The Library Joint Powers Board will vote on a new model proposal for Santa Cruz County libraries. The proposal will keep all 10 libraries open and extend hours, but it will also reduce staff. Some community members support the compromise, while others still hold reservations.

The Library Joint Powers Board met with members of the community on the controversial vote of whether or not to close four local branches of the library. After listening to public concern, members of the board postponed their decision for the time being.

On Monday, the Santa Cruz City Council stepped in to rethink a proposed plan by the Santa Cruz Libraries’ Joint Powers Board to close the historic Garfield Park branch library on the Westside.

A local landmark, the Garfield Park branch was erected in 1915 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1992.

The possibility of closure has been met with resistance. Westside residents and community members denounce the shuddering of the beloved site due to county library budget shortfalls, which still maintains its original fireplace and painting from nearly a century ago.