Bucks for Books Campaign

Imagine serving a population of 45,000 people and providing new books to them.  What if you could only provide 200 new books in one year to those 45,000 people?  That amounts to 16 new books a month or 2 new books a month for each library location in Calaveras.  That is the current reality facing the Calaveras County Library System, which will have less than $4,500 this fiscal year to spend on new library materials.  This compares with a more robust amount of $47,000 a few years ago. 

This budget reduction is especially difficult for our customers and staff because we have been operating for several years with a static budget while the demand for services increases.  It has been repeatedly demonstrated that people depend more on public libraries during an economic downturn.  They come to the libraries for resume, job interview and test exam information.  They research job opportunities and ways to expand income including small business opportunities. They look for self-sufficiency information – gardening, cooking, canning, auto repair, fix-it.  And they use the library for free alternatives for entertainment – books on CD, DVD’s and light reading.  Once a library falls behind in collection development it is difficult to recover.

 The Friends of the Calaveras County Library are seeking your help: 

• Donate gently used NEW books which could be added to the library collection or sold by Friends of the Library.
• Provide cash donations to help guarantee the continued vitality and quality of the Calaveras County Library collection.  Please give generously.  Donations to the Book Fund /Friends of the Library are tax deductible.
• Support the ongoing book sales at Angels Camp, Arnold, Mokelumne Hill, Murphys, San Andreas and Valley Springs Libraries.

For additional information contact County Librarian Maurie Hoekstra at 754-6701 or mhoekstra@co.calaveras.ca.us

BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PRESENTATION-  August 4, 2009

Good Morning.  I am Janet Dock, President of the Friends of the Library in Calaveras County. 

I have come to dispel the myth that libraries are simple a collection of books used only by people who like to read.  

Within the library system our staff and volunteers work with other departments to take care of the citizens of the county, including the disadvantaged.  We provide social services by assisting people without computers fill in government forms, search for jobs and then apply for them online.  Many come in with little or no computer skills and lack of experience in maneuvering the Internet.  Our workers assist them.  Our FAX machines are used to send in unemployment forms, resumes, job applications, housing applications and government requested paperwork. 

Calaveras Adult tutoring program has helped people get jobs, retain jobs, learn job skills, and get their GED or high school diploma.  They tutor jail inmates, parents with substance abuse problems, and people involved with CalWorks and probation. The branch libraries provide the meeting places for the tutors. 

Because of the economy, many colleges and universities are offering more online classes to their students.  In Mokelumne Hill we have had several students that did their registration online and participated in classes from our library.

 We support education by having story hours at many of the branches.  For many preschoolers, this is their first introduction to books and the socialization needed to succeed in school.  Our Summer Reading program, where kids got rewards for the number of books they read,  had hundreds of kids involved across the county. 

Local branches provide resources locally.  Access within walking distance in the towns allows those without cars or limited funds for gas to use the libraries.  Towns use the facilities for town meetings, organization meetings, and other training and counseling sessions.  Caring people come in to check out books, DVDs, and magazines for friends or relatives that are home bound. 

Finally, our 7 branches are kept open by branch attendants paid low salaries for part time work and no benefits.  All 7 branch attendants cost less than $96,000 which is about the cost of one county worker with benefits.  Having the branch libraries opened with parttime staff and many volunteers adds to the quality of life for our county citizens with a small impact on the county budget.  

THANK YOU

Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Calaveras County Library is a member-supported volunteer organization dedicated to the support of our County Library System.

Friends share their time and talents, providing thousands of hours each year to enhance library services to the eight branches of the County Library System.

Friends organize fun, popular events throughout the County to support the Calaveras County Library.

We invite you to explore our website...