February 17, 1999

A library for Sanchez City

I've been fascinated by comments I hear from time to time about Pacifica's libraries. As you probably know, Pacifica and Sanchez libraries are part of the county library system. Two libraries! That sticks in the craw of some county officials, Supervisors and other folk, who somehow think we don't deserve this privilege. Who do those Pacificans they think are? That's why they are strangling the service we get by cutting down on our library hours. The squeeze is on.

Even some Pacificans are under the impression it's unfair we have two while the nine other cities served by the county system have only one each.

The average resident on the bayside is within a short distance of two, or even three libraries. The towns and cities over the hill are compacted. Drive two or three miles from your home in Millbrae or Belmont, and it's likely you'll find two, even three libraries to meet your needs.

The cities served by the county system are Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos, and Woodside.

Add up the nine cities. Their populations (excluding Pacifica) total roughly 152,000. That makes the average population of each of the nine less than 17,000. Pacifica's libraries serve a city of 40,000, or 20,000 per library. We are if anything, underserved.

Forget all the excellent arguments about poor bus service for kids without cars. Forget it's a five mile walk from Park Pacifica to the Pacifica branch (and five miles back) if you don't have wheels. Forget the great value Sanchez Library has as an excellent place where teenagers can spend time in a positive manner, reading or studying. Forget that our problem is how much open space we have in this town, and how spread out we are.

Just remember, if Pacifica was two cities, one containing about 20,000 folks in Linda Mar and Park Pacifica, the other about 20,000 in Rockaway, Sharp Park, Fairmont and way points, no one would quibble about our need for two libraries. Think of the area served by the Sanchez branch as Sanchez City, and the north end as Pacifica. We are, if anything, underserved.

Library users for the most part are good folks, the most civilized portion of the population. Their very civility and good manners has a way of working against their best interests. If they gathered in mobs at the Board of Supervisors meetings in Redwood City, threw stink bombs, yelled, screamed obscenities and demonstrated for the Television news cameras, they would probably get more cooperation from county authorities. Being a meek and civil library user myself, I'm one of the problems. It would be completely out of character for me to wave signs, make obscene gestures, throw cherry bombs and in general make a nuisance of myself. I can say with a mix of frustration and pleasure that my fellow Friends of the Libraries are also civilized and forbearing. Perhaps we need allies with temperaments closer to that of Attila the Hun.

Paul Azevedo has enjoyed the benefits of the Pacifica and Sanchez libraries for 35 years. The librarians who've served Pacifica through the years are among the people he most admires. By the way, some of his favorite recent Reactor columns may be found at his new website, http://www.thereactor.net/