Chicken Corner has heard a report that the city may want to gobble up the funds it pays to subsidize parking at the Central Library. According to our source, who is a regular library user, the librarians-cum-questionnaire-professionals have been assigned to ask patrons specific questions. Two weeks ago they were, roughly:

1 -- What is your zip code?
2 -- How often do you use the library?
3 -- Which parts of the library do you use?
4 -- If parking lot RATES ARE INCREASED would it affect how often you used the library?

Then last week the 4th question changes. They become:

1 -- What is your zip code?
2 -- How often do you use the library?
3 -- Which parts of the library do you use?
4 -- If they DID AWAY WITH THE SUBSIDY for parking in the library lot, would you use public transportation?

Our source asked the librarians about the verbal poll, and he was told the councilman (that would be Reyes) has been pushing to take away the parking subsidy. (Chicken Corner is waiting for confirmation that Reyes feels this way.) These are hard times, and, without a doubt, the councilman could find extremely worthy uses for the money if he can reassign it. But, library-wise, Chicken Corner doesn't see much of a positive if the city were to disengage itself from the obligation to provide parking at fair cost. A) If it's only a minority of library users who benefit from the city's help in parking downtown, then rescinding the funds won't be much of a boon for the city. But, if a lot of patrons use the parking lot, and they stop coming to the library... I suppose that's the point of the questionnaire: Let's see if people get upset.

So, next time Chicken Corner is at the glorious Central Library, I will be glad to tell the librarians that if lower-cost parking turns into commercial-rate parking it would make the difference: I won't go. I should ride the bus, but I drive. Plan B: order materials at my local branch and then let the city pay the costs of finding and transporting the books. Plan C: rely on crackpot information on the internet.

Speaking of the glorious Central Library: I've been hearing about broken water fountains that don't get fixed and librarians who vanish and never reappear -- i.e., there's fewer of them than there used to be. But if fewer people to drive to the facility, then perhaps it won't matter.

On a related note, the Edendale Library in Echo Park is always packed with people -- lots of kids. There's generally a line to check out books. In my observation, the librarians seem always to be on their feet. And parking is free.