Conservation Corps Plans Library Project

The California Conservation Corps will open a pilot library project at its Camarillo facility this month focusing on advancing corps members’ literacy and career planning skills.

“Most of our corps members aren’t traditional library users--they may not have been in a library since junior high,” said the corps’ state director, Al Aramburu. “We hope to get them hooked on the library here and maybe get them to become lifelong library users.”

Along with books, most of which have been donated or purchased second-hand, the library contains magazines and newspapers and will soon have computers.

“Once we get access to the Internet, it will open up a world that a lot of corps members don’t even know exists yet,” said Mimi McKay, library coordinator.

Many recruits have had minimum library contact because they say California public school libraries severely lack resources.

Approximately half of the 70 corps members do not have high school diplomas or general equivalency degrees, McKay said, adding that the new library and computers will assist them with the three hours they must devote each week to education.

But given that many are called away for several weeks at a time on emergency crews to fight fires or assist with other natural disasters, participating in traditional courses is out of the question.

However, that is where the library will supplement their education, McKay said.

California State Librarian Kevin Starr and Aramburu will officially open the Anacapa Library on Aug. 26 at the corps’ site on the grounds of the former Camarillo State Hospital.

The library is the first of two pilot library projects for the corps. The other library will be in Del Norte County.

Corps job openings are available year-round. For more information, call 1-800-952-JOBS.