Dear Santa Monica,
It has been some time, but you or your kids might remember me as Ms. Ingha, formerly the Youth Services Librarian at our neighborhood’s beloved Montana Avenue Branch Library.
With the severe budget cuts last spring, Santa Monica cut 45% of their library staff; 80% of the SMPL youth services team—including myself—were laid off.
I write to inform you, my former patrons and fellow community members, the City’s biennial fiscal year 2021-2023 budget will not bring back our library. Projections show that the US economy is at the precipice of a massive rebound. And, if all goes well, by this time next year life should be somewhat close to being back to normal.
But, even if that happens, the Santa Monica Public Library will not be brought back to life as we knew it. The proposed budget does not provide funds to fully open the libraries for the next 2 years (Spring 2023). This means as everywhere else fully opens up again, the library will not.
I became a librarian to promote literacy. During my time at the Montana branch, I got to know many of the youth and families in our community. It concerns me that many Santa Monica youth have spent whole days in front of the screen over the past year. And, although a “Zoom education” is better than no education at all, researchers predict the pandemic has already had a massive impact on childhood literacy.
Santa Monica needs libraries more than ever.
Our City must take the necessary steps and re-fund the Santa Monica Public Library system, re-staff our libraries with librarians, and re-open the closed branches so that all children can benefit from a community that supports them in becoming whole individuals who will flourish into healthy, bright, and contributing citizens of the 21st century. I urge you to let the City Council know prior to their May 25th meeting how much of a priority restoring our City’s libraries back to normal must be.
Thank you for your time.
Ms. Ingha Chopra, Former Santa Monica Librarian
