I learned with dismay that the City Council only restored $50K to the library's budget for materials. Considering the diverse language and culture demands in Mountain View that impact this budget in comparison, say, to the uniform demand for athletic and recreation facilities and programs, the library's budget supplement should be two to three times larger.

It would be very helpful to know the library's annual budget for materials. The $50K addition means one thing if it brings the acquisitions budget up to $100K and something entirely different if it brings it up to $1,050K. Also, what was last year's budget per capita in Mtn. View?

It's okay to pay more for pension that benefits retirees that add no value to the citizens but not okay to spend money for the community? Who does the council member and city manager work for? I can't believe that we have a council that wants to add job that will have a large financial impact for the next 50 years but can't commit $50k a year for the citizens.

Hey - I recall the head librarian making something like $190,000 - retiring after 30 years at a very hefty pension and then returning at $100 per hour to find and train a replacement. Does that make sense to anyone? It's management costs like this, not the cost of books, that are a huge anchor slowly sinking the library.

Seriously? I can access more information on my iPhone than I can find in our library. Everything in the library will fit on my Kindle. Do you have any idea how much we pay a libraian? My guess is the patrons of our library are suffering from OCD and can't possibly spend their day doing anything productive. This is the era of sensibility, let the past go.

Once again the Mountain View City Council has turned its back on the residents of Mountain View. They are willing to pay exorbitant salaries and pensions but aren’t willing to commit $50k a year for the citizens Mountain View.

A library is the heart and soul of a community and it provides a myriad of invaluable services, much more so than ever before. Many of the issues mentioned in the comments above are certainly worthy of further investigation, of course. However, keeping in mind that not everyone has access to computers, Kindles and the like, being able to go to the library is an important part of everyone's life, especially for those less privileged. Let's try to serve as much of the community, young, old and in-between as we can!!

The city council serves developers, not the residents. If a corporation were building a new condo complex asked for $50K in new books, the library would have them.

Fund the library.

Can't believe this city council anymore. They spend money on frivolous pet projects and won't even spend $50,000 for library. This library is always packed and it's wonderful place for the residents of MV. Which city council members voted against it? How can I find out how these people are voting?

Unbelievable... well maybe not. This council clearly is not interested in the good people of this town. It caters more to developers and the unions and city staff. I echo the criticisms above.

The proposed $50,000 for new books and other materials is less than I would like to see, but better than nothing. Thanks to the City Council for voting for it.

That is only one part of the Library's woes, however. The wages being paid are not enough to keep the library open as many hours per week as it should be. I've heard many people call the wages and pensions exorbitant throughout the city, not just in the library; I can't agree.

But people who claim the library is an unnecessary anachronism are wrong. It's possible that the library could dramatically extend its reach by means of online lending of digital books, etc (a virtual library) and I'd like to see that happen. But the large number of patrons who actually come into the building to browse the shelves, sit and read for a while, and check out materials make it clear to me that the physical library is still necessary, anachronism though it may be.

Sorry, library lovers. The city council will need that money to pay another outside firm to do another conceptual sketch of something, possibly related to transit, possibly for a developer. The $50,000 should pay for a good part of the fees for such a needy project.

Don't you know by now that residents come last in this town?

For reference, here's the library budget: Web Link

For 2012-2013, the budget was $4,865,497, of which $4,094,224 was salaries, wages, and benefits. There's $448,450 allocated to "Materials and Supplies", though I don't know exactly what that includes.

The library needs to be open more hours during the week.

Just looking at the stats for the libary..

41 people working there, 30 permanent.

That's just under $100K per person.. the we know the part timers make a lot less than the full timers.