The name "Rinconada" has been attached to Palo Alto ever since the city's founders carved out some land for development from the Rancho Rinconada del Arroyo de San Francisquito land grant more than 150 years ago.

But not everyone is enamored by the historical significance of the word, which means "elbow" in Spanish. On Monday night, Sept. 9, the City Council balked at a recommendation from staff and the Library Advisory Commission to rechristen the Main Library as the Rinconada Library next year when it opens its doors after extensive renovation. Rather than rubber stamp the recommendation, a split council decided to send the debate to its Policy and Services Committee.

The council voted 4-3, with Mayor Greg Scharff, Vice Mayor Nancy Shepherd and Councilman Greg Schmid dissenting and Marc Berman and Liz Kniss absent, to let the committee further consider the name change.

The council didn't take issue with renaming the Main Library, which is considered by many to be a misnomer because the Newell Road facility is neither the city's largest branch (that's Mitchell Park) nor the heart of its Library Department administration (that would be the Downtown Library). Library Director Monique LeConge said the name creates confusion among visitors to the city.

"Because the new Mitchell Park Library will be larger than Main Library, the title of 'Main,' which denotes a function, not a location, person, or other description, is no longer accurate," LeConge noted in a new report.

The Rinconada Library name has already earned the support of Palo Alto Historical Association, which determined it to be "historically appropriate." But council members, most notably Larry Klein, were less enthusiastic.

"My view is that this is an appropriate time for us to name an important building in our community for one of any number of distinguished Palo Altans who are deceased and who are not recognized," Klein said. "We have probably an extraordinary number of distinguished, famous Palo Altans whom we have not recognized."

Councilwoman Gail Price agreed that the opportunity to honor an extraordinary Palo Altan doesn't come around often and hailed the name changes at the library as "an opportunity to do something that's a little bit different."

Councilmembers Karen Holman and Pat Burt joined Price and Klein's proposal to send the debate to the Policy and Services Committee. Burt also made a case that individuals who have made great contributions to the city should be considered, even if they are not from Palo Alto (he gave as an example the prominent architect Edward Durrell Stone).

Scharff, Shepherd and Schmid sided with the Library Advisory Commission. Scharff argued against extending the renaming process. He noted that several libraries (Downtown, Mitchell Park, College Terrace) are already named after locations and urged the council to make the switch to Rinconada Library.

"I think we should honor what the commission did on this," Scharff said.

Holman said one option should be retaining the name Main Library, an alternative also championed by Elaine Meyer, president of the University South Neighborhood Association. Renaming the branch "doesn't make any sense," she said, because it implies a "downgrading" of the Main Library. She dismissed the whole debate as a waste of staff time and money.

"By changing the name of the institution, you are erasing its history," Meyer said.

Jeff Levinsky also argued against naming the branch Rinconada, saying the name would cause confusion. He noted that the Children's Library is also located close by. But Levinsky told the council that he wouldn't object to naming the branch after a person, as long as that person is "truly inspiring."

"If that person's name is Main, so much the better," Levinsky said.