News from the North Highlands-Antelope affiliate of the Friends of Sacramento Public Library
Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.
Lady Bird Johnson
NEWS FROM OUR BRANCH
Nearly 40,000 books read! This incredible number reflects the best Summer Reading Challenge in SPL history. The North Highlands-Antelope Library significantly contributed to the success rate of the summer program. Over one thousand NHI patrons signed up, with the highest numbers in the 6-12 age range. Nearly fifty percent of all customers that signed up for summer reading logged at least 5 books, completing the challenge and earning a prize book or book bag. Many customers, of all ages, logged more than 5 books; in fact, readers that logged 25 books earned the title of Library Rock Star and took home a yard sign to show off to their neighbors. North Highlands-Antelope customers read 10,341 books—we definitely have our share of reading rock stars!
Amber Clark, Teen Librarian
I am happy to announce that Jacob Greenberg has been hired as our new Circulation Supervisor and will officially begin working at the branch on September 19. I will let Jacob introduce himself in the next issue, but I can say we're very excited to have him join us! Please stop by and welcome him when you have a chance.
There's more room in the back room! If you've ever worked in our back room as a volunteer, you've noticed some pretty cramped quarters. We recently had a "mini remodel" to create more space. NH-Antelope Branch annex anyone?
Thanks to the Friends, we have a full schedule of programs for all ages during September-October!
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER ADULT AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Learn all about library digital publications! Tuesday, 9/15 at 6:30pm: Did you know that the library offers free magazines and daily access to the Sacramento Bee online? Find out how easy they are to use in this fun class for adults.
Mystery Book Club - Saturday, 9/19 and 10/17 at 10:30 am
Fridays Unplugged! Board Game Fun for Everyone, Friday, 9/25 at 4pm: Raid our game cupboard! From classics to games you may never have heard of. All ages welcome.
Make a Butternut Squash Cake with the Tomato Tart blogger, Saturday, 10/3 at 2pm. Autumn is all about pumpkins and other winter squash. Sabrina Modelle, The Tomato Tart will go beyond pie with a butternut squash cake with cream cheese frosting. She will make a roasted squash dish and learn why never throw the seeds away. Part of the Sacramento Public Library's One Book Program.
Tie Yourself Up In Knots with Scarves-Friends Fundraiser, Saturday, 10/17 at 2pm
Do you have drawers of scarves you don't know how to wear? Bring them to this hands-on class! Color Me Beautiful consultant Nancy Matlin will help you choose your best scarf styles, code multi-colored scarves to color seasons, and teach you the art of scarf tying. Friends will collect $5, $10, $___ at the door to fund library programs, materials, and projects. Limited seating available. Registration required.
Fridays Unplugged! Board Game Fun – Friday, 10/23, 4pm
Haunt the Library, Friday, 10/23 at 8pm FAMILY. What after-hours terrors await you in the library? What haunts the stacks when the doors have been shut? Come and find out as teen volunteers turn the library into a series of scares, surprises and shocks. Family-friendly from 8 to 9:30 p.m., with story times, crafts, games, candy, and tours every 15 minutes. The real frights come during the teen-only tours from 9:30 on.
PROGRAMS FOR TEENS
Teen Book Club, Friday, 9/4 at 4pm: We will be discussing Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Attend face-to-face or virtually (see teen librarian).
Teen Volunteer Training, Saturday, 9/5 at 9am: Get a one-hour tutorial on quick and easy ways you can help out around the library and receive community service credit.
Wreck Your Journal Teen Program, Wednesday, 9/9 at 4pm: The creative writing group will combine unique journal prompts, self-expression, and mixed media to fully engage in the artistic process.
Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls, Thursday, 10/22 at 4pm Celebrate Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) by creating and decorating Mexican sugar skulls and other crafts.
PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN
Homework Zone: Drop-in homework help for school-age and high school students is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-5:30 pm. Volunteer homework coaches will be available to assist students in grades K-12 with homework assignments.
Read to a Dog, Wednesday, 9/23 at 3:30pm: Children ages 5 through 12 can now sign up to read a book 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 required.
Hula Hoop Challenge, Thursday, 9/3 at 4pm: Learn how to hula hoop or demonstrate your advanced skills. If it is a sunny day, we will bring the hula hoop fun outdoors near the community room. Teen and parent volunteers are welcome.
Lego Challenge, Thursday, 9/24 at 4pm: Join us for a creative and fun hour of building things with LEGOs. Parent and teen volunteers are welcome.
Preschool Storytime will take place at 11am on Thursday, 10/1. For the remainder of October, Baby Lapsit, Toddler Time, and Preschool Storytime will be on break and will resume in November.
Lego Challenge, Thursday, 10/15 at 4pm Join us for a creative and fun hour of building things with LEGOs. Parent and teen volunteers are welcome.
Kerri Moore, Branch Supervisor
SUMMER BOOK SALE
The summer book sale was held on Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who participated to set up, staff and break down the sale and return the Community Room to its natural state. Our intrepid volunteers this sale include: Charles Buckmaster, Stefanie Buckmaster, Lauren Buckmaster, Chuck Solt, Kelly Clark, Michele Weiss, Kathy and Andrew Long-Turner, Michelle Weeks, Karen Sanders, Charlene Nichols, Darlene Russell, Sigrid Willgohs, Ray Oliver, Gail Johnson, Mary Caicchiolo, and Jeff Karaman. And of course, a huge thanks to Debby Cooney, the book sale coordinator, who donates a lot of her time to our ongoing book sales, as well as the special quarterly sales.
This was the first “bin sale,” which we all thought make the tables tidier, easier to shop various genre for customers and easier overall for the Friends. The total raised, $722, is sufficient to fund all the programs proposed by staff for the final quarter of the year.
We also gained a total of 7 new members and a renewal during the book sale. So a big shout out and welcome to: Regina Androlowicz, Leslie Arriola; Mike Burkowski, Jeff Klick, Richard Pitcher, Laurie Mescher, Dorothy Stevens, and Kathryn and Jean Yadon!
The next quarterly sale is set for November 6-7. We are working on ideas to expand our customer base to increase our revenues, so stay tuned for more info on the fall sale. If you have ideas on how we can do it better or easier, drop us a line: nhantelope.friends@gmail.com.
NH-ANTELOPE FRIENDS APPROVE FUNDING FOR FALL PROGRAMS
At its July meeting, NH-Antelope Friends approved a number of new programs for the library for the September-December time frame pledging about $700 for children, teen and adult programs. We have some exciting programs for fall, including a session on taking good photos, and a visit from Cindy Sample, author of Laurel McKay Dying for Mysteries.
For the kids, we can look forward to Puppet Art Theater, Hansel and Gretel, Nature’s Critters and holiday crafting programs. This will be a repeat performance for Nature’s Critters, which was the most popular Friends-sponsored program of the season, with 50 children and 26 adults in attendance on July 2. Nature’s Critters is scheduled again for November 5, and they will bring smaller mammals such as rabbits and chinchillas, which are better adapted to cooler weather.
For the teens, Manga programs, “Wreck your Journal,” and Haunt the Library are all funded by the Friends.
One item that will be discussed at the October meeting is holding some type of fundraiser to increase our revenues sufficient to fund all programs and Lucky Day. One idea that gained some traction at the July meeting was “50 Shades of Chocolate,” during January or February so if you have ideas, suggestions or would like to participate in our brainstorming, nhantelope.friends@gmail.com.
Our next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, October 21, so mark your calendar. We will return to our 11 am meeting and potluck lunch. We will also consider our funding options for the Lucky Day collection (recently released titles and DVDs that are available only to patrons of the NH-Antelope library. If you find the best seller you were looking for over by the librarian’s desk, it’s your Lucky Day.)
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR FRIENDS - RAY OLIVER
North Highlands-Antelope Friends and long-time library volunteer Ray Oliver has another notable achievement, as a member of the Sacramento County Historical Society. Ray, a former McClellan historian and museum curator and co-author of a book on McClellan, will lead a bus tour of McClellan AFB, describing the base’s history and show a rarely seen movie made in 1987 as part of the installation’s 50th anniversary. Oliver will discuss how the base got its name, how it rapidly progressed from a few hundred workers to one of the biggest employers in this area, and the work of storing and transporting millions of tons of aircraft, equipment and supplies all over the world. This exciting tour will also include a stop at the Aerospace Museum. Join Ray Oliver on this fascinating look back at a major source of pride for the north county.
The date of the tour is Friday, September 25, 9 am - 5 pm. The cost is $55 inclusive of lunch, gratuity and admissions ($50 if reservations made before September 1).
This sounds like a fun and informative tour, so for further information or to make a reservation, visit: www.sachistoricalsociety.org.
FROM THE FSPL PRESIDENT
The Friends have finished our initial strategic planning process. A summary of upcoming priorities and programs will be sent to you under separate cover. In addition, a detailed implementation plan will be developed and presented to the Board for use throughout the organization.
At the request of several Branch Friends affiliates, the SPL, the Sacramento Public Library Foundation and the Friends are meeting to explore fundraising opportunities for our library system through legacy giving. Contributions by will, trust, naming a charity on a beneficiary form, life-income arrangements, and endowment gifts all represent forms of legacy giving. The initial meetings are primarily to help the SPL and its nonprofit partners gain a working knowledge of these processes. As we learn more, we will share this information with you.
At the July 14, 2015 meeting, the Board of Directors, we elected Dianne Dobbs to the Board of Directors.
Jeff Rubin, FSPL President
