January in the Friends of the Library Bookstore

Would you believe it is time to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the new Santa Monica Main Library and the Friends’ Book Store? This month’s theme is Fresh Start, a fitting way to begin our sixth year. We thank all our patrons and volunteers for their fabulous support.

During January, we offer 50% off all mysteries, paper and hardback (except for higher value books). Some of these books look like they were never cracked open; it’s a mystery to us….

Stop by soon for the best selection!

To learn more about the Friends and the activities we support, to become a member, or to make a donation, check out our website at www.friendsofsmpl.org.

New books and audio/video materials arrive by the dozens every day, so drop by soon. Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Santa Monica Libraries Among the Best in the Nation

From an article in the Santa Monica Mirror, posted 12/24/10
“Santa Monica Libraries Among the Best in the Nation” (Anne Nagamoto)

… growth in usership has helped Santa Monica’s public libraries rank among the top 3 percent of the nation’s public libraries, according to the latest survey by the Library Journal. The survey, known as the Library Journal Index of Public Library Service 2010, is a measure of how well public libraries are serving their communities. Based on fiscal year 2008 data, more than 7,400 U.S. public libraries were ranked in four per-capita areas: number of visits, circulation rate of books and other materials, internet terminal usage, and program attendance. The Santa Monica libraries earned five stars, which is the top ranking.

“People in the community are supportive and appreciative of the library, and there is a growing demand for library services,” said Greg Mullen, Santa Monica’s director of library systems/city librarian. “The new main library is a welcoming environment and provides a space that was missing in the community, a comfortable place where people can go to connect with others and with ideas. The City’s investment in the main library says something positive about our community.”

Raquel Jaffe-Day, a film costumer who lives in Santa Monica, said the recession has changed the way she uses the library. “We’ve saved a lot of money because we’re now getting a lot of DVDs from the library as opposed to renting them,” she said. She recently planned a trip by borrowing library books rather than buying travel books, and she now buys her books at the Friends of the Library bookstore, where she finds a good selection of used books and where the money she spends goes to help support the library…

Friends Holiday Bookstore Hours

In order to allow our volunteers to celebrate the holidays the Friends Bookstore will have the following holiday hours:

OPEN: Monday, December 20 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

CLOSED:
Thursday, December 23
Friday, December 24
Saturday, December 25
Sunday, December 26

OPEN: Monday, December 27 from 11:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

CLOSED:
Thursday, December 30
Friday, December 31
Saturday, January 1

OPEN: Sunday, January 2 from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Funding for Furnishings at the Ocean Park Branch Library

At their December 13 Board meeting the Friends approved $26,000 in funding for furnishings for the Ocean Park Branch Library. The Branch will be closed from January 3 through January 28, 2011 for recarpeting and interior improvements which include; children's shelving, enhancements to the storytelling space, computer furnishings for adults and children, additional wiring for information technology and more.

An important part of the makeover is the furniture the Friends agreed to fund. The furnishings are evocative of the ocean and will include in the children's area a computer table with six stations, six rolling chairs to compliment the computer table, three round tables with twelve chairs, two small two person benches for parent-child reading and stools. In the adult area six rolling computer chairs will be purchased.

Half Price Sale

Visit the Friends Bookstore for a sale of spiritual items at 1/2 price for December's holiday season. The sale includes books on religion, philosophy and self help.

Best-selling and Classic Titles Available Anytime, Anywhere

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 1, 2010
Contact: Reference Services, Santa Monica Public Library

eBooks at Santa Monica Public Library

(Santa Monica, CA) – Just in time for the holidays, Santa Monica Public Library has expanded its services to include eBooks. The downloadable media is available free, 24/7 to all Santa Monica Public Library card holders in good standing. Browse, checkout and download eBooks anywhere by visiting the library’s new eBook site at ebook.smpl.org. The opening day collection of over 1900 eBooks was made possible by the generous support of the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library.

Downloaded titles can be enjoyed immediately on a PC or a Mac®. Customers can also transfer titles to a variety of devices such as the Nook®, the Koho® eReader and the Sony Reader®. Compatibility with the iPad® is coming soon.

The standard loan period is 21 days. Titles automatically expire at the end of the lending period. There are never late fees or fines.

This and a variety of other online tools and databases are available through the Library website www.smpl.org. For more information, visit any of the Library’s four locations, call the Reference Hotline at 310-434-2608 or email reference@smgov.net. To get started downloading eBooks, visit ebook.smpl.org.

Get Ready For the Holidays

It’s time to prepare for the upcoming November and December holidays, so stop by the Santa Monica Public Library Bookstore, operated by the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library, to take advantage of the Bookstore's terrific collection.

You can:

• Buy a cookbook with a great new holiday recipe
• Purchase a mystery by Baldacci, Patterson, Grisham and others, many in pristine condition useful as holiday gifts
• Start a new craft project with one of our many beading, needlecrafts, or home décor books
• Plan next year’s vacation with a guidebook from our travel collection

As we approach the end of our fifth year, we extend a big thank you to all our wonderful patrons, donors, and volunteers. We need all three groups for the Book Store to exist. To learn more about the Friends and the activities we support, to become a member, or to make a donation, check out our website at www.friendsofsmpl.org.

New books and audio/video materials arrive by the dozens every day, so drop by soon. Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

Discarded but not Forgotten

During October in the Santa Monica Public Library Friends’ Bookstore, all library discards will be half-price. You can easily identify these books by the existence of a library spine label. The books are usually stamped Discard or Withdrawn. These books cover a wide range of subjects, fiction and non-fiction. Come in and buy a bunch.

Save the Date: Please come to the Santa Monica Public Library Friends' Bookstore special sale of higher value books on Saturday, November 20, 2010, from 11-2pm. We will feature books from $2-$75 on art, photography, history, signed fiction, cookbooks, collectible classics, and other subjects. Why not do your holiday shopping at the Friends' Bookstore! See you there!

Be sure to check out our monthly theme books, displayed in the windows and on the Perennial Place cart.

New items arrive by the dozens almost every day, so drop by soon. Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

"All My Sons" at the Ruskin Group Theatre

Friends Board member Edward Edwards has been getting rave reviews for Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica. The LA Times says Edwards directs a play with “an emotional authenticity that honors the play’s timeless themes.” The cast is superb, the theater intimate – a setting where we can all share with each other the sense of what it is to be a human being.

“All My Sons,” at the Ruskin Group Theatre, 3000 Airport Road, Santa Monica with shows at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays. Ends Oct. 2. For tickets call (310) 397-3244.

eBooks and more

At its July Board meeting, the Friends approved funds for the development of interactive capabilities for the Library’s new website. At the June meeting funds were approved for continued digitization of the Santa Monica Evening Outlook newspaper and for a subscription to Overdrive, which will provide content for the library’s eBooks program.

September Sales

The Friends of the Santa Monica Library Book Store offers a special September Sale: All non-fiction books are 50% off on Fridays and Saturdays only, throughout the month of September.

Yes, this includes science, health, cookbooks, religion, parenting, biographies, history, crafts, gardening, sports, reference, art, travel, politics, law, technology, and we’ll throw in poetry, plays, and more.

No, it does not include novels, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, short stories, or westerns.

(The sale excludes specially marked higher value books.)

New items arrive by the dozens almost every day, so drop by soon. Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

To learn more about the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library and the activities we support, to become a member, or to make a donation, check out our new website at www.friendsofsmpl.org.

Higher Value Book Sale

The Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library Book Store announces the arrival of a new collection of higher value books. We have received about 300 books over the past few months that have interesting qualities and are priced at higher than our usual bookstore prices. Art books, signed books, coffee table books, books of historical interest, and others will be available for your inspection and purchase in the front room starting Thursday July 1st.

Come visit with us soon. Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.

To learn more about the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library and the activities we support, to become a member, or to make a donation, check out our website at http://www.friendsofsmpl.org/.

It's time...

To improve your golf game
To plant your garden
To plan your next vacation
To relax and read a good book

The volunteers at the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library Bookstore can help you find the right books for all of that, so drop by soon.

Plus, during the month of June, we are continuing our May sale: all higher value books are half-priced. These are the ones we usually sell for $2, $5, $10 and up. This is an opportunity to stock up on gifts for Dads, Brides, Grooms, and Grads.

Bookstore hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11-4:30, Sunday 1:30-4:30, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Location is on the left as you enter through the north entrance of the Main Library at 601 Santa Monica Boulevard.