San José Public Library (SJPL) serves a culturally diverse city of over a million residents in the heart of Silicon Valley. Due to multiple years of City budget shortfalls, the Library’s 22 branches are only open four days per week, meaning Libraries are not consistently available to students after-school or families on weekends. To successfully position the Library for a restoration of 6-day per week service at all branches, the Library had to simultaneously work on many fronts. The community would need to help stabilize funding; a new, more economical service delivery model that maintained quality standards was required; and the significant role the Library plays in meeting the City’s education, economic development, and neighborhood safety goals had to be clearly articulated to City Leadership.

To expand hours, the Library:

• Secured a critical funding source when voters passed a 25-year extension of the Library Parcel Tax by 81%; demonstrating the value residents place on the Library.
• Worked with the City Auditor to complete the award winning “Audit of Library Operations and Hours” which identified 15 data driven recommendations for saving $1.5 million in reallocated staffing resources.
• Engaged staff teams to develop a cost effective staffing model.
• Streamlined materials management by expanding automated materials handling systems to 91% of the branches, increasing Lean processes, and establishing performance standards.
• Partnered with Labor leadership to expand volunteer roles.

This comprehensive strategy yielded a proposal to offer six days of service at all branch libraries that was $2 million less than previous plans, leading San José Mayor Liccardo to prioritize opening Libraries six days per week in the City’s 2015/2016 budget. It is projected that having branches open two additional days per week will result in weekly service increases of: 36,000 more customers visiting branches (including 7000 additional youth after-school); 90,000 more library items borrowed or renewed; 7,600 more public computer uses; and 140 more literacy and learning programs attended by more than 3,200 customers. By reexamining Library operations based on empirical data, leveraging community support, engaging staff, and clearly positioning the Library as central to the City’s success, SJPL branches will open their doors once again.