Fundraising events help others at library

Greetings, Library family. It is often a mutual acknowledgment to associate the month of February with love. Especially as you walk the aisle of any local Wal-Mart and are visually assaulted by the vast array of pinks, reds and hearts galore surrounding you (said with great adoration to everything that store manager Tim does for our community)! In keeping with that spirit, Library staff have very much taken on the motto of “Love your Library. Love your Community.”

If you follow us on Facebook (as I urgently hope and slightly push you to do if not), you’ll have noticed that since the month’s start we have presented a few fundraising efforts. The first, and most comical, being our Pie the Librarian challenge where all three librarians have a jar of their own for patrons to donate to in the hopes of seeing one of them covered in pie cream in the near future. Every dollar donated to this event will get your name in the drawing to be one of the three lucky patrons who will have the pleasure of pie-ing our winning librarian at the end of the month. The proceeds raised from this go towards the purchase of books, craft supplies, etc.

Secondly, is the selling of the Valentine’s Day baskets for our Friends of the library nonprofit organization that helps raise funds and awareness for us and the growth of our community programs. Recently they received a grant for the upgrading of the library’s computers and have updated three of the six, with work to get a grant for the remaining. The purchase of a basket is a way to donate to the future of our Friends group and further their efforts in the future of your library. If you wish to learn more about this group please stop by the library or follow them on their Facebook page.

Lastly is our Food for Fines event, Feb. 3-10. This is an event in which we not only provided assistance to our patrons with their late fees, but also raise awareness of the need to help our the community in order to see it thrive. Patrons can bring in cans of unexpired food in order to have their late fees waived with one can of food equaling $1 off of their late fee. If you don’t have a late fee and still wish to participate, you can definitely do so by calling the library to sponsor an anonymous patron’s late fee for them. All the food raised in this event will go to the local food bank, Loaves ’n Fishes. Upcoming Events:

• Feb. 1-28 — Pie the Librarian

• Feb. 6-14 — Friends of the Library’s Valentine’s Day Basket Sale

• Feb. 3-10 — Food For Fines, 1 can of food =$1 off patron late fees

• 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 — Weekly Story-time and Craft

• 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 — T.A.B Meeting, ages 13-18

• All day, Friday, Feb. 9 — Valentine’s Cards for Autumn Place

• 3:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 - Friday, Feb. 16 — After School Olympics

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Editor’s note: Alex Wright is the director of the Pea Ridge Community Library. She can be reached at the library at 451-8442 or by email at alex.wright@cityof pearidge.com.