Mission Statement

The mission of the Friends of the Atascadero Library is to support, promote and expand the library's resources and programs.

Newsletter May - June 2015

In This Issue...

President's Message

Robert E. Alberti, Ph.D.

Update from Vice President and

Dancing With Our Stars Chair

Jeannie Malik

Librarian's Message

Joe Laurenzi

Meet Your Board Member

Leigh Livick

Annual Meeting and Special Event

Sally G. Knight Lecture and Concert Series Features Marilyn Darnell

2015's Atascadero's Dancing With our Stars Event was proclaimed a smashing success!
Among this year's celebrity dancers/choreographers (l - r) Christina Troxel, Eddie Rodriguez, Albert Almodova, Sharon Davis, John Neil and Cammie Haley. Front: Councilmember Heather Moreno

Photo by Deborah Cash

President's Message

Robert E. Alberti, Ph.D.

What a rewarding, productive and celebratory year to serve as your president! Smooth transition into our exciting new library, renewed and enthusiastic patrons, volunteer and staff energy, a prize-winning Colony Days float, a variety of lectures and concerts in our excellent large community room, another smash hit Dancing With Our Stars, a full-time bookstore, favoring winds for the sale of the Morro Road property ... Indeed, what a year!

As I complete my term, I want to thank our outstanding FOAL board, our hard-working library staff, the dozens of volunteers who do so many important tasks behind the scenes and all of you for giving me the chance to serve our community in this modest way. I'm confident you'll give my successor the same enthusiasm and support that I've enjoyed.

What an excellent resource is our Atascadero Library and its hundreds of Friends. Make the most of it, keep reading, and remember to tell everyone you know that the library is not history... it's our future.

--Bob

P.S. Mark your calendar and be there for the FOAL Annual Meeting and R.E. Jack history talk on May 9, and join us for our Atascadero Library's first anniversary birthday bash on June 13 (info on this event to follow!)

Vice President and "Atascadero's Dancing With Our Stars" Event Chair's Message

Jeannie Malik

Thanks to all who collaborated in making our 6th annual Atascadero: Dancing with Our Stars, "Wonderful World of Dance!" an enormous success. The two-night, sold out event, raised over $94,000 in support of the new Atascadero Library. After expenses, (primarily venue, rentals, catering, professional lighting and sound), more than $66,000 net income will help offset the debt owed to the County for the purchase of the new library building.

Community Star Vicky Morse was crowned as the overall champion at this year's celebrity-studded event. Morse, along with professional choreographer and dance partner Chris Harmon also received the "People's Choice" award each evening. In second place was Maria Allen and choreographer Dan Davis and third place was awarded to Robyn Schmidt and her choreographer Tom Troxel.

"Good Sport" trophy was awarded to Emcee, Mayor of Paso Robles, Steve Martin, who played an interactive role in the show as a tourist traveling through eight countries. All Community Stars were champions for the new library (in addition to those mentioned above}: Albert Almodova, Julie Dunn, Joe Laurenzi, John Neil and

George Shoemaker.

This wonderful event exists because our dance professionals donate their time and talents: Artistic Director, Frank Sanchez and choreographers: Molly Comin, Dan and Sharon Davis, Linda Drake, Chris Harmon, Cammie Haley, Jodi Mello, Leigh Ormonde, Eddie Rodriguez, Tom and Christina Troxel.

Read more, click here

Atascadero artist Sally Tippman (left) and SLO Poet Laureate Marguerite Costigan attended the art reception on April 9.

Library Art News

Submitted by

Eileen O'Grady

Sally Tippman's delightful watercolors will grace the perimeter of the adult section of the library throughout May. In June and July the library will explore the theme of "The American Dream" and feature a variety of artists. The deadline for submissions for this exhibit is Monday, May 11. Interested artists are encouraged to consult the FOAL website for more information.. A link to the prospectus can be found on the home page. A reception that is open to the public will be held at the library on Thursday, June 4, at 5:30 p.m. It's a great opportunity to meet the artists and enjoy their work. Light refreshments will be provided by FOAL.

Contact emogrady9@gmail.com for more information regarding events or submissions.

Attention Friends of the Atascadero Library Members:

The FOAL Annual Meeting is scheduled for

Saturday, May 9,

10:30 AM

at the Library.

The adjacent flyer highlights a special event that will be featured as part of the board's outreach and is made possible by a grant from

Sally G. Knight in honor of Richard H. and Marilee Giese.

The annual election of board members will also be held.

FOAL members are encouraged to attend and vote; if you have already received your ballot by mail or email, you can bring that with you.

Ballots will also be available at the meeting.

To reserve your lunch, call Grenda at 466-3495 by May 6.

MEET YOUR BOARD MEMBER

LEIGH LIVICK,

Special Events Planning

Libraries have always been an important part of my life. When I was growing up in the San Fernando Valley, my mom took my brother and me to the Reseda Branch (now called the West Valley Regional Branch Library) of the Los Angeles Public Library every two weeks to check out books. I always was very excited when it was "library day" as I was and still am an avid reader.

Years later, as a parent of a toddler, new to the Atascadero Community, I immediately searched out the public library and was thrilled to find "Toddler Time" with Miss Joan. We became regulars all the way through Pre-school Story Time. It was Joan Bloomfield who one day asked if I might be interested in "attending" a Friends of the Library meeting. I have been an active Board Member ever since.

I became involved in many Friends of the Library activities including the Library Foundation's Book and Author Festival Steering Committee where I was responsible for all the Children's activities at the event for two years in a row. I chaired the Events Committee for the Expansion Campaign and worked on the Art of Chair-ity event and the Literary Jazz event at Hush Harbor, six Dancing With Our Stars events, two Central Coast Children's Classic events and many others. It was also very important to me to see that the Teens were not overlooked and I helped coordinate input from a group of local teens as to what they would like to have in a Teen section of the new facility. Now that the library has been open for almost one year, I find myself still on the Board and chairing the newly formed Lectures and Concerts Series committee.