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Friends of the Walnut Creek Library Newsletter
September 2011 |
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Quarterly Book Sale Gains Popularity
 On Saturday September 17th, the Friends of the Walnut Creek Library sponsored their 5th Quarterly Book Sale since moving into the magnificent new Library last year.
The response of the patrons was enthusiastic, especially during the $3.00 per bag sale at the end of the day. Book Sale Manager, Bob Brittain, informs us that the single day sales total was $1,787.00 - a new record! Approximately 150 boxes of books were offered for sale in the spacious Oakview Room of the Library in numerous categories ranging from recent fiction to classics, from history to cookbooks, from travel to foreign language books.
At the sale, a significant number of our customers were under 10 years of age. With their parents, they quickly exhausted the entire collection of children's books available.
We thank the many volunteers who helped set up the sale on Friday, managed the crowds and cash register on Saturday and came in on Sunday morning to clean up.
Our next Quarterly Book Sale is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th, so please mark the date on your calendar, inform your friends and continue to donate recent, good condition books for the Book Store and Book Sales. |
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DID YOU KNOW? | |
The Friends of the Walnut Creek Library was able to donate $40,000 to the library this year to be used for new book purchases and other library programs. This is due to everyone's hard work - great job everyone!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES The Friends of the Walnut Creek Library is looking for new volunteers to join us with sorting books, working in the bookstore and our online book sales program.
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Welcoming Sandra Parker - New Bookstore Manager
I am thrilled to be managing the Friends of the Library Bookstore. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and graduated from San Francisco State University with a Journalism degree. While at SFSU I wrote for the school newspaper and covered the library beat. After I graduated, I worked in a San Francisco law firm that specialized in First Amendment law. At the time, I was considering going to law school, but decided it was not for me. Not all was lost however, as I met my husband at the firm, and we then moved to Washington, DC and started a family. In 2000, we moved back to the Bay Area and lived in Oakland for two years. When my daughter Kelsea was school age we decided to move to Walnut Creek for the great public schools, and I am currently working as a substitute teacher and tutoring kids in the Walnut Creek School District. I am looking forward to managing the library bookstore, working with all of the generous volunteers who devote so much of their time and energy to the WC Library. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in working at the bookstore - sltparker@sbcglobal.net.
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Friends Online Sales Growing
The 'Friends' online books sales is up and running. We have several new volunteers in this program and are excited to grow the online sales program more and more. If you or anyone you know is looking for an opportunity to help with the online sales program please call Toni Steil-Bozym at 925-930-8807 or email to toni_bozym@prodigy.net. This is a fun volunteer effort and we hope to grow our team as we continue to grow the program. Computer experience is definitely a plus and volunteers will work at sorting books, researching pricing and mailing. |
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One City One Book
Jacqueline Winspear, New York Times bestselling author of "The Mapping of Love and Death" spoke to a sell-out crowd at the Lesher on September 12th. This title is the seventh in her Maisie Dobbs series, and was chosen for One City On  e Book because of its California connection. The audience learned that Ms. Winspear, who was raised in Britain, has been interested in the Great War since she was very young. Throughout her childhood, she was fascinated with stories from her grandfather and the locals in the hamlet where she grew up. She feels that, essentially, she has been researching her books all her life. Winspear's talk was the kick off event for this year's programs. Several other programs are planned; go to www.wclibrary.org/one-city-one-book to see a full listing of events. |
Update on Library Coffee Shop
The City of Walnut Creek has completed the cafe construction plans. They are planning a larger kitchen than the one the architects envisioned so the counter will expand beyond the area now laid out on the floor. So far the best estimation is that the cafe will open in January.
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Authors Under the Stars
The Walnut Creek Library Foundation will hold it annual fundraiser, Authors Under the Stars, on March 24, 2012. Twenty different authors will be in attendance, including Michael Krasny, Annie Barrows, Gail Tsukiyama, and Gary Bogue. The evening begins with cocktails and then dinner, where each author will host a table. It's sure to be a memorable evening of fine food and wine and lively conversation. We'll keep you updated as more details are announced.
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Downtown Walnut Creek Library Usage?
Interesting facts - WCL usage so far in 2011...
Patron visits:
- Our daily number of patron visits at WCL is staying at around 1500 a day.
- Number of items checked out at the Walnut Creek Library from July 17, 2010 to June 30, 2011 : 513,240
- Number of items checked out for all Contra Costa County Libraries from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011 : 7,489,545
- Busiest library in Contra Costa County : Walnut Creek Library
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Walnut Creek Library had 839 kids finish the Summer Reading Program this summer compared to 275 in 2010, and 115 babies finished this year compared to 33 last summer. Teens decreased from 159 to 158 and adults increased from 15 to 63. Combined statistics from the two Walnut Creek libraries showed an increase of 51%.
Highest circulating book categories at the Walnut Creek Library in order :
- Easy Readers
 - Children's paperbacks
- Children's picture books
- Russian language children's books
- RussIan language adult books
- Children's fiction
- Young Adult fiction
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Walnut Creek Library Hosts Celebrities
The Walnut Creek Library has been fortunate to host programs by several notable celebrities. Olympian figure skating superstar Kristi Yamaguchi kicked off the PBS summer children's program with a reading at the library of her book Dream Big, Little Pig!
Rick Steves presented his Europe Through the Back Door talk to help kick off the summer reading program and helped raise money for the library literacy program by donating proceeds of his DVD sales.
More recently award-winning mystery novelist Jacqueline Winspear appeared to kick off this year's One City, One Book: Walnut Creek Reads events. This year's Walnut Creek Reads program features Winspear's 7th novel in her bestselling Maisie Dobbs mystery series,"The Mapping of Love and Death."
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In Memory of our Volunteers
The Walnut Creek Friends of the Library would like to recognize two of our volunteers who have passed away recently and who had contributed to the 'Friends' program for many years. Lillian Ruppenthal worked as a book sorter and shelver for many years in the 'Friends' bookstore and her efforts are much appreciated. Don Houser also provided his services to the 'Friends' program and served as President of the Friends of the Walnut Creek Library from 2000 to 2002. Many thanks to these volunteers and all who serve the Friends of the Walnut Creek Library organization.
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