Would it be helpful to understand what the original construction and rental/use agreements were for the Sebastopol library?
The original Sebastopol public library was funded by a $7500 Carnegie grant in 1916 and dedícated on June 4, 1917, operating under standard Carnegie municipal agreements requiring the town to provide the site free, public access, and an annual maintenance budget equal to 10% of the grant.
Original grant and construction:
The land designated on the original 1871 parcel map first housed a schoolhouse and later Lincoln Hall (a meeting place, early town hall, and community center). The original library was designed by Petaluma architect Brainerd Jones as a simple Classical Revival building.
Use and agreement terms:
* Carnegie mandate: Under the terms of the original 1916 Carnegie foundation agreement, the City of Sebastopol was (is?) legally bound to furnish the land for the building and pledge an annual tax or public maintenance fund of at least 10% of the value of the grant ($750 per year) to support ongoing operation, staffing and book purchases.
* Free public access: The agreement explicitly dictated that the building remain a free public library dedicated to the local community.
* Evolution of the site: After the original building was damaged and deemed too costly to repair after the 1969 earthquake, it was demolished in 1975. A new facility was constructed on the same historic civic-use parcel in 1974-1976.
I'm really not sure, but my guess is that the original Carnegie foundation agreement is no longer valid. I do think the Sebastopol library is an exceptionally well located public library, and I really do like the building.
My best suggestion (which no one has asked for) is to keep the Sebastopol library where it is now, repair the mold problem (as they're doing) and then look for ways to make the space more functional, better for a modern 2026 Sonoma County regional branch library.
My suggestions along those lines are to maximize the use of the existing space for important on-site library use. I suggest repurposing the large room that is now the community room into an integral Sebastopol library space with permanent primary library services. I could see turning the community room into the children's portion of the library, or maybe turning it into the computer and digital media services room of the Sebastopol library (the latter only if the needed rewiring and all wouldn't be problematic or too costly).
I think that devoting the Sebsstopol library community room to regular hours primary library services rather than occasional special programs and events would effectively increase the available space at Sebastopol library, and bring the current space closer to the size that the library director would like.
I don't think that repurposing the community room for primary library services would be a significant loss for Sebastopol library patrons or staff because Sebastopol has such a wonderful plethora of publicly available halls that can be rented or dedicated for special events. I'm not even going to try to name all the halls and meeting spaces available within the ~1.5 square mile Sebastopol city limits.
Currently, the community room has been used for library activities and classes, like sewing and Tai Chi, for friends of the library book sales, and for various community meetings. Although it might be a little inconvenient to move these activities out of the Sebastopol library community room and into another publicl6 availsble space, I think this solution would probably be best for Sebastopol library patrons and staff and the Sonoma County library system in the short to medium term.
And who knows? Maybe one or more of the owners of these great Sebastopol halls that are available for rent, maybe one of the churches or the OddFellows or the Grange, would be supportive of Sebastopol library to the extent that they wouñd offer discounted, rather than market rate, rentals for Sebastopol library programs like Tai Chi and sewing and friends of the library book sales.
Thank you. Nobody asked, but I offered my suggestions anyways :)
I appreciate the work being done to remedy the problem. I love living in a town in which the community highly values and frequently utilizes the library!
I find it disingenuous that after a vote of unanimous support for the library repairs council members McLewis and Hinton voiced their concern. If you have concerns then don’t vote for approval. It feels a bit like a CYA situation … if there ends
up being problems they can say “I told you so”. Not at all an honest way to deal with city issues.
It’s confusing to the community and takes away from the feeling of cohesion in the “unanimous” approval.
I would encourage council members to speak their truth upfront and at the correct moments of decision making.
I appreciate the update on the library renovation. This town revolves around that library and it is missed.
I also appreciate that arrangements have been made to bring the holds back into town. The Forestville solution was impractical for people who have neither time nor transportation to get all the way out there. Unfortunately, the relocation of holds still has an issue. Why are the hours SO limited? The schedule is a bit of a jumble and includes zero Sunday hours or evening hours. I am flummoxed about why there can't be a broader schedule. As is noted in this piece, the hold library is being used by many patrons but the limited hours make it harder for other patrons to use it.
Here's the question. What is happening to the budget dollars that were allocated for staffing for the Sebastopol Library for 2026? Why can't some of that money - which was earmarked for staffing the library full time - be applied to extending the hold library hours? What is the county library administration using that money for now? It's not right to take it away from Sebastopol, for which it was originally intended , and put it somewhere else because there is a convenient closure of the library.
I have been trying unsuccessfully to get this answer from all the sources who might be able to give it to me. Everyone is happy to give me an update on the building but no one wants to talk about these limited hold hours. As a patron who wholeheartedly supported the recent funding measures, I feel betrayed.
This library serves a much larger area than just the town! Large numbers of West County resident users, like me in Bodega Bay, are very anxious for the return to full service. And appreciate the "to go" services currently available. Seems appropriate for the county library commission to contribute more towards maintenance of the current facility moving forward.
Would it be helpful to understand what the original construction and rental/use agreements were for the Sebastopol library?
The original Sebastopol public library was funded by a $7500 Carnegie grant in 1916 and dedícated on June 4, 1917, operating under standard Carnegie municipal agreements requiring the town to provide the site free, public access, and an annual maintenance budget equal to 10% of the grant.
Original grant and construction:
The land designated on the original 1871 parcel map first housed a schoolhouse and later Lincoln Hall (a meeting place, early town hall, and community center). The original library was designed by Petaluma architect Brainerd Jones as a simple Classical Revival building.
Use and agreement terms:
* Carnegie mandate: Under the terms of the original 1916 Carnegie foundation agreement, the City of Sebastopol was (is?) legally bound to furnish the land for the building and pledge an annual tax or public maintenance fund of at least 10% of the value of the grant ($750 per year) to support ongoing operation, staffing and book purchases.
* Free public access: The agreement explicitly dictated that the building remain a free public library dedicated to the local community.
* Evolution of the site: After the original building was damaged and deemed too costly to repair after the 1969 earthquake, it was demolished in 1975. A new facility was constructed on the same historic civic-use parcel in 1974-1976.
$750 in 1916 is ~$23,048 in 2026.
Does the county have the responsibility now? Has this agreement expired?
I'm really not sure, but my guess is that the original Carnegie foundation agreement is no longer valid. I do think the Sebastopol library is an exceptionally well located public library, and I really do like the building.
My best suggestion (which no one has asked for) is to keep the Sebastopol library where it is now, repair the mold problem (as they're doing) and then look for ways to make the space more functional, better for a modern 2026 Sonoma County regional branch library.
My suggestions along those lines are to maximize the use of the existing space for important on-site library use. I suggest repurposing the large room that is now the community room into an integral Sebastopol library space with permanent primary library services. I could see turning the community room into the children's portion of the library, or maybe turning it into the computer and digital media services room of the Sebastopol library (the latter only if the needed rewiring and all wouldn't be problematic or too costly).
I think that devoting the Sebsstopol library community room to regular hours primary library services rather than occasional special programs and events would effectively increase the available space at Sebastopol library, and bring the current space closer to the size that the library director would like.
I don't think that repurposing the community room for primary library services would be a significant loss for Sebastopol library patrons or staff because Sebastopol has such a wonderful plethora of publicly available halls that can be rented or dedicated for special events. I'm not even going to try to name all the halls and meeting spaces available within the ~1.5 square mile Sebastopol city limits.
Currently, the community room has been used for library activities and classes, like sewing and Tai Chi, for friends of the library book sales, and for various community meetings. Although it might be a little inconvenient to move these activities out of the Sebastopol library community room and into another publicl6 availsble space, I think this solution would probably be best for Sebastopol library patrons and staff and the Sonoma County library system in the short to medium term.
And who knows? Maybe one or more of the owners of these great Sebastopol halls that are available for rent, maybe one of the churches or the OddFellows or the Grange, would be supportive of Sebastopol library to the extent that they wouñd offer discounted, rather than market rate, rentals for Sebastopol library programs like Tai Chi and sewing and friends of the library book sales.
Thank you. Nobody asked, but I offered my suggestions anyways :)
I appreciate the work being done to remedy the problem. I love living in a town in which the community highly values and frequently utilizes the library!
I find it disingenuous that after a vote of unanimous support for the library repairs council members McLewis and Hinton voiced their concern. If you have concerns then don’t vote for approval. It feels a bit like a CYA situation … if there ends
up being problems they can say “I told you so”. Not at all an honest way to deal with city issues.
It’s confusing to the community and takes away from the feeling of cohesion in the “unanimous” approval.
I would encourage council members to speak their truth upfront and at the correct moments of decision making.
I appreciate the update on the library renovation. This town revolves around that library and it is missed.
I also appreciate that arrangements have been made to bring the holds back into town. The Forestville solution was impractical for people who have neither time nor transportation to get all the way out there. Unfortunately, the relocation of holds still has an issue. Why are the hours SO limited? The schedule is a bit of a jumble and includes zero Sunday hours or evening hours. I am flummoxed about why there can't be a broader schedule. As is noted in this piece, the hold library is being used by many patrons but the limited hours make it harder for other patrons to use it.
Here's the question. What is happening to the budget dollars that were allocated for staffing for the Sebastopol Library for 2026? Why can't some of that money - which was earmarked for staffing the library full time - be applied to extending the hold library hours? What is the county library administration using that money for now? It's not right to take it away from Sebastopol, for which it was originally intended , and put it somewhere else because there is a convenient closure of the library.
I have been trying unsuccessfully to get this answer from all the sources who might be able to give it to me. Everyone is happy to give me an update on the building but no one wants to talk about these limited hold hours. As a patron who wholeheartedly supported the recent funding measures, I feel betrayed.
This library serves a much larger area than just the town! Large numbers of West County resident users, like me in Bodega Bay, are very anxious for the return to full service. And appreciate the "to go" services currently available. Seems appropriate for the county library commission to contribute more towards maintenance of the current facility moving forward.
Great article and restoration of the library is money well spent. Hopefully the source of the moisture can be found quickly. I miss the library.