Friends Sponsor Santa Monica Teen Film Festival and Summer Reading

At their February 15 Board meeting the Friends of the Library Board voted to support the Santa Monica Teen Film Festival and Summer Reading, two essential programs offered by the Santa Monica Public Library Youth Services department.

For the past 5 years, the Santa Monica Teen Film Festival has been the premiere teen film festival in the Los Angeles/Westside area. This endeavor is an interdepartmental collaboration between the Santa Monica Public Library, Virginia Ave. Park Teen Center, and Cultural Affairs. The festival has grown from 40 submissions and a one-day screening the first year to over 150 submissions and a two-day screening in 2010. The film festival receives films from all over the country (Hawaii, New York, Indiana, etc.), as well as Canada.

For the past two years, the Friends of the Santa Monica Library have been a significant sponsor of the festival by funding the film festival prizes. These prizes are an added incentive for the filmmakers and help encourage teens to continue their passion for filmmaking.

The Friends Board also agreed to provide additional funding support for the 2011 Summer Reading Program. Studies have shown that reading for pleasure (not assigned reading) is the best incentive to encourage lifelong learning. Summer Reading 2010 registered a 34% increase in participation that reached nearly 3,000 babies, children and teens; and after 10 weeks participants had read more than a million minutes. The Friends support makes summer reading possible by funding programs, special events, prizes and bags.

Santa Monica Evening Outlook Newspaper

Imagine Santa Monica (http://digital.smpl.org) now contains the complete contents of the Santa Monica Evening Outlook newspaper through June 17, 1920. The number of individual issues digitized now totals 7311. The earliest date available online is October 13, 1875.

A heartfelt thanks to Jon Arenberg and the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library Board for contributing to the ongoing development of this unique source of historical information!

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.