Remember June 2020 when we begin sharing ways to “Save the Shafter Library”? Well, we did it! We saved it!
1,460 people signed an online petition that was sent to the Kern County Board of Supervisors and to the head of the Kern County Library. Many of those same people gave feedback via phone or letters to the Board of Supervisors. The Bakersfield Californian wrote a front page article sharing the story. Conversations began with the City of Shafter, Kern County Board of Supervisors and Bakersfield College. Early in June 2021, Shafter’s City Council voted to pull out of the Kern County Library System, taking over management of the Shafter Library.
The Shafter Library will now operate under the City of Shafter, in partnership with Bakersfield College. There will be a grand opening event to celebrate the reopening of the library on Tuesday, January 18th in the late afternoon/evening. The GAF expansion will have it’s own debut later in the year. Listen to Shafter plans to continue to be involved in literacy advocacy work going forward. We have partnered with the newly independent Friends of the Shafter Library to help them transition out of the county system and are excited to work with them to help bring new resources to the Shafter Library – reach out to our team if you are looking for ways to get involved!