Letter to the Editor: Close the Fairview Library??

By the Santa Monica Public Library Board, Judith Meister, Chair, Dana Newman, Vice Chair Antonio Spears, Boardmember Daniel Cody, Board Member Jason Lin, Board Member

The possibility of closing the Fairview Library (“Fairview”) and selling the land has been in the news lately. This idea was first publicly raised at the City Council Budget Retreat on Saturday, March 8, 2025, by Council member Jesse Zwick. Mr. Zwick suggested that “…Fairview branch is two blocks from Virginia Avenue Park and is not serving anyone now sitting there closed.” Later in the discussion, Mr. Zwick added, “I think we need to think about whether we are getting anything out of keeping that library open,” noting the money could be used to restore programs at other branches.

Zwick suggested “shutting it down and disposing of the land.” This idea has been reported as well in a March 10 Lookout article. Since there has been no opportunity for discussion on the matter, the Santa Monica Library Board would like to amend the record. As the budget survey and written and oral comments at the March 8 meeting reveal, residents are asking for more full-service hours at both Fairview and Ocean Park branches.

The current Fairview Branch at 2102 Ocean Park Boulevard was opened in 1956 and has been a vital part of the Sunset Park Neighborhood for more than 70 years. The neighborhood now known as Sunset Park was originally called Fairview Heights.

The original Fairview Heights sub-branch opened in 1931 in a 15-foot-wide space on 20th Street and Delaware. By 1942, its use had increased, and there was interest in moving the branch closer to the two neighborhood schools. A new building was erected at 2030 Pico Boulevard and opened on July 13, 1942. As library usage grew, the city selected architect Welton Fulton to design the current building.

Following many years of advocacy by the community, the Pico Branch Library opened in April 2014 to meet the diverse educational and recreational needs of the Pico neighborhood. There was no consideration at that time for the need to close Fairview due to the proximity of the two branches. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2018-19, Fairview welcomed 80,500 people through its doors and produced over 330 youth, family, and adult programs with 6,200+ people in attendance.

Fairview and Ocean Park branches are now self-service only due to the deep cuts to the Library’s budget during the pandemic. After a nearly 50% reduction in funding, library staff secured a grant to re-open these two branches with self-service as the only way to provide library service to the 28,000 residents of Ocean Park and Sunset Park.

Fairview has been open as a self-service location two days a week since November 2022. It is a well-used branch, even for self-service, and staff have activated limited in-person programs, such as story times, small business workshops, and the increasingly popular Children’s Holiday Book Fair. Between 60 and 80 people visit Fairview each day it is open. Since it has re-opened, Fairview has:

Welcomed over 15,000 visitors.
Hosted 30+ programs with over 1700 people in attendance.
Continued to be a resource for class visits, families, adults, and seniors to check out books, pick up holds, and use as a study space and a meeting room.
Become the home base for neighborhood ESL literacy services and program planning, including one-on-one ESL tutoring and future programs at several locations, including the Pico branch.

As stewards of the library system, the idea of closing Fairview and selling the land has come as a shock to members of the Library Board. We are beginning to hear from Sunset Park residents, who are just learning about this proposal. Given the long history of support for our libraries by prior City Councils and residents, we would expect the City Council to engage in a robust community discussion and feasibility analysis of this drastic measure if it were to be seriously considered.

Santa Monica Public Library Board