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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

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 NiƱos 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