Talking loudly was the least of librarians’ concerns at the San Lucas Library, where graffiti became a nearly constant problem and librarians regularly found footprints on tables – and the ceiling. Eventually a sheriff’s deputy took to the library as a de facto field office.
“It really changed the whole tone, simply from [deputies] hanging out at the library,” says Jayanti Addleman, director of Monterey County Free Libraries. “In many small communities, we are the community center.”
When the San Lucas library closed in 2010 for repairs, it looked like it would be a temporary loss for the community of 250. But it’s now been more than six years: The building was beyond repair, and the soil was contaminated from earlier oil tank storage.
The county’s initial $150,000 repair budget ballooned to $1.6 million. Monterey County Free Libraries kicked in $258,000. Grants and donations covered the rest: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave $123,000 for cleaning the soil, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation gave $373,000 and the Sarmento family of Soledad gave $350,000.
Ralph Sarmento’s mother was born in San Lucas and worked as a librarian in Gonzales. Sarmento says the San Lucas library was an essential information source for him during his career with Pacific Gas & Electric, as he researched maps to establish power service in remote areas: “I did a lot of asking questions there.”
The new library includes a sheriff’s office and breaks ground May 12. It’s expected to open in December.