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Overview
Overview
The countywide library system is a complex partnership between the County and the cities. The Cities of Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Goleta all have municipal libraries funded and governed by their City Councils. The County contributes funding to these libraries, and contracts with them to manage libraries in the cities of Guadalupe, Buellton, Solvang, Carpinteria, and in the unincorporated communities of Orcutt, Los Alamos, Vandenberg Village, Cuyama and Montecito. The smaller cities also contribute funding to the libraries in their jurisdiction. The Eastside branch library, for budget purposes, is included with the City of Santa Barbara main library. For this reason, we often speak of four main and nine branch libraries, when if fact there are ten branch libraries.
The libraries are managed in zones, as shown in the map below:
Zone 1 - The City of Santa Barbara manages their main and Eastside libraries, plus the Montecito and Carpinteria libraries.
Zone 2 - The City of Lompoc manages their main library plus the Village library.
Zone 3 - The City of Santa Maria manages their main library plus the Guadalupe, Orcutt, Los Alamos and Cuyama libraries.
Zone 4 - The City of Goleta manages their main library plus the Buellton and Solvang libraries.
The City of Carpinteria will begin managing their own library in 2022, which will create Zone 5.
Interactive Map
Interactive Map
Governance
Governance
1page system map.pdf Funding
Funding
Black Gold
Black Gold
The Black Gold Cooperative Library System is a consortium of seven public library jurisdictions on the Central Coast of California. It was formed by a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) in 1964. Current Members are:
Blanchard/Santa Paula Public Library District
Goleta Valley Library
Lompoc Public Library
Paso Robles City Library
San Luis Obispo County Library
Santa Barbara Public Library
Santa Maria Public Library
It is funded by fees from member libraries with some state funding for collections and infrastructure. Only the main/managing libraries are voting members, but services are available to all branches.
Functions
Manage shared catalog and integrated library system to track items
Provide cataloging services for new acquisitions (if needed)
Distribute materials between libraries (books and digital content)
Purchase digital content for sharing among members
Support technology infrastructure (website, internet)
Status
In 2021 Carpinteria was approved to join Black Gold when the City of Carpinteria takes over administration of the Carpinteria Library effective July 2022
In January 2022 The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and Santa Barbara City Council voted to exit Black Gold effective July 2022. San Luis Obispo County Library (main + 13 branches) and Santa Barbara Public Library (main + Eastside and Montecito branches) are large enough to not need the support of a cooperative library system and feel they can better meet the needs of their communities outside of Black Gold; Black Gold membership fees can be redirected to grow and customize their own collections.
Sharing of resources between Black Gold libraries and SLO and SB is expected to be available through interlibrary loans, though we anticipate overall sharing will decrease.
Friends of the Libraries
Friends of the Libraries
Friends of Libraries are non-profit, charitable groups formed to support libraries in their communities. Support from the Friends groups may be financial, political and cultural. Friends are separate from the libraries they support and made up of volunteers.
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