UPDATE:
PARTIAL FUNDING RESTORED IN 2026-2027 BUDGET!
On June 9th, San José City Council unanimously passed Mayor Mahan's reconciliation budget incorporating a $245,000 alternative allocation keeping the California Room open for the 2026-2027 budget year. These funds will ensure that the California Room remains open and fully accessible for two days a week, with 1.5 dedicated staff positions. PAC*SJ strongly supported this alternative as a bridge towards a more sustainable long-term funding solution to restore full operational hours and staffing in the future. We thank Councilmembers Kamei, Tordillos, and Cohen for championing this effort, and for the full Council in including it in their unanimous budget approval. We also thank the 200+ community members who spoke out in support of the California Room-- your voice was heard!
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PAC*SJ remains committed to working with all stakeholders to foster long-term financial support for its continued service to the community!
ADVOCACY ALERT:
SPEAK OUT TO SAVE THE CALIFORNIA ROOM!
​Budget cuts threaten an invaluable civic resource
NEW UPDATE JUNE 5th 2026:
At the request of City Council, City Librarian Jill Bourne has presented a $245,000 budget alternative that would maintain 1.5 dedicated staff positions and open public access for two days a week. PAC*SJ strongly supports this proposal as a necessary bridge towards a more sustainable long-term funding model for the California Room. While this reasonable compromise proposal was not included in Mayor Mahan's June budget message, Councilmembers Kamei, Tordillos and Cohen released a joint memorandum on 6/5 endorsing the alternative funding plan.
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Budget Addendum #28 outlines the severe impacts that would result in the elimination of California Room funding, including:
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Reduction of archival appointments to just 250 a year for a resource that currently serves 5000+
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2+ week wait times for material availability
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Complete closure of the California Room's print and media collections to browsing and discoverability
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Elimination of all school visits and public exhibits
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What you can do:
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Email the Mayor, City Council, City Manager and Library Director by June 8th and urge them to support "Budget Addendum #28" and the Kamei-Tordillos-Cohen memo to keep the California Room and its complete collection staffed and open for public access. This reasonable compromise would sustain an essential public service that benefits over five thousand students, educators, planners, historians, genealogists, homeowners, developers, and interested citizens a year.
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Attend and speak at City Council's final Budget Hearing on Monday, June 8th at 6pm in Council Chambers or remotely via Zoom.
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Attend and speak at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 9th at 1:30pm in Council Chambers or remotely via Zoom.
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May 6th 2026:
PAC*SJ urges City Council to reconsider an alarming proposal in the City’s 2026-27 budget to close the Martin Luther King Library’s California Room and eliminate its three dedicated staff positions. Established in 1906 as the local history section of San Jose’s first public library, the California Room today has grown to become a vast and incomparable collection of books, photographs, maps, newspaper archives, city directories, building permits, personal papers, and historic ephemera illuminating more than 250 years of San José, Santa Clara Valley, and California history. Boasting more than 5,400 annual in-person visits and countless more online inquiries, the California Room is an incredibly important public resource supporting the efforts of students, educators, authors, historians, genealogists, property owners, developers, land-use consultants, and engaged citizens to explore, uncover, and share the rich and diverse histories of our shared home.
As San José prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2027, the loss of its preeminent public history repository would represent a profound civic failure. The proposed closure would save the City a mere $388,000-- just 0.6% of the total library budget and only 0.007% of the total City budget! The proposal to close direct access to the California Room will set in motion a long term change that will be difficult for the Library Department to reverse. We urge you to reach out to Mayor Matt Mahan, City Manager Jennifer Maguire, City Librarian Jill Bourne, and your City Council representatives before City Council's final budget vote on June 9th. Speak out now to save the California Room!
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ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA ROOM:
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ABOUT THE 2026-27 SJPL LIBRARY BUDGET:
https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/131196/639132812540130000
PROPOSED BUDGET ALTERNATIVES
Budget Addendum #19 (5/26/2026)
Budget Addendum #28 (6/5/2026)
Kamei-Tordillos-Cohen Memo (6/5/2026)
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IN THE NEWS:
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KPIX CBS News: "San Jose’s budget crisis may affect library’s historic California Room," June3, 2026
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Metro Silicon Valley: "Save Martin Luther King Library's California Room from San Jose's Budget Cuts," May 20, 2026
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KQED: "The California Room Preserves San Jose History. It Could Close Soon," May 14, 2026
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San Jose Spotlight: "San Jose library could restrict archives access due to budget cuts," May 8, 2026
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Mercury News: "Hey, San Jose, don't make us send Indiana Jones after you," May 6, 2026
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