November - December 2014

News from the North Highlands-Antelope affiliate of the Friends of Sacramento Public Library

"A library is many things to many people. It can be a place of sanctuary, for time alone in a little reading nook. It can be the safest place in the world to socialize and make new friends in reading groups and at special events. It's up to each individual to use the library in the best way that suits their needs. You're never bored when your nose is in a book."
     Sybrina Durant

NEWS FROM OUR BRANCH

Murder, Mayhem and Suspense!

Coming to the NH-Antelope Library Saturday, November 8 at 2 pm 

Join Capital Crimes, the Sacramento-area chapter of Sisters in Crime, as they present a terrific panel of mystery authors, with chapter president Michele Drier emceeing. Kathleen Asay, Louise Crawford, Elaine Faber, Sherry Joyce, Joyce Mason and Linda Townsdin will each discuss their specific genre of mystery writing. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

And in case you haven’t heard, the NH-Antelope Mystery Book Club meets the third Saturday of every month at 10:30 am. The books we will be reading for the November 15th meeting are The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black and The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods. Join us!

In celebration of all things mystery, our very own staff member Cindy has created a wonderful display in the new book section. Check it out!

Coming Saturday, December 6 at 2 pm: Journey back with author Cheryl Anne Stapp to an era before the railroad and automobile arrived and discover the wild history of stagecoach travel in California. Cheryl will sign copies of her book, The Stagecoach in Northern California, available for purchase at the program.

Premier Haunted Library Program a Screaming Success!

Thanks to generous Friends funding, the North Highlands-Antelope Library hosted its first Haunted Library on Friday, October 24. In only two hours, the Teen Advisory Board transformed the library into a terrifying ramshackle maze, complete with bloody sheets, a hasty barricade to keep zombies at bay, and a spider’s lair with a not-quite-dead victim. The doors opened at 8:00 to a line of waiting families, who mingled in the community room while working on a variety of crafts, attending storytime by Fair Oaks librarian Siri Hiltz, and enjoying popcorn from a movie theater-style popcorn machine provided and maintained by two of our TAB members. Groups were then ushered into the Haunted Library itself; small children and the easily alarmed were given a spooky trick-or-treat tour, while the brave were subject to a lantern-lit trek through pitch blackness, where monsters lurked around every dark corner. 

One hundred and twenty-six people attended the event. Afterwards, the TAB packed up the decorations and took them to Arden-Dimick Library the next day, where they helped set up and run another Haunted Library for 209 more attendees. This event was incredibly successful, and our teens are already planning new scares for next year’s event (which many of our guests demanded as they safely fled at the end of the night). 

- Kerri Moore, Branch Supervisor and Justin Azevedo, Adult/Teen Librarian

NH-A Friends Fund Q1 2015 Programs

The NH-A Friends hold a quarterly meeting, to get an update on plans that the library has and to allocate available funds from our lobby and special book sales.

At our last meeting on October 15, Kerri Moore, Branch Supervisor, proposed a number of adult, teen and children’s program for January – April, with a total estimate of $2,750. Teen programs to be funded include: Haunted Library (Oct. 2014); Grownup 101; and Surviving Bullying; along with refreshment and materials for teen meetings, for a total of $1,305. 

Upcoming children’s programming under consideration includes three paid performer programs, craft supplies for Cork Penguins, Valentine’s Day and Make Your Own Sticker programs, along with Wild Things Inc. and Dia De Los Niños in April.

The adults won’t be left out, with plans for a Tree Pruning workshop, a Black History month program, Prohibition in Sacramento, and last but not least, a dance program.

We are so lucky to have a fun and creative staff that keeps raising the bar on the caliber of the programs offered at our branch.

Our next meeting is January 21 at 11:00. And remember, it is the Friends’ lobby sales and quarterly book sales that fund all these wonderful programs for our community.

Quarterly Book Sale Format Launched on Halloween

While not without a few bumps, the launch of the new quarterly book sale format was generally agreed to be a real improvement. With twelve tables instead of twenty-four, set up took volunteers only a couple of hours instead of the 5 hours that the spring sale took. And break down was even speedier, with the Community Room returned to its normal state in about an hour.


For this first two day sale, Friends took in a little over $800. The total would likely have been higher, except that heavy rain and Halloween preps kept many families busy and out of the library Friday afternoon.

A special thanks to Debby Cooney, who spends hours each week sorting book donations and who did a great job organizing the quarterly sale.

We could not be successful without our wonderful volunteers: Kathy Berg, Stefanie Buckmaster, Mary Caicchiolo, Pam Farrell-Webb, Ed and Gayle Fishkin, Jeanne Fleury, Gail Johnson, Vicki and Jeff Jones, Ray Oliver, Dick Pitcher, Carole and George Raine, Darlene Russell, Karen Sanders and her friends Jacque and Harold, Chuck Solt, Doris Vermillion, and Michele Weiss.

Our next sale is Friday-Saturday, February 6-7, 2015. So mark your calendars!

FSPL President's Report

Saclib Friends

Dear Friends Leaders:

Happy Halloween to all! Listed below is a recap of some of the many important issues and activities in the Friends world over the last month. Please note that the November 11 Board of Directors has been changed to November 12, 6:30 PM, at the Belle Cooledge Library.

1. Board of Directors
a. Approved a Grievance Policy for Book Den volunteers.
b. Elected Bruce Rogers to fill the vacant Board position that expires in 2016.
c. Approved Assisting Friends Matching Grant request for McClatchy Library Friends.
d. Received a progress report on the Friends strategic planning process.
e. Conducted initial discussions on the draft 2015 budget prepared by the Finance Committee.

2. Book Den: Warehouse/Store/Internet Sales
a. Book Den sales revenue continues to grow and the revamped facility provides a better customer experience. The retail store is now open Thursdays, from 9 am – 2 pm, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10 am – 5 pm.
b. Book Den volunteers received safety training from the SPL and a video is now available for future use.

3. 30 Branch affiliate Friends groups
a. Friends’ Board members and Rancho Cordova Branch co-presidents Jerry Jaggers and Pam Whitely worked with City Council Member Linda Budge and County Supervisor Don Nottoli to restore critically needed bus service to the Rancho Cordova Library.
b. The All Friends meeting provided an opportunity to hear from the SPL on the impact of Measure B and the need to start active planning for the 2016 renewal of Measure X. Staff also reported on the initial data tabulation from the Branch Efficiency Analysis. More information will be made available for each Friends group.


4. Sacramento Public Library and Joint Powers Agency Governing Board
a. SPL’s annual Staff Day brought together our incredible library employees to learn, share and be recognized for the work they do every day in serving our community.

5. Community Partners
a. A number of Friends joined hundreds of other Sacramentans and Mayor Kevin Johnson in the Sacramento Public Library Foundation’s first ever Walk4Literacy.

Sincerely,
Jeff
Jeffrey L. Rubin, President
Friends of the Sacramento Public Library

September-October 2014

I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book.

Groucho Marx

NEWS FROM OUR BRANCH

BACK TO SCHOOL!

After a very successful Summer Reading Program (as of 8/23, with one week left for turning in final reading logs, our branch had 872 signups, with a completion rate of 42.1%).

It’s time to go back to school.  The Homework Zone is buzzing with activity thanks to volunteer tutors Diane Rybicki and Chuck Solt who offer drop-in homework help to students in grades K-12 (and even some adults) on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 pm.  Please encourage any young people you know who might need a little extra help to drop by.

And in more back-to-school news, kids and younger teens are invited to a Surviving Bullying workshop on Saturday, September 6 from 1-4 pm.  Our very own Teen Advisory Board has designed and will run this special program where kids can discuss different ways harassment can occur, share their personal stories, work together to come up with solutions, and create a bookmark that can be distributed at the library. They will also have the opportunity to speak to both local teen mentors and a registered counselor about their experiences. Thank you to teen librarian Justin Azevedo and TAB for creating this unique opportunity.

Finally, to keep up with all the young people in your life (or just to share with your own friends and family and to make new friends), join branch library technical assistant Vanessa Levin for an Introduction to Instagram class on Tuesday, September 9 at 6:30 pm.  Find out how to build your online presence by sharing your photos via Facebook and Twitter or just learn the basics on how to follow the people you care about.  Either way, join us to learn more about growing a happy and healthy Instagram account.

-      Kerri Moore, Branch Supervisor

QUARTERLY BOOK SALE KICKS OFF ON HALLOWEEN

Mark your calendar for our first quarterly book sale, October 31- November 1, in the library’s community room.  Instead of the current schedule of seven monthly mini- sales and two large scale sales each year, we will hold four quarterly sales per year. There will be fewer tables of books than presently available during our spring and fall sales, but we will still try and offer book selections in each genre.

Set up will begin on Friday morning, October 31, starting at 9:00 a.m. to allow the sale to begin when the library opens its doors at 1:00 p.m. We are looking for adult volunteers for set up and to staff the sale, and teen volunteers to publicize the sale and break down. If you want to volunteer, or just want further information, contact Stefanie Buckmaster at stefanie.buckmaster@gmail.com.

Don’t forget to patronize the Friends book sale. Sale proceeds will continue to be the principal fund raising tool financing programs, library amenities and Lucky Day books at our branch, so we hope that the new format is wildly successful!

SEPTEMBER IS NH-A FRIENDS MEMBERSHIP MONTH

The North Highlands-Antelope Friends group has accomplished so much over the past few years, but we still remain a secret to the community. So, in September, we will be kicking off a membership development campaign, to educate our friends and neighbors about the valuable contributions the NH-A Friends make to our library.  

Without the Friends, the Teen Lounge would not exist. The Mommy and Me chair would not be snuggling anyone amid the children’s books. None of us would have enjoyed snagging a popular title or DVD from the Lucky Day collection. Teens would not be enjoying snacks and the special crafting materials funded by Friends at popular programs like Anime Club, Manga Mania and Dungeons and Dragons.  Children would be missing out on the popular “Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss” party, “Trap a Leprechaun,” and “Wild Things” programs. And adults would have missed the “Building the Transcontinental Railroad” program, as well as the wildly popular “All Wrapped Up: Create Wire Wrapped Jewelry” program.

You already appreciate the value of the NH-A Friends. Why not ask a friend or neighbor to join? Half of the membership dues, which are pretty nominal at $15 per individual and $20 per family, remain within our community. So, every new member helps us fund all the nice extras that make our branch such a cool place to visit.

ONE BOOK SACRAMENTO

Sacramento Public Library's One Book 2014 selection is the memoir “What It Is Like To Go To War” by Karl Marlantes. http://www.saclibrary.org/About-Us/News/2014/August/One-Book-What-It-Is-Like-To-Go-To-War/

In 1969, Marlantes won the Navy Cross as a 24-year-old Marine lieutenant for leading an assault on a heavily armored North Vietnamese bunker. He suffered serious battlefield wounds and, later, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Today, Marlantes is a bestselling writer of both fiction and nonfiction. “What It Is Like To Go To War” weaves accounts of his combat experiences with analysis and self-examination. The author will be in conversation with Mary Menzel, director, California Center for the Book. There will be books available for sale and signing.

Oct. 7, Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
A Conversation with Author Karl Marlantes
Tsakopoulos Library Galleria
828 I St.

The evening is the main event for Sacramento Public Library's 2014 One Book celebration. It is being held in cooperation with California Reads, a statewide multi-year project of Cal Humanities that brings Californians together to explore important topics through reading and discussion.

Inspired by this year's One Book, former Sacramento Poet Laureate Bob Stanley will join our monthly Writers' Gathering to talk about memoir writing.  If you've ever wondered how to go about writing your life story or share particular life experiences in writing, you won't want to miss this special evening.  Join us on Wednesday, October 8 at 6:30 pm.

NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY

Dear Friends Leaders:

I hope you are having an enjoyable summer.  Although the hot weather would seem to dictate a decrease in activities, wherever I go in the county I find Friends fully engaged in actively supporting and promoting our library. Whether it is educating neighbors or elected officials, fund raising, assisting library staff with innovative community programs, or working to improve our organization’s operations, volunteers are constantly in motion. What a great time to be part of Sacramento’s vibrant library community!

A quick update on FSPL activities.

• The next All Friends Branch meeting is September 27, 1:30 PM, at the Robbie Waters Pocket-Greenhaven Library.
• SPL Director Rivkah Sass to report preliminary results of the in-depth Branch Efficiency Analysis at the JPA and All Friends meetings in September.
• The Belvedere facility will henceforth be referred to as the “The Book Den” encompassing all Warehouse, Store and Internet Sales.
• Safety improvements continue at the facility and mandatory training of all volunteers will begin this month.
• North Sacramento-Hagginwood allocated $500 in Assisting Friends Matching Grant.

-      Jeff Rubin, President

JULY-AUGUST 2014

“She sounds like someone who spends a lot of time in libraries, which are the best sorts of people.”
― Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making


NEWS FROM OUR BRANCH

SUMMER IS HERE!

How does the library fit into your vacation plans?  We can think of at least four possible ways.

• ·         Go to Great Reads for Adults on the library website to find beach reads, audiobooks for road trips, and more! (http://www.saclibrary.org/Home/Great-Reads/Great-Reads-For-Adults/)

• ·         Since you’re reading anyway, sign up for the Summer Reading Program, log your books, and win a prize! (2014 Summer Reading program)

• ·         Submit a photo of your Sacramento Public Library card on vacation to one of the library’s social media channels for our photo contest. (http://www.saclibrary.org/About-Us/News/2014/June/Library-card-on-vacation/)

• ·         Attend an adult summer reading program:
  

  Saturday, July 12 at 2 p.m.

  All Wrapped Up: Create Wire Wrapped Jewelry with Sister Sheba 

  
  

  Saturday, August 9 at 2 p.m.

  “Sacramento’s Gold Rush Saloons” with local historian James Scott  

       

READ TO A DOG

We are very excited to announce our partnership with Lend a Heart, Lend a Hand Animal-Assisted Therapy.  On the 4^th Wednesday of each month at 3 pm, children ages 5 through 12 can read to one of four friendly therapy-trained dogs, accompanied by their trained adult volunteers, and earn a book after seven Read to a Dog sessions. No registration is required.

BUSINESS IS BOOMING!

Did you know the NH-Antelope Branch has 41,000 registered library card holders? Out of all the branches in the Sacramento Public Library System, we are second only to the Central Library, which has 45,000 card holders.  Go to http://www.saclibrary.org/About-Us/Library-Value-Calculator/ to see how much value you receive monthly from your library.  Thanks for your support!

-      Kerri Moore

NH-A FRIENDS SUMMER POTLUCK SUPPER JULY 16

Join the NH-Antelope Friends for our annual summer meeting and potluck dinner on Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00 p.m. in the library Community Room. El Pollo Loco will cater the entree. All our Friends are cordially invited. Friends are asked to bring an appetizer, drink or dessert to share, but if you can’t, come anyway. This is our annual Potluck dinner meeting, and we invite our working Friends to come check us out and help set spending priorities for the North Highlands-Antelope library. Drop us a note (nhantelope.friends@gmail.com) if you can join us.

Among the items on the agenda: update on summer programs and library funding for the third quarter, including whether and how much to fund the Lucky Day collection; consideration of a new position on our Board for Book Sale Chair; fine-tuning our new quarterly book sale format, which launches on Halloween; consideration of programming aimed at seniors, encouraging new members and/or volunteers. Hopefully, Kerri will have info on the major remodel of the children’s section, which is currently on the drawing board.

As an extra treat, we will be displaying NH-Antelope Friends scrapbooks that go back in time, some before the current library was built, and some scrapbooks that feature the new construction process.  It’s important to remember all the volunteers that contributed to the wonderful branch library we enjoy today.

BOOK SALE SCHEDULE CHANGING

As a reminder, our current schedule of book sales is being streamlined. Beginning this fall, instead of the current schedule of seven mini-monthly sales and two large scale sales each year, we will hold four quarterly sales per year in the library’s community room. The new format will be implemented with the October 31-November 1 sale.

There will be fewer tables of books than presently available during our spring and fall sales, but we will still try and offer book selections in each genre.

Instead of spending all day Thursday setting up, we will set up on Friday morning, October 31, starting at 9:00 a.m. to allow the sale to begin when the library opens its doors at 1:00 p.m.

So mark your calendars now to help set up and/or patronize the Friends book sale. Sale proceeds will continue to be used for programs, library amenities and Lucky Day books at our branch, so we hope that the new format is wildly successful!

NEWS FROM FRIENDS OF SPL 

Our organization continues to grow and thrive as we enter the Summer Reading season.  Please help promote literacy throughout our communities by working closely with local Library Branch Supervisors to jointly determine how to support this critical SPL program. Additional volunteer opportunities also exist at the Belevedere facility and on the Board of Directors Committees: we invite your participation.

Thursday setting up, we will set up on Friday morning, October 31, starting at 9:00 a.m. to allow the sale to begin when the library opens its doors at 1:00 p.m. 

Book Den/warehouse/internet sales operations

• Additional volunteers are needed for receiving, sorting and sales. A Volunteer Coordinator will be recruited.
• Safety guidelines implementation moving forward and training for all volunteers will be scheduled.
• Facility operations cost analysis underway.
• Next Warehouse sale: August 9 and 16, 2014 (with Friends preview on Friday, August 8, 5-8 p.m.)

Sacramento Public Library and the Joint Powers Authority Board

The JPA Board will approve a revised FY 2014-15 Sacramento Public Library budget to include additional Measure B monies.

Community Issues

Measure B was successfully passed in the City of Sacramento on June 3rd (see link to Sacramento Bee Article): http://www.sacbee.com/2014/06/16/6482263/sacramento-libraries-plan-to-boost.html)

-      Jeff Rubin, President

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Saturday, July 12 @ 2:00 p.m. 
Wrapped Up: Create Wire Wrapped Jewelry with Sister Sheba

Wednesday, July 16 @ 6:00 p.m.  
NH-A Friends of the Library Potluck and Meeting

Tuesday, August 5 @ 11:00 a.m – 7:00 p.m.  
Monthly mini book sale

Saturday, August 9 @ 2:00 p.m.  
“Sacramento’s Gold Rush Saloons” local historian James Scott

Tuesday, September 2 @ 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. 
Monthly mini book sale

Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1  
Big Fall Book Sale