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Friday, September 22, 2006
Libraries: Repairing relations
Seattle Public Library users are losing a part of their access to the King County Library System. Mayor Greg Nickels' budget speech on Monday will offer a chance to begin repairing the situation for the future.
Beginning Oct. 1, Seattle residents will no longer be able to reserve books in King County libraries. That's a reasonable step to temporarily deal with imbalances in usage by patrons of the two separately financed systems. But long-term troubles lie ahead for a sharing of services that has always been a model of how governments can work together to put public service over bureaucratic turf fighting.
When Nickels presents his budget to the City Council on Monday, he will bring good news for libraries. He's proposing an additional $4 million for libraries, including money for staffing expanded and new libraries and $500,000 for improving libraries' collections. While the proposals have to be weighed against competing needs, his request could help match the city's new libraries with better day-to-day services. More books, DVDs and the like also could make Seattle residents less likely to head to King County's better-stocked shelves.
We also hope the mayor and council members will take personal interest in maintaining cooperation with county libraries. Preserving traditional services (such as the city's beleaguered school guard crossing program) isn't as politically exciting as developing grand initiatives. But attending to the basics and working with neighbors serves the public and, over time, builds trust in government.
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