Council adopts library facilities and customer experience plan, highlighting co‑location and equity goals

The San Jose City Council unanimously adopted a citywide Library Facilities and Customer Experience Plan that lays out options to renew aging buildings and substantially expand branch capacity over time.

City Librarian Jill Bourne and consultant Margaret Sullivan presented findings showing 45% of branches are more than 20 years old and that systemwide benchmarks fall short of best-practice square footage goals. The plan recommends three investment approaches—renew and sustain, growth on site, and co-location or new builds—and outlines a phased framework tied to community need and available funding.

Speakers from Child Advocates of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Public Library Foundation urged adoption. "Right now, there are more than 150 kids on our waiting list hoping to have a CASA volunteer in their corner," said Lauren Salsicha, director of development at Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, linking library services and community support programs.

Councilmembers focused discussion on co-location opportunities—placing libraries in ground-floor retail or partnering with housing and development projects—and on district-level equity. Councilmember Cohen underscored that the plan is a roadmap contingent on funding: "The roadmap is just that, and it's only as good as the funding that doesn't exist," she said.

What happens next

Council's acceptance gives staff direction to pursue the plan's strategies, including tracking development projects for co-location opportunities, pursuing partnerships, and identifying funding pathways. Staff noted the Executive Summary and full plan are linked in the staff report for implementation steps and further analysis.