Mission Statement

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

Newsletter July - August 2015

In This Issue...

President's Message

Linda Zirk and

Outgoing President Robert E. Alberti, PhD

Update from Vice President and

Dancing With Our Stars Chair

Jeannie Malik

Librarian's Message

Joe Laurenzi

Meet Your Board Member

Linda Zirk

Library Art Programs

Eileen O'Grady

Friends of the Library Board members Liz Helgerson (left) and Leigh Livick (second from left) joined Library staffer Brian Coburn in wishing

Joan Bloomfield a happy retirement!

Photo by Deborah Cash

President's Message

Linda Zirk, 2015 - 2016

(with outgoing president

Robert E. Alberti, PhD 2014 - 2015)

As your newly elected president, I am honored to be following in the footsteps of Grenda Ernst and recent past president Bob Alberti who have steered the Friends of Atascadero Library over the past several years. As Bob mentioned in his column in May, we had a rewarding and celebratory first year in our new Library space.

The excitement continues! Throughout the history of the Atascadero Colony, the Library has played a central role in the life of our community. Fortunately, our foresighted civic leaders recognized early on the importance of keeping pace with the community's ever-expanding need for library services and space, and planned accordingly. Thus, in 2014, we opened the doors to an exciting new library facility in the heart of town.

Now we prepare to celebrate yet another milestone for Friends of the Atascadero Library. The County of San Luis Obispo successfully sold the Morro Road library property in June 2015 to Seneca Family of Agencies. FOAL's share of the proceeds from the sale should leave us with no mortgage to pay, so all of our fundraising from now on can directly benefit library services, collections, and programs. It doesn't get any better than that!

From time to time, we hear library supporters say, "We have the new building; why does the library need money now?" The answer is a laundry list of those services, collections and programs - most of which have been put on hold during our building expansion campaign: new books, periodical and database subscriptions, digital resources, DVDs, CDs, lectures and concerts, outreach services, children's activities, summer reading programs, public classes on a myriad of topics, author events...the list goes on.

We hope you'll join with us in the work and fun of supporting your library. Friends don't let Friends go it alone!

Linda Zirk and Bob Alberti

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

Jeannie Malik

SAVE THE DATE....or at least one of the dates, to attend the two-night "Atascadero's Dancing with Our Stars" annual event. This wildly popular community star-studded show is scheduled for March 18 and 19th, 2016 at the Atascadero Pavilion on the Lake. Tickets will go on sale in mid-January. Thanks to webmaster Tom Thompson, we will offer online ticket purchase after the initial two-day manual ticket sale for the anxious early birds.

I am delighted to share that Frank Sanchez has agreed to direct our 2016 show! After much thought, research and consideration, he conceived the theme, "Musical Movie Magic." Frank relayed to me that creating a show is akin to writing a novel; all the elements need to be in place. Familiar tunes from bygone days and familiar faces of today are sure to please our audience. Frank and our DWOS committee have been meeting and planning the 2016 event since April and we are well on our way to another unforgettable show. We are in the final stages of securing our choreographers and community stars and look forward to announcing the names in the fall newsletter.

Read more, click here

Attendees at American Dream exhibit listening
about how art is selected for exhibits.

Library Art News

Submitted by

Eileen O'Grady

Library visitors can still see the American Dream exhibit on display through the end of July. At the artist reception held in June, North County Regional Librarian Joe Laurenzi led artists and other attendees on a tour of the work. Artists answered questions and shared their vision of the selected theme.

In August and September the library will feature the landmark photography of.Joe Schwartz, a nationally recognized photographer who grew up in Brooklyn and lived in Atascadero before his death. His work, which often captures interracial harmony, has been selected for the Smithsonian, and it has also been exhibited at the Getty Museum. A reception will be held at the library on Thursday, August 6, from 5:30-7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, and all are invited.

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

MEET YOUR BOARD MEMBER

LINDA ZIRK

Incoming President

How did you become involved in Friends of the Library?

I first met Grenda Ernst through AAUW Atascadero branch meeting. A few months later I met Grenda again at the supermarket and she mentioned that the Library Board was looking for new members and asked me to consider joining that group.

What events/activities have you participated in, have a fondness for, have been a focus for you as a Board member?

The first event Grenda asked me as a Board member to organize was the FOL float for Colony Days in 2011. I also worked with Grenda and Eileen on getting the Donor Tree manufactured and installed...making sure that all the names and dedications were correctly spelled and in the correct categories.

Now that the Library is finally open, how do you see your (and the FOL) focus changing?

The Friends group needs to keep the focus on our mission statement : to support, promote and expand the library's resources and programs; improve our public relations program to ensure that everyone in the community is aware of what the Library offers!