Appreciating Our Friends of the Santa Clarita Public Library
The Santa Clarita Public Library recently completed its annual Summer Reading Program, “Read for the
Win.” The Summer Reading Program is held during the summer months to help motivate students to continue reading while they are away from school. This year’s theme encouraged hundreds of children and readers of all ages to participate in sports and activity-themed programming at all three of our Santa Clarita Public Library branches. By completing reading challenges, participants were awarded digital badges and were entered into a drawing for prizes.
This fun and creative annual program gives the community an incentive to continue learning and reading during a time of year in which students may experience a “summer learning loss.”
We all appreciate the Friends of the Library, without whom this program would not have been possible. Every year, the Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library provide primary funding for the Summer Reading Program and many other programs.
We are so thankful at the City of Santa Clarita to have such wonderful friends supporting our library mission. Formed in 2012, the Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library is a non-profit active group of Santa Clarita residents who volunteer, advocate and fundraise to meet the needs of the Library. They host multiple fundraising events at our library branches, provide financial support to our many popular reading programs, and create volunteer opportunities for the community. All of the proceeds they earn are used to provide new and fun materials and programming for the Santa Clarita Public Library. So, when you support one of their events, you are directly supporting our libraries.
The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library also operate three used book stores at the Valencia, Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy and Old Town Newhall branches. These bookstores and other fundraising events such as online sales, book auctions and the popular bag sales are a great source of financial support. In the fiscal year 2015-2016 alone, the Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library bookstores generated over $60,000 for the Santa Clarita Public Library that went right back into your library programs.
The next big Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library event will be held early this fall. Back again for its second year is the Annual Mystery Author Panel Dinner. On Saturday, September 24, at 6 p.m., residents are invited to a “thrilling” catered dinner with five successful “cozy mystery” author panelists. Cozy mystery is a very popular subgenre of crime fiction. Tickets are $35, or discounted to $25 for current Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library members (including Lifetime members), and can be purchased online at SantaClaritaFOL.com, or at any of the three library branches.
These author events are part of a series of programs designed to build excitement and interest in books and reading through workshops with published writers. As with all other Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library sponsored events, all of the proceeds from this event will go directly to the Santa Clarita Public Library.
The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library is a group of people who care about libraries and are interested in increasing awareness of the libraries in their communities. If you share the same passion for books and our libraries, I’d like to encourage you to become a member.
Over the years, the Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library have helped our libraries foster a close relationship with our wonderful community. On behalf of the City Council, I would like to thank our close friends for all of their support and for standing with us to advocate a passion for lifelong learning.
Just think, you get a lifetime of free learning and entertainment at your neighborhood library! For more information on the Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library’s upcoming events, or how to become a member, please visit SantaClaritaFOL.com.