Myth: There are better options that the City Council hasn’t considered.
Fact: The City Council has considered many options over the years. Opponents have not identified any other viable option. A YES vote builds a safe, modern library. A NO vote means no improvements. Having a library in our community is what’s at stake.

Myth: It would be cheaper to rent an empty commercial space like Barnes & Noble or Marshall’s.
Fact: The City studied renovating an existing retail location, and found that it was one of the costliest options at $41M (See El Cerrito Impact Report, Feb 2026, p. 26). The City would still need a tax to fund interior improvements to build separate rooms. If the City rents the building to reduce land acquisition costs ($12 million) then the City would not recoup the cost of the improvements at the end of the lease. The library would be subject to rent increases and the whims of a commercial landlord. The city would also forego revenues such as sales tax from commercial activity at that site.

Myth: It’s a bad idea to build the library at BART’s Plaza Station development on land that the City doesn’t own.
Fact: The location of the library will be determined with a robust citizen process. If the Plaza Station location is chosen, the developer will provide a lease agreement for $1 a year for 99-years – longer than the expected life of a public building.

Myth: There will be no parking.
Fact: The majority (57%) of the seven location scenarios the City studied have parking (See El Cerrito Impact Report, Feb 2026). The City has committed to creating short-term parking for library users. At the Plaza Station location, BART will have 150 parking spaces for commuters available at nights and weekends; the City could create angled parking spaces on Liberty Street; also that location is directly across Fairmont St. from the Plaza’s large parking lot. At the Stockton Avenue location, a garage may be an option. Currently, only a few parking spots behind the current library belong to the City, the rest belong to the school district.

Myth: El Cerrito already has a perfectly good library but needs a…[pick your priority].
Fact: El Cerrito’s library is small, seismically unsafe, has no air conditioning and can not serve as a place of refuge in a heat or smoke emergency. No other potential public infrastructure projects have undergone as much evaluation and planning as the library.

Myth: People don’t use libraries anymore.
Fact: Libraries today provide study space, internet access, programs, and community services used by many residents.Theylend technology and physical tools, support entrepreneurship, offer cultural events, provide space for community gatherings, offer shelter from extreme weather, cure loneliness—and the list goes on. Libraries are the heart of the community.