News from the North Highlands-Antelope affiliate of the Friends of Sacramento Public Library
Doctor Who: "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!" (from Tooth and Claw in Season 2)
NEWS FROM OUR BRANCH
Update on Children’s Area Refresh
In the March/April newsletter last year, I announced that the Library Foundation had received a bequest for $27,000 to be split between the NH-Antelope and Sylvan Oaks Branches. I am pleased to say an architectural and space planning firm has been hired and will be meeting with library staff for a design kick-off meeting in mid-January. We are very excited about this opportunity to create a more functional and welcoming space for our youngest patrons and their families.
Promoting Programs for School-Age Children
Children’s Librarian Denise Lee
has noted a drop-off in attendance at our afterschool special programs. Please let any families you may have contact
with know the fun and learning opportunities available at their local
library. Craft programs as well as
Chinese New Year and Black History Month celebrations will take place in
January and February. Check the events calendar on the library’s website or
pick up a paper calendar in the branch for more details.
Grown-Up 101 Series Offered for Teens
Teen librarian Justin Azevedo,
along with professionals from the community, will be offering a 4-session program that will give teens the basic, practical
information they need as brand new adults. Topics include money, clothes, job
and food. Series will take place from
4-6 pm every Tuesday in January.
And Let’s Not Forget the Adults
On Saturday, January
24 at 2 pm, the Sacramento Tree Foundation will offer a tree pruning workshop.
Learn when and how to make pruning cuts, overall pruning strategies and the
tools needed for pruning.
On Saturday, February
14 at 2 pm, join Sacramento natives Maryellen and Keith Burns as they trace the
trends of California’s capital city through 150 years of dining out, from their
book Lost Restaurants of Sacramento and
Their Recipes. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and
signing.
Kerri
Moore, Branch Supervisor
Quarterly Book Sale Fast Approaching
Our next
quarterly book sale is February 6-7. We
were very pleased with the success of the first sale, which significantly
reduced the number of person-hours required for the sale, while at the same
time reaping around $1000.
The new rack
and bin system proved to be a real time saver, as no-one was forced to lift
heavy boxes of books off the floor. And permanent shelving for biographies, spiritual
books and classics reduced the number of books that have to be handled. The
proceeds from 2013 book sales helped pay for the new shelving system, which has
already proven to be a worthwhile investment.
We are now
recruiting volunteers for the next sale, and we hope that the turnout matches
our Halloween sale. With about dozen volunteers, the book sale was organized in
record time, about 3 hours. An email will be going out asking Friends to donate
a little time and elbow grease, and I hope you will consider helping out a
shift or two.
The benefit
to the library is significant, with most of the revenues from our ongoing and
quarterly book sales used to fund the wonderful programs that our librarians
put together. The NH-Antelope Friends expect to cover about $5,000 worth of
programming for children, teens and adults in our library community in 2015.
With the exception of some funding from the Sacramento Public Library
Foundation for special programs, nearly all the programs offered at our branch
are paid for by the Friends. See you at
the sale!
NH-Antelope Friends to Meet
The NH-A Friends will hold their
first quarterly meeting of 2015 on Wednesday, January 21 at 11:00 a.m. in the
library’s Community Room. The agenda will include discussion of recommendations
to improve the quality and profitability of our book sales, adoption of funding
for library programs for summer 2015, approval of a 2015 budget, and election
of new officers.
After library programs are fully
funded, any additional revenues will be used to continue the Lucky Day
collection, which furnishes our patrons with the ability to check out a recent
best seller or DVD from the Lucky Day shelf. These books cannot be requested by
patrons in other branches, so this is a unique gift to the North
Highlands-Antelope community from our Friends of the Library.
Come by and help the NH-A Friends
determine priorities for the year, and join us for lunch. Sandwiches will be
provided, so bring a side dish and enjoy a fun potluck with your Friends.
Book Den Bag Sale
If you love a good bargain, don’t
miss the Book Den bag sale, January 9, 10 and 11, where cost is only $6.00 a
bag. Children’s books are not included, and no member discounts apply. The Book Den is located at 8250 Belvedere
Ave., Suite E, Sacramento.
FSPL Presidential Update No. 11
Dear Friends Leaders:
I hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday Season. A recap of
Friends’ activities in December is presented below. The Board of
Directors will meet on January 13, 2015 at the Southgate Library. Our
Annual Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 25, 2015 at the Robbie Waters
Pocket-Greenhaven Library from 1-3 PM.
1. Board of Directors
a. Authorized the President to sign a lease extension for the
Belvedere warehouse negotiated and approved by the Executive Committee.
b. Supported negotiation by the Finance Committee with the CSUS
Business School and Center for assistance with a business plan for the Book
Den. Authorized the President to sign such an agreement with CSUS if it
is approved by the Executive Committee.
c. Approved the Document Retention and Destruction Policy
developed by the Finance Committee.
d. Submitted documentation for participation in the annual Big Day
of Giving on May 5, 2015.
2. 30 Branch affiliate Friends groups
a. The majority of the Branch Friends’ Treasurers have received an
orientation to the new End of Year Reporting Forms from FSPL Treasurer Margaret
Clausen. If your Treasurer (or another Board Officer) has not yet
received this training for your Branch please contact Margaret immediately at margaretmclausen@gmail.com.
b. The response to the Branch Support and Communication Survey has
been slow to date. If you are having any issues in completing your survey
please contact your Branch Liaison for assistance. My thanks if you have
completed and submitted your survey.
3. Sacramento Public Library and Joint Powers Agency Governing
Board
a. The SPL has created a library for the Sacramento County Youth
Detention Facility thanks to the support of the Friends.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey L. Rubin, President
Friends of the Sacramento Public
Library
