I often find myself asking, “How can I read more books?” Since starting work in libraries, my reading list has become a behemoth, overgrown with amazing content. The reality is that there will never be enough time for any of us to sit down and leisurely take in all of this fantastic material, especially if we continually wait for that perfect reading moment – that lazy weekend afternoon with nothing to do. A cup of coffee, a sun-drenched couch and hours of uninterrupted reading time. Sounds nice, right? But when does that ever happen? 

In late August of this year, citizens of Santa Clara County in California had to make a decision about funding their libraries: pass a measure during a special election and secure funding for their public libraries or see their libraries face cuts to programs, materials and possibly even staff. The proposed Measure A would extend a $33.66 per year parcel tax for single-family homes in Santa Clara County for 20 years. Citizens rallied and on Aug. 28, 2013, the results trickled in. Measure A passed with 82 percent of the vote.