FRIENDS OF HAYWARD LIBRARY

I have made several presentations to the Hayward City Council, in particular supporting the efforts to build the new library. Here is a copy of the presentation I made on July 16, 2013 which pretty much sums up why I am a friend of the Hayward Library.

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COMMENTS OF PHILIP ROBERTS REGARDING THE PROPOSED NEW DOWNTOWN LIBRARY & COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER

Hayward City Council Meeting, July 16, 2013

My name is Philip Roberts, and my Hayward address is 3565 Star Ridge Road. I have lived in Hayward for the past 44 years. I am a retired CEO of a Hayward­ based international aviation consulting company that I founded in 1981.

The report to the City Council regarding a " 21st Century Library & Community Learning Center supports a new expanded downtown library for Hayward, and is backed by 700 pages of analyses. It is an excellent document.

I would like to add my own view and experience for you to consider. The City of Hayward has been shown to be the most ethnically diverse community in all of California, and perhaps in all of the US. I don’t believe there is another facility in Hayward, public or private, other than our library, which brings us all together as a community.

I will give you an example. I am a volunteer tutor for our Homework Support Center. Last year, along with 150 other volunteers, we helped more than 1,200 students with their homework, two hours a day, four days a week. The Center began this valuable community service at our two libraries, Weeks and Downtown Main. In 2011 school year, we expanded to include a Center at Longwood Elementary School and this past year added Centers at Park and Harder schools. While I have helped out at all of these locations, I spend most of my time at Downtown Main.

While Library Staff are working with the Hayward Unified School district to include more school campuses in future years, the District has only 22 schools. The Hayward area has many more schools than this, since in the last school year, students from approximately 62 Hayward Area schools enrolled at our Downtown Main Library Homework Support Center. Typically at my homework table, students ask each other, “What school do you come from?” And they’ll say, All Saints, Bret Harte, Burbank, Redwood Christian, Stonebrae, Treeview or some other school. And in time, they become friends. For me, this melding of community is impressive, and one of the many reasons I volunteer as a tutor.

But, we are bursting at the seams. We desperately need more space. Our children need a much bigger library.

Thank you for listening to my story.