Once again, Californians can borrow a pass from their local library to get free admission to a state park.
The popular state library park program that began two years ago was in jeopardy this spring, a potential victim of the estimated $45 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2025. But advocates across the state campaigned to save the program, and In the most recent budget agreement, it was renewed for one more year for $6.75 million.
“We commend the Legislature and the Governor for reaching an agreement to restore full funding for this highly effective and popular program that provides free access to California's state parks,” said Rachel Norton, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation. California, in a statement.
Day passes allow free parking at more than 200 state parks for vehicles with nine people or fewer. Advocates have praised the program for offering low-income families of color access to the outdoors.
“This is a huge plus for our families,” said Merced County Associate Librarian Amy Boese. “[It] “It really makes family time more accessible and having adventures a more attainable goal.”
A California State Parks Foundation study found that 70% of surveyed free pass users earned less than $60,000 a year and that 63% of users identified as Black, Indigenous or people of color.
“It's really an issue of equity to be able to appreciate all the experiences that California has to offer,” Boese said. The entrance fee to a state park can cost $10 or more, making it unaffordable for some families, she said.
Reflecting growing demand from Merced County residents, some libraries' park passes would be retired all the time, Boese said. LAist reported that Orange County public libraries loaned out nearly 10,000 passes to local residents last year. And in San Francisco, passes have been picked up more than 2,500 times since the program's start in 2022.
The passes were so successful in Merced that libraries began creating programs and services to educate local residents about state parks. Boese said local biologists would come to talk about native flora and fauna, and the library began loaning backpacks with “things like binoculars and simple guides to birds and trees.”
Boese is hopeful that he will be able to continue offering these services for years to come. It makes perfect sense to her why libraries should offer this service statewide: It fits with the librarian's overall mission of fostering lifelong learning.
“Some people learn by reading, others learn through experience. Most people learn through both,” Boese said. “Libraries are not just here to give you books; “Libraries are here to give you access.”
