Libraries in Inverness, Bolinas and Stinson Beach are no longer closing for lunch and dinner breaks, as a tax approved by voters to help fund the library system is covering the cost of new hires. It is the first time ever that the three branches—the only ones in the county to close for breaks, since they were each staffed by a single person—will remain open for full days. “It will end something that was really awkward and always sad,” said West Marin’s branch manager, Bonny White. The extra support will cost about $50,000 a year. Ms. White said she came up with the idea during a brainstorming session after Marin voters renewed Measure A, a parcel tax originally approved in 2010 and reaffirmed last summer for another nine years; it provides the Marin County Free Library with about $2.5 million annually. When the three branches closed for the breaks, the librarians would herd people out—at least those who hadn’t habituated themselves to the break—but that in itself ate up a portion of their meal time. It was also not ideal for customer service. “People are busy and involved. They’re in the middle of an email or project,” said Kerry Livingston, who has helmed the Stinson branch since 1986. After hiring extra help at each branch, the libraries started implementing the new hours beginning in mid-May; they celebrated the expansion on Monday with lemonade, sandwiches and snacks at the Inverness branch. Nancy Hemmingway, who retired from the Inverness library this year after four decades, is filling hours there with Scott McMorrow, who manages the Inverness Public Utility District just down the road, and a rotating crew from the Point Reyes Library. Lys Plotkin and Vanessa Waring, both Bolinas residents, are working part-time at Stinson and Bolinas, respectively. Ms. Livingston lauded the extra 16 hours a week of help from Ms. Plotkin, who covers the meal break and also provides assistance for library operations and outreach to schools. “It’s really great not to have to convince people to leave for an hour and come back. And now I have someone helping during busy times…I’ve done it alone since 1986. I think it was a smart thing to do, so there isn’t just a one-pony show here,” she said. On Tuesday afternoon, the Inverness librarian, Ann Bertucci, was admiring the sign on the outside of the Gables that displays the branch’s new times. It used to have clunky commas to divide the open hours. “You just look at the sign. Now it’s the way a sign should be,” she said.
With local hires, West Marin libraries stay open at mealtimes
