Library packs up: closure starts mid-March, Rose Lane doors open March 28

The Larkspur Library laid out its moving calendar Monday night. Director Hill told the board that a contractor punch list is set for Feb. 11, furniture lands at the new Rose Lane building around Feb. 18, the move itself happens Monday, March 17, and the new library opens Saturday, March 28. "So the library will open up on Saturday, March 28th," Hill said.

“By 9:45 there was an ocean of children waiting with their parents... it is high time we have a bigger space for that very popular program.”— a board member, on overcrowding at Friday storytime

To keep the closure from burying staff in returns, books already checked out won't come due until the first week of April. Patrons who want them off their shelves sooner have options: "They can return to any library in Marin County or they could hold on to the books until that Saturday after it's April 5th," Hill said. Staff plans to tuck a slip in checked-out books explaining the closure and return choices. The locker service ends Feb. 14.

Opening day is shaping up as more than a ribbon-cutting. The Book Brigade "is going to meet with the city manager tomorrow to discuss how it might look," a board member said, and the Commons Foundation is planning citywide festivities. "I think it will be more than just the library opening but it might be a citywide celebration of different groups such as police and fire being able to feature some of their... having a table there," one member said. One wrinkle: a "No Kings" march is planned for the same date. The board agreed to ask for a short speaking slot — roughly a minute and a half — to introduce itself, thank staff and supporters, and nothing more. "We are truly just a representative of the patrons and helping the director make sure that the library is good for the patrons," the chair said.

Before the doors open, the board wants housekeeping settled: a tutoring and room-use policy (tutors have been rearranging furniture aggressively), a clearer rule on dogs and service animals — Hill noted non-service animals have been coming in, including one tied to a chair inside — and an administration plan for community room rentals, which the city will help manage. Hill said she wants city guidance on room administration before locking down the tutoring policy, and suggested revisiting the code of conduct as well.

Board approves funding letter to Council: lowest per-capita budget in Marin

The board voted unanimously to send the City Council a letter arguing the library is underfunded relative to how hard residents use it. The central number: Larkspur spends $68.83 per capita on its library, against a $143.88 average across Marinet libraries. "Larkspur's per capita library budget is by far the lowest in Marin County at $68.83, less than half the average at $143.88 across Marinet libraries," a board member read. "This imbalance merits attention and adequate funding remains an issue."

“To date, the library does more with less. Larkspur boasts healthy circulation numbers given the smaller size of its collection and its shorter hours... Nearly 50% of Larkspur residents hold library cards as compared to 33% nationwide.”— board member Susan, reading the draft letter to Council

The letter leans on usage rather than complaint. "To date, the library does more with less. Larkspur boasts healthy circulation numbers given the smaller size of its collection and its shorter hours... Nearly 50% of Larkspur residents hold library cards as compared to 33% nationwide," board member Susan read from the draft.

Edits before the vote: clarify "budget" versus "spending," cut collection-size comparisons as less relevant, and add language about the usage increase expected at Rose Lane, which sits closer to schools and offers better parking. "This is actually a really good advocacy kind of document," one member said. "So very cool. You guys did really well." The letter will be finalized and sent to the Council through the city clerk.