Spring in the Friends of the Library Bookstore

Selling library discards at 25 cents each was a big hit in March so we’re continuing this special in April, once again only on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. These books and audiovisual items are fiction and nonfiction, covering a wide range of topics, so stop by soon and buy a bunch.

Save the Date: Another sale of higher value books – art books, first editions, and signed books – will take place Saturday, May 14, from 11-2. Circle the date on your calendar!

New items arrive by the dozens almost every day in the Bookstore, 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 website at http://www.friendsofsmpl.org/.

Ocean Park Branch Open House

The Ocean Park Branch Library celebrated the completion of its improvements’ project with an Open House on Saturday, March 12 from 11am to 2pm.

Festivities included a balloon show with Annie Banannie, a live music performance by the Leftover Cuties, a surfer photo booth, ocean-themed crafts, and refreshments.

According to Branch staff over 1500 people came through the doors by 3pm the day of the event, almost 100 showed up for Annie Banannie and 50 attended the ocean themed craft in the community room. The Leftover Cuties drew a triple digit crowd for their performance on the lawn. Even the weather cooperated!

This program was made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library.

Annual Volunteer Recognition Event

The Library treasures and appreciates the gift of self and time so freely given by our volunteers. To honor them, The Friends show our appreciation by inviting them to an annual Volunteer Recognition Event. On Friday March 11 over 150 volunteers and guests attended a performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica.

The show was preceded by an ice-cream social and ended with presentation of awards for excellent service. A good time was had by all.

Special Sale in May!

Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library Bookstore sale of special books on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. We will feature books from $2- $75 on art, photography, history, signed fiction, cookbooks, collectible classics and more. See you there!

March Sale in the Friends Bookstore

Visit the Friends of the Library Bookstore any Friday, Saturday, or Sunday in March and you can buy library discards for 25 cents each, limit of 12. You can easily identify these books by the library sticker on the spine and the word “withdrawn” or “discard.”

(These sale prices do not apply to the higher value items, marked with a circle label.)

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!