Sidewalk Art Contest Coming

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library are adding a new event to this year's Pleasant Valley Days, the annual celebration in the hamlet that includes a parade and displays at Cady Field.  On Saturday, September 17 (rain date September 18) the Library Friends are staging a fundraising contest for the best sidewalk chalk art.  

Entry forms are available at the Pleasant Valley Library now—ask at the desk. Participants may bring their own pavement chalk or can accept chalk from the contest sponsors.  Each artist will be assigned a sidewalk square in Redl Business Plaza (next to the post office).  On Saturday the sidewalk drawing will take place between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., after which the art will be judged in three categories--Junior High, Senior High, and Adult.  If on Sunday, the sidewalk art can be completed between 8:00 and 12:00 to finish before the Pleasant Valley Days parade.  

The winners will receive prizes donated by local merchants.  Because this is a fundraiser for the Library, entrants will be charged a (tax-deductible) fee--$5 for Junior High, $8 for Senior High, and $10 for Adult. The profits will be used to purchase supplies or materials for the Library that are not included in the basic Library budget. All drawings will remain on the sidewalks until rain and sunshine erase them.

Tomatoes in the Library

In May of every recent year, after the Book Fair is over, the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library who start tomatoes from seed sell their excess in the Library Reading Room to benefit the Friends, which means to benefit the Library.  This year we started with plants from Barb Shapley, president of the Friends.  I know I bought a Sun Gold and a Green Zebra.  If you did not know that these were tomato plants, it would sound very weird.

I always buy a couple of plants or more that Barb started.  Usually I have a lot of plants that I started myself on sale, but this year there was what amounted to crop failure.  However, I salvaged a few that I started and planted the tiny plants in the garden about a week ago (along with the Sun Gold, the Green Zebra, and three plants I got at the Northern Dutchess Botanical Garden).  To my delight and surprise, the little plants I had started quickly caught up to the others.

Therefore I am adding the remaining plants to the sale, starting tomorrow (Tuesday, May 31) afternoon.  There are not many and they are still small, but they are two heritage varieties, Goldie and Rutgers, so they have good genes.  Because of their small size, these are priced at 50 cents a plant.

Also we have Mystery Tomatoes.  In return for help that he got from Daniela, a patron donated a half-dozen four-packs of quite large tomatoes, but he does not know what variety they were.  A four-pack will go for $2, or 50 cents a plant, a definite bargain.  And the grower will get a surprise when the tomatoes fruit--will they be cherries, will they be red or gold, will they be paste tomatoes, will they be beefstakes?  Take a chance.

Finally some non-tomato news.  We have a number of spider plants, a popular house plant, that will be added to the mix at $1 per plant.

Book Fair Report

The annual Pleasant Valley Friends Book Fair was last weekend, and the Friends are prepared to declare it a success.  After expenses the profit reached about $4,355 (including some plant sales that took place after the Fair was over).  The Plant Sale accounted for at least $286 and might have been higher if the late, wet spring had made it more difficult to get all the available plants out of the ground--so wait 'til next year.  Betty Lorentzen, the Bake Sale Queen of Pleasant Valley, made $106.25, helped by generous donations of cookies, brownies, and other treats by various contributors.

Many people helped set up the sale.  I cannot list them all.  Barbara Shapley, as president of the Friends, was the director of the operation, obtaining tables, scheduling everything, and maintaining a constant cheery presence throughout.  Sybil Alderman was another constant presence, and Marilyn Smith, who also helps sort books, was a great help.  A group of eight men from the Mid-Hudson Addiction Recovery Center's Bolger House moved most of the books out of the basement, helped by various other folk from time to time.  Library Trustee Sally Harding provided a trailer that hauled most of the books from the Library to Town Hall--we filled it so full, we nearly broke it I think. Joe Lukaitis ran back and forth with his pickup full of books as well.  Mary Bunch provided most of the plants for the Plant Sale and was present most of the time to advise purchasers on how to deal with their new plants (with me subbing inadequately for Mary for two or three hours in the afternoon).

Sunday was an exciting close to the Fair.  From 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 dozens of customers loaded bags of books for $4 a bag--but we still had books left over.  There were more donated books this year than ever before.  Volunteers from Adriance and Bethel (CT) libraries took as many excellent books as their vehicles would hold.  Sadly, we still had to toss the least popular books into a dumpster.

More on Library Friends Activities

Sometimes patrons of the Pleasant Valley Free Library wonder what becomes of the money made from sales of donated books and other events run by the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library. The uses vary a lot, but all net income goes to support the Library in ways that exceed the regular budget, which is based on government funding (primarily at the Town level), income from fines, and direct donations. Some of the past Friends' support has gone to the computer in the Children's room, special sets of books such as travel guides, help with unexpected building repairs or improvements, ways to display books, and--when the Library had trouble meeting expenses--support for the regular budget.

The expenditures of the Friends are worked out in conjunction with the Library Director, who helps identify needs that cannot be funded from the regular operating budget.  Recently the Friends have supported purchase of a Nook eReader, which is available to demonstrate to patrons how to use such a device and how to borrow Library books using it, and a collection of activities for the Wii game player that can be used for healthful exercise.  This spring and summer the Friends have already agreed to sponsor a summer reading program for adults, a set of gift cards to be used in a Teen reading program, and the Battle of the Books, a competition of teams from various libraries based on reading specific titles.  There also will be a surprise that I am not allowed to reveal at this time.

At the meeting on Monday night (April 4) the Friends also agreed to purchase two bookcases, one just for media.  Also the Friends will pay for the manufacture of a new batch of sturdy canvas tote bags, which will feature the Pleasant Valley Library logo.  These will be sold for $6 each, raising additional money for library use.

The primary source of funding is sweat equity by volunteers and the annual book fair.  All year volunteers work in the basement of the Library, sorting and boxing donated books and media.  Several times each year some of these boxes are brought out for sales at holiday time, in late winter, and in September, but these small sales together bring in about half the income of the book fair, April 29-May 1 this year.  The book fair is a great opportunity to build up your own library at little expense, as well as to purchase perennial plants for the garden that alway thrive because they are adapted to the local climate.

There are a few other Friends activities each year.  On May 21, the annual sale of tomato plants started by the Friends will begin, just at the right time to set them out in your garden (or just by the doorstep if you have no garden).  These plants are started and donated by members of the Friends, not purchased for resale, so every cent spent by patrons goes back to the Library.  Last year the Mah Jong tournament was such a success, it is certain to be repeated this year.  And the Friends always are interested in new ideas for local fundraising.

If you are interested in joining the Friends, you can catch some of us at the Book Fair and we will be happy to accept the remaining Friends income--dues of $5 a year for the members.  But we value participation more than the dues.

Library Friends Meet to Plan Book Fair

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Free Library met last night (Monday, April 4) to plan events for the next few months, including donations to the Library and a second Mah Jong tournament. But the main emphasis was on the forthcoming annual Book, Plant, and Bake Sale, scheduled for Friday April 29 through May 1 at the Pleasant Valley Town Hall. As in the past, attendance at the April 29 opening at 7:00 p.m. will require a fee of $5 per family, which gives a first crack at the books and plants (the bake sale starts Saturday morning).  Volunteers who worked on Friday afternoon to set up the sale can shop without paying the early-shopper fee.

Getting enough volunteers to set up the sale has been a problem in recent years. There are two phases to the set-up.  Starting about 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, workers begin to move the thousands of books from the basement of the Library, where they have been sorted during the year into boxes by type of book, to the Town Hall.  As books arrive at the Town Hall, a second group of workers unpacks the books from their boxes and arranges them on some 40 tables that are labeled with type--fiction, mystery, cookbooks, science, travel, biography, etc.  There are usually plenty of volunteers for the unpacking and sorting, mostly older women and men.  The problem is with the first stage, where more strength is required. At one time, local men's clubs came out for the heavy lifting and sometime the Boy Scouts helped, but recently it has been more difficult to schedule these kinds of groups; so, if you are in good shape and can use an hour or two of healthy exercise, the Friends hope that you can volunteer.  Just show up at the Library on Friday afternoon April 29 (and plan to visit the book sale 7:00 to 9:00 to get early access free).

Here are some of the details:

**Preview sale ($5 admission per family):

       Friday, April 29     7 – 9 pm

General Sale (Free admission):

       Saturday, April 30   10:00 am – 3:00 pm

       Sunday, May 1     9 am – Noon

 BOOK PRICES

(UNLESS OTHERWISE MARKED)

OVERSIZE                                                                 $3

HARDCOVER                                           $2

PAPERBACKS                                                    

QUALITY                           $1

PULP                                 $ .50

ROMANCE                        10/$1

CHILDREN  and YOUNG ADULT

          HARDCOVER                  $ .50                       PAPERBACKS                   $ .25

VIDEOS                                                        $ .25

CASSETTES                                                $ .50

BOOKS on TAPE                                        $2

BOOKS on CD                                            $1 per CD

                                              (maximum of $5)

SUNDAY BAG SALE - $4.00 per Bag

More on the Friends' meeting in a later post. 

Staff Meets Board Meets Friends

A new and very successful event took place earlier today--the Board of Trustees of the Library arranged a get-to-know-each-other lunch with the Library staff and Library Friends.  Although the staff was out in full force, the Board was represented by President Dave Kruger, Sue Holland (who with a friend not only arranged a terrific lunch but also imaginative table decorations), Steve MacNish, and Kathy Kruger.  The Friends who could make it in addition to this blogger were Friends President Barb Shapley and chief book sorter Mary Bunch.  It was believe that some Board members and Friends may have intended to come but were confused by a late change in location from the Firehouse to the Libary.

After everyone introduced themselves and Dave Kruger welcomed us all, we enjoyed lunch while we discussed matters of mutual interest including signs for book sales, library cards for young children, income from fines, and problems with a few patrons who act up despite being in a library.  We learned that LaGrange Library had installed a "panic button" to be used in case of a threat developing to the staff or to other patrons--something that is not as far-fetched as you might think.  It was decided that our Library should investigate adding such a button to our existing alarm system.

It was clear that our Library is blessed with a caring and competent staff, many of whom have been with the Library for more than ten years.  My view, which I suspect is shared, is that this kind of encounter ought to take place annually.  I know that although I was on the Board for 14 years, there were always some staff members that I didn't really know, and I believe that is probably true of today's Board as well. Also, neither the Trustees nor the staff always know who the Friends are.

Friends in the News

Library Friends are special people, often volunteering many hours each week for years to serve the libraries they love.  Some of the devoted Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library have been stalwarts since the beginning of the operation now nearly ten years ago.  These include Barb Shapley (current president), Sybil Alderman, Joe Lukaitis, Mary Bunch, Eileen Weslowski, and Suzanne Nolan.  Today I am pleased to pass on some kudos to Friends of the Bethel (CT) Library and the Greenville (NY) Library.

In some ways, the relationship between the Pleasant Valley Library Friends and the Bethel Friends has been like that of cities that are paired with each other.  My longtime friend (and frequent co-author) has been a large part of the Friends of the Bethel Library since before Pleasant Valley even had the current Friends organization. Currently Jenny is president of the Bethel Friends, a position she has also held before. Now she is about to step down from the Friend's Board, but not from her work with the group.  She and her organization were recognized publicly on February 8 for a surprise donation of $25,000 as a big step toward closing the gap in funding for finishing the new wing of the library building.  This sum was nearly all raised through the sale of donated books and other media.

Bethel has another connection with the Pleasant Valley Library.  The husband of Library Director Daniela Pulice has a business in downtown Bethel, so Daniela knows that library well, also.

I mentioned that Library Friends often volunteer year after year.  Mary Heisinger of the Friends of the Greenville Library has been at it for more than twenty years.  The Town Council of Greenville recently honored her work by declaring February 6 "a day of special recognition."  Until last fall she was the Friends' president.  The recognition was an award ceremony at the Friend's "Winter Tea" at a local restaurant and, it appears, was a surprise for Mary, who received various awards and plaques.

It is great to learn of a Town Council that recognizes the value of a library in the community.  Too often the Town officers are more likely to see the library as just another drain of tax money.  The national anti-tax fervor (as I read in the paper today) has led many leaders to want to cut all sorts of educational and cultural programs, including PBS, NPR, and Teach for America.  As with libraries, these institutions need more support, not less.  At least in Pleasant Valley the voters decided that it was more important to support our library than it was to eliminate taxes.

Winter Warmth Book and Media Sale Starts Saturday (Feb. 12)

No, a Winter Warmth Sale is not achieved by book burning--instead a wide selection of media and a select group of good books will go on sale in the Pleasant Valley Library this Saturday and continue to the end of February.  Given the kind of winter we have been having, nothing should be nicer than to cuddle up with some warming music and a good book, unless it is to watch a fiery movie in the comfort of your living room.

As with all the sales by the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library, the items being sold were donated, the sale is run by volunteers, and 100% of the income goes to support Library programs and materials. So plan to come to the Reading Room in the Pleasant Valley Free Library this Saturday to get first crack at the items.  On Saturday the Library is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Friends of PV Library's Winter Meeting

The Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library held their regular winter planning meeting on Monday, January 24.  The primary purposes of the meeting were to elect officers for the next two-year terms, to plan for the February book sale and the annual Book Fair, and to allocate spending for the next several months. The meeting was very well attended, including two new members of the Friends and the newly appointed liaison between the Trustees and the Friends, Sally Harding. Although I am no longer a Trustee of the Library, I have been a member of the Friends since its founded about seven years ago and was glad to be among those at the meeting.

The officers for the forthcoming term will be Barbara Shapley, President; Sue McNish, Vice-President, Suzanne Nolan, Treasurer; and Daniela Pulice, Secretary.

The February sale will be called the Winter Warmth Sale--especially appealing after it reached 14 degrees below zero at the Dutchess Airport the previous night.  Media other than books will be especially featured, although there will be a selection of better lightly used books for sale as well. The event begins on February 12 (true Lincoln's birthday) and will end on February 28.  Volunteers are needed to bring books, tapes, and DVDs up from storage in the basement to the Library's Reading Room, where the sale will take place.  There will be a bag sale of media and books at a very attractive price on the last day of the sale.

The annual Book Fair is set for April 29 to May 1. Once again it will be at Town Hall and feature, in addition to books and media, a plant sale and a bake sale. I will write more about this as we get closer to the date.

The Friends support the Library in many ways, but one of the most important is using the proceeds of books sales and other events to finance activities or materials that the Library has not budgeted for out of its regular expense budget.  Over the next few months, the Friends will pay for the following materials or events:

• An e-Reader (specifically a B&N Nook) loaded with five best-selling books for use in demonstrating to patrons how to download and enjoy the books available from the Mid-Hudson e-Reader collection (as well as to purchase books or download free books that are out of copyright).
• A collection of activities for the Wii such as yoga, pilates, and suitably active games to be available for loan to patrons.
• An amnesty-for-fines month in which those owing money to the Library for past fines can have them forgiven for suitable donations to the food pantry (I will report more on this as we get closer--it will be in April, National Library Month).
• Two summer reading programs, one for teens and another for adults, with prizes to be awarded by the Friends for completion of the programs.
• Books for competition by students in grades 6 to 9 in the system-wide Battle of the Books, a challenge similar to the College Bowl that used to be on television, with questions based on a specific list of books.

The total expense for these programs, materials, and events will come to $2,900 funded by the Friends, although the Library and other sources--perhaps Pleasant Valley Rotary or Lions clubs--will also help fund some of the more expensive items. 

In addition to the regular business, above, the Friends also discussed using online resources to deal with donated books.  An organization called Better World Books is willing to take boxes of donated books that we have failed to sell and try to sell them themselves, with most of the proceeds going to a charity such as Books for Africa, or to sell rare or antique books that we select from the donated books and let them sell.

My role with the Friends includes helping to vet books to determine which ones might be valuable enough to sell separately from the tables of used books at the annual Book Fair. I have been experimenting with the Better World Books program, but it appears that me might do better trying to sell rare or antique books directly, which I can do as Bryan Bunch Books through an online resource called http://www.biblio.com/  (clicking on that link will take you to the site).  The Friends have agreed to try using this method to sell books.  Biblio.com will take a 15% commission, but we think we can do better this way than at the Book Fair.  If this plan is not working by April 29, however, we can still try to sell those rare and antique books at the Book Fair in the "Collectors Corner" as we have done in the past.