Thursday, March 04, 2010

 

With Friends Like These

The Friends of the Chambers County Library System is the independent umbrella group that provides support to the library system through volunteer efforts and through fund raising. Funds come in the form of dues, from small efforts like cookbook and book bag sales, and through large projects, such as the book sales. No one would believe, from the number of donations we receive at the libraries, that the book is dead. Hundreds of older books and other items are received and checked to see if the libraries can use them in the collections on a daily basis. The remaining items are then divided into two groups: the pile for recycling and the pile for the book sales. The events that we hold at each library are major fund raisers and major public relations events. We get immense good will from the public for our super clean books at super cheap prices, and the Friends turn this money over to the libraries to provide programs for the children and adults. Thanks to the County, we are able to transport these loads of materials from one library to the next as we hold the sales. And thanks to the Friends, we have a vehicle to raise this money to make the library events something special for our residents. If you’re ever looking for a way to support the library, helping us to work a book sale is one great way to do it.

The Library Advisory Board met for their first meeting of the new year on February 9, and got down to business with a variety of discussion and action items. A revision of the library system’s policy on meeting room use was approved, and discussion was begun on the system’s Long Range Plan for the coming three years.

On February 16, Anahuac and Winnie were visited by the Lee College Educational Opportunity Center director and the new staff person who will be making regular site visits at Anahuac. The Center provides assistance to adults interested in going on to higher education at any venue, and assists with those trying to get a GED, needing financial aid application help, or other items relating to a return to school. This is just one instance where another service agency utilizes the libraries to approach the public in a convenient site; in another example, the federal census workers will be setting up shop at the libraries beginning in March to assist people with filing their census forms.

February of course includes St. Valentine’s Day, a perfect excuse for a special event day in the area of children’s programming. Our programming totals for children in the month of February show that we had 22 programs, with 232 children and 121 adults attending. Weekly story hours and the special afterschool and home school programs are included in this count.

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