MCFARLAND, Calif. (KERO) — The Kern County McFarland Library branch has been open since 1903 and was on the verge of closing for good when it was proposed to convert it into a police station.
“Community members spoke up, and they didn’t want their local library turning into a police station,” said Fahra Daredia, Library Associate for Kern County Library. “The next thing we know, the library is going to be open now.”
With the support of the residents of McFarland, the decision to keep the library open won’t just help children with their education, but also the general public with services like job searches, finding GED classes, and even citizenship programs.
“Some of them do include citizenship classes, English speaking classes,” said Daredia. “They also do writing circles, they do a lot of programming with legal help assistance, all kinds of things.”
The branch supervisor of the McFarland Library, Amber Clarkson, says that even though McFarland is a small town, it is important to have a library open.
“A library in a small community is very important,” said Clarkson. “It gives the kids a place to go after school, the adults come and use the resources that they need, so it’s a very important place.”
The McFarland Branch of the Kern County Library will be open five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
