Friends of the Library Community Reads Program

One very significant group of The Friends of the Library is the card-carrying senior members. Although one does not have to be a senior to join Friends, the population of senior members is growing rapidly.

At a recent meeting at the Capitola Branch Library I learned that it’s the Friends that raise money for many of the library programs like Children’s Story Hours, Trivia Night, Tech Teach-In and more, which you can find, listed on www.santacruzpl.org

Friends raise money through programs such as book sales. The popular annual sale at the civic center is one example and there are smaller but ongoing sales on designated shelves in the library as shown in the photo here. Books, CDs and DVDs are donated throughout the year from individuals and estates.

Friends’ volunteers collect the donated books, sort them, shelf them and plan additional sales opportunities such as tabling at local events. In fact the website currently offers this notice: Sunday, February 11, 1 – 5 p.m. Looking for reasonably priced books and media? Missing Logos? Come by and check out a variety of paperbacks and hardbacks for sale — something for everyone! Sponsored by the Friends, and benefiting your Santa Cruz Public Library system in the library’s upstairs meeting room. Books make great Valentines Day Gifts!

Denise Ward attended her first Friends meeting less than a year ago with a suggestion that we follow the lead of a city in Oregon. Lake Oswego Community Reads celebration that sounded interesting, thus she was immediately elected chair of Santa Cruz Reads! It is an ambitious project and the desire to give it wide appeal meant creating lots of community involvement.

The Friends’ committee provided secret ballots for community members to vote from a list of five nominees. In August the community was invited to think this through and vote on the top three selections Wards’ core group offered. About 40 people attended and the vote was for Born A Crime by Trevor Noah.

According the staff at Kelly’s Bookshop sales of Born A Crime by Trevor Noah were already flying off her shelves. It’s a #1 New York Times Best Seller about growing up in South Africa under apartheid and the Times considers this book “a love letter to the author’s remarkable mother.”

Currently a display of thought provoking anti-bias books, & books about bi-racial families for children and teens is now in Aptos Public Library Youth Services Room. A part of “Our Community Reads” events, and related to the chosen book, “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” by Trevor Noah sponsored by the Friends of the Aptos Library.

Beginning January 31 at 6:30 p.m., the Aptos Library shows a screening of “You Laugh but it’s True.” A documentary exploring Noah’s up-bringing in South Africa. For a full schedule of events go to https://www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org/our-community-reads–born.html

A children’s story hour will be led by Nancy Spangler of Cabrillo College, and on Feb 21 a talk by Dr. Cath Byrne who holds a master’s degree in international peace studies. Spangler grew up in Noah’s home in South Africa.

•••

Friends of Santa Cruz is proud to have six Chapters that help support your local libraries! Aptos Friends, Boulder Creek Friends, Capitola Friends, Felton Friends, La- Selva-Beach Friends and Scotts Valley Friends.