PALM SPRINGS — Friends of the Palm Springs Library will spend the week of Oct. 21-28, 2018, celebrating as part of the 13th Annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week.
Friends of the Palm Springs Library were established in 1971 and have raised more than $1 million for the library to date. Currently more than 300 community members contribute annually to the program, and more than 30 of these contributors actively volunteer their time to assist the group with book sales, library programming and additional fundraising efforts.
“The library has always played such an important role in my life and in my family’s life,” Friends Board Member Kathy Weyer said in a prepared statement. “As a writer and a lifelong reader, the library is an invaluable resource for me, and I encourage everyone to visit your library and pick up something new.”
Celebration activities for the week of Oct. 22-27 include having an information table in the Library lobby from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day, prize baskets, and a book sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A special reception is planned for Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m. to announce the artwork selected for the new Library Bookmark for 2018-19. Students from Katherine Finchy Elementary School participated in the Second Annual LeeOna Hostrop Friends of the Palm Springs Library Bookmark Contest for Students.
Open to all grades, students submitted their designs for the back of the Library’s new bookmark for the year. Three finalists were selected and the winning art will be revealed at the reception. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. Refreshments, an assortment of Bundtinis, will be generously provided as a donation from Nothing Bundt Cakes in Palm Desert.
“The Friends contribute to our library in so many ways,” said Library Director Jeannie Kays. “The funds they raise, the volunteers they provide for special events and the support they give for all we do at the Library, we are so thankful. I think most patrons would be surprised to learn how many of the services and programs they enjoy and equipment they use are supported and provided by the Friends!”
The group’s mission is to support the Library in providing world-class service to the community through the purchase of books, movies, music, the visual arts, furnishings and electronic equipment by advocating for funding, gifts and memorials. They also raise awareness about the library and are the link between the Library and the community and its elected officials. The group supports programs that encourage reading, culture and the arts as well as volunteer-based activities to support our greater community. To learn more about the Friends or how to become a member go to their web site here.
National Friends of Libraries Week is coordinated by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association with approximately 4,000 personal and group members representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters.
United for Libraries supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries, and brings together library trustees, advocates, friends, and foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information, visit here.
The Library is located at 300 S. Sunrise Way, on the corner of Sunrise Way and Baristo Road. For more information about the Library call 760-322-READ (7323) or log on to www.palmspringslibrary.org. Download the Palm Springs Library mobile app; follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
