Local winery donates to Templeton Library
Donation follows county decision not to extend operational funding
– Templeton Library received a $1,000 donation from a local business on Wednesday to support its ongoing library services after San Luis Obispo County officials declined to extend operational funding.
Toni Ulrich, co-owner of Decemil Wines in Paso Robles, presented the $1,000 check to the library.
According to Decemil Wines, the business is a micro-estate vineyard in the Willow Creek District of San Luis Obispo County with a tasting room at 827 13th St. in Paso Robles. The vineyard grows three Rhône varietals — Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre — using organic and regenerative farming practices.
On July 28, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors declined to extend operational funding to Templeton Library. According to information provided by the library, residents challenged statistical information included in a Library Ad Hoc report during the meeting.
The library said comparison statistics obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that the three-year-old Templeton Library checks out 3,000 more books to Templeton residents than all San Luis Obispo County library branches combined. The library also said county library branches have an 118% renewal rate on books checked out by Templeton residents, compared with a 10% renewal rate at Templeton Library. According to the library, those figures indicate county branches are less convenient for Templeton residents, who typically return books to Templeton Library promptly because of its location on Main Street across from Templeton schools.
According to the library, Templeton Library is funded entirely through private donations. Although Templeton property owners pay 1.6% of their property taxes for county library services, the library said it does not receive county library funding. Instead, those tax dollars support the county’s other 14 library branches.
