Now you can explore your local library before you visit.

Vast disparities in California's libraries mirror the state’s yawning equity gaps: The state's most underfunded libraries are found in counties with high poverty and those with the lowest percentage of people over age 25 with a bachelor's degree, according to census data. Libraries tend to be better funded in wealthier coastal and urban areas.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Central Park branch will open for limited services, including hold pickups, light browsing, and computer printing and copying. Both the Northside and Mission Branches will remain closed until further notice. 

Beginning Monday, county libraries will add 18 more hours a week for patrons to visit the library, browse collections, use the public computers and printers, reserve a meeting room or read in the library.

Library customers at select locations can browse the bookshelves, check out materials, access public computers and receive support from librarians Monday through Friday.

The City Council on Tuesday will discuss a month-long amnesty and other ways to recover some of the $6.8 million in library fees.

Instead of using all of its new funds to address pressing needs, the San Jose Library System decided to fingerprint all of its volunteers.

Voters may get a chance to modify Measure B, if the City Council agrees to place proposed changes on the fall ballot.

E-books used to focus on niche topics geared toward small, zany readerships, which made for riveting titles such as Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen or The Hidden Power of Adjustment Layers in Adobe Photoshop. Now e-books cover the gamut, and the Santa Clara County Library District announced this week that it has 46,000 digital titles in its collection, including pop culture favorites like Wolf of Wall Street and 50 Shades of Grey—you know, if you’re into corporate barbarism or Penthouse letters.

After spending most of this year’s anticipated Measure A revenue to pull out of a deficit and boost some service levels, Santa Clara County officials are looking for ways to spend a remaining $9.7 million of the 1/8 cent sales tax. Other items on Tuesday’s agenda include the county picking up the full cost of the Healthy Kids program—rather than getting a little help from San Jose, a plan by Supervisor Ken Yeager to save a Santa Clara library and Supervisor Joe Simitian looking to grade local restaurants.

Every year around this time, San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and the City Council hold a series of public meetings regarding our city’s budget, which the council must pass it before the summer “recess” in July. This year, the city should needs to make libraries one of its top priorities.

The city needs civic-minded volunteers to sign up for openings on various boards and commissions that advise the City Council on everything from the airport to public art and historical landmarks. Here’s a list of the openings.

The San Jose Public Libraries Commission wants the city to extend a parcel tax to avoid laying off 53 of its 314 full-time library employees. Other matters going before the Rules and Open Government Committee on Wednesday include a memo from councilmembers Don Rocha and Xavier Campos in support of immigration reform, a report on budget priorities and a letter slamming George Shirakawa and anyone else who eats on the public dime.

Tomorrow is a big day for District 6. After 13 years of waiting—the past three of which were spent staring down a fully-functional yet sadly dormant shell—we finally get to see the Bascom Library and Community Center open all of its doors to the public. For residents of Blackford, Buena Vista, Burbank, Del Monte, Shasta/Hanchett Park, Sherman Oaks, and Winchester, the 2pm ribbon cutting at 1000 South Bascom Ave. will be the culmination of a protracted struggle with City Hall, and the district’s own councilmember.

Councilman Don Rocha wants to explore the idea of imposing a standard for automatic recounts in event of a very close election in San Jose. Other items going before the Rules and Open Governemnt Committee on Wednesday include an amnesty offer to businesses behind on their taxes, study sessions and Councilmember Kansen Chu attempting to direct funds to libraries and a gun buy-back program.

The first City Council meeting of the 2012-13 fiscal year Tuesday will feature votes on approving language for three major ballot initiatives for November: a sales and use tax increase, a proposal to raise the city’s minimum wage, and an increase in the number of card tables at the city’s two casinos.