for-profit company got their voice out in the New York Times. A reporter met with community members and wrote, “Can a municipal service like a library hold so central a place that it should be entrusted to a profit-driven contractor only as a last resort — and maybe not even then?” Read the full article.
“A library is the heart of the community,” said Santa Clarita resident Jane Hanson.
“I’m in favor of private enterprise, but I can’t feel comfortable with what the city is doing here.”
The Santa Clarita City Council has chosen to ignore thousands of petitions, hundreds of emails and letters, and numerous public speakers requesting them to reverse their Aug. 24 vote.
The community would like the opportunity to provide public input before the City awards a multi-million dollar contract to a privately held company from Maryland to operate the three public libraries.
Residents would also like the City to provide answers to critical questions about costs before signing a contract with the for-profit company-LSSI. But as of today, the Council refused to answer questions and concerns from the community.
Santa Clarita Residents Continue to Ask for Transparency from City Council
Residents and SEIU members will continue pressing for transparency from the City Council. The community will continue asking the City to reveal the full terms of the contract before signing it with LSSI; including accurate costs, any lost revenue and a list of all services that will be provided by the private company.
Steps You Can Take to Help Save Quality Library Services:
- Attend the Sept. 28 and Oct. 12 City Council meetings (23920 Valencia Blvd). Ask the Council to withdraw the library vote and meet with residents to find out what kind of library services they want.
- Call LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich’s office and ask him to support the majority of residents in Santa Clarita who want to have a voice in changing library service. His number is 661-287-3657.
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Sign up for the Save Our Santa Clarita Libraries Facebook page and receive details of upcoming activities and important information about the library.