LUCY BURDETTE: if I wasn’t at my desk writing this winter, or else walking the dog or going out to dinner or to play with friends, I was buried in the thick of the Friends of the Key West Library. This week, we’re patting ourselves on the back for a great season! We hosted 10 events in our beautiful palm garden attached to the library, including such luminaries as Judy Blume, Jonathan Escoffery, Jean Hanff Korelitz, Ann Beattie, and Lee White.
Three years ago, we had the bright idea of hosting a special fundraising gala. Even though Covid was still lurking, we had Sam Sifton, former food critic of the New York Times as our guest. He was interviewed in our Palm Garden by Ellen T. White, a board member, followed by a cocktail party at Williams Hall. Last year, I had the honor of interviewing the one and only Carl Hiaasen, and this year we welcomed our local book heroine, Judy Blume, talking with her old friend and free speech advocate, Pat Scales, about the important issue of book banning. These fantastic events all sold out—our members got first dibs on the tickets.
The book sales committee also put on four wildly successful used book events.
The Friends were very pleased and proud this year to present our biggest ever check to branch manager, Kim Rinaldi, for $70K. We were delighted to have a number of local sponsors underwrite the costs and provide extra support to the library. This team has worked together like a dream, and we love supporting our library staff so they can buy things that Monroe County wouldn’t be able to.
The librarian who worked with us most closely on our speakers series, Michael Nelson, has a wicked sense of humor. He put together this video that shows perfectly the quirkiness of our Key West setting:
He only regretted that the video didn’t capture the guy who dragged his trash cans up the alley next to our garden during every speaker event.
Tell us about the volunteer organization that you are most devoted to? Or, tell us a story about your local library.
Your library friends group is amazing, Lucy . . . I hope the library appreciates you!
ReplyDeleteOur library always seems to have some special activity planned. Right now, of course, everyone is counting the days to the eclipse . . . and the library is giving away Solar Eclipse glasses.
My personal favorite activity at the library is the children's storytime . . . .
thanks Joan, I think they do! Solar eclipse glasses is such a good idea!
DeleteYou and and the group did great work, Lucy! I agree, the sound of dragging trash cans would have capped off that funny video.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been a very active volunteer in anything except Amesbury Quakers for a while. I know if I signed up for something (our historical museum, for example) I'd be in over my head, and then I'd be frantic because I had too many obligations. But we do have an active Friends of the library group, and one of the things they do is run the used bookstore in the basement of our lovely library.
Maybe when you retire Edith:)
DeleteI have mostly volunteered with organizations that create relationships between groups for common cause. Most recently, I am a past chairperson of the Community Relations Coucil of our Jewish Federation. I am still active with that group. Previously, I spent many years volunteering for the National Council of Jewish Women on the local, state and National levels. I was a spokeswoman for their Benchmark program and while a National Board member, represented NCJW to the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella organization where many Jewish organizations get together to debate issues and look for consensus.
ReplyDeleteOur Friends of the Ottawa Library has finally started becoming active again after the pandemic. The Friends have used bookstores in most branches and a mammoth monthly booksale at its archival location.
ReplyDeleteThat was a long wait! Though we had the advantage of being able to hold events and the book sales outdoors...
DeleteI was thinking about that, Lucy--that the library had a wonderful outdoor space for events.
DeleteWe'll, since you ask (!), my local library just asked me and another Bern mystery writer to do a dinner event. The main librarian interviewed us and we read from our books while guests had a number of courses of a cold supper. The reading was in English (my books haven't been translated, although I hope three will be) , but the rest was in Swiss-German. I was a bit nervous, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteCorrection from Kim: "I hope they will be..."
DeleteWhat wonderful fun Kim! I bet the audience loved that. Did they all speak English as well as Swiss German?
DeleteI would have come to that event, Kim!
DeleteYou're a wonderful volunteer Judy!
ReplyDeleteLucy, I'm glad that you have and are a part of such a great group of volunteers / Friends for your local library.
ReplyDeleteWhen I coached youth basketball, I spent 25 years as a volunteer with that organization. Since the time I've been out of the organization, I don't volunteer for anything. I did my time. Of course, the people I worked with have proven that we were the last group to have a passion for doing it as the league was turned over to the local YMCA this year when none of the volunteers who ran the group last year either could or would put in the time after basically demanding the keys of the kingdom last year. (From what I've been told).
As for the library, they do have a Friends group that does all the usual things you'd expect them to do. They have the monthly book sales as well as other events designed as fundraisers. Hallie Ephron was supposed to be the yearly author guest in April of 2020 but as you can imagine, that didn't happen.
I am not part of the Friends and don't see that ever being something I would want to do anyway. I go to the book sales most months but that's the extent of my involvement.
I'm sure they're happy to see you come and buy books!
DeleteI used to do a lot of volunteer work when I had kids around. School stuff, and 4-H things. I was also a member of the Williamstown Agricultural Fair Board, which as you probably figured out was the summer farm fair. Now that we have moved and are in an entirely different community, I don’t seem to do any.
ReplyDeleteI do love our libraries – I attend 2 in person – and support in person most of their programmes. Usually in Book Club, I am bombarded to buy tickets for the church tea or the Senior’s Easter Draw or some such thing. I will admit that I did not attend the sock bunny easter craft workshop yesterday, but the age group may have been a lot younger than me. The bunnies were very cute!
I feel that volunteers are so important, but for those of us who no longer can volunteer, we try to support you by participating in what you start. For that reason, we buy every church dinner, or kid’s cookies, and have even been known to quietly send a spare ham or 6 doz eggs for the volunteers to cook and then sell.
Thanks to all of you who still do and the wonderful events and monies that you provide.
Absolutely Margo, everyone gets involved the best way they can and you sound like wonderful supporters!
DeleteI work part-time at our local library--two small communities with a joint library system (a library in each town). We have a Friends group. They do a big book sale once or twice a year and have smaller sales other times. The bulk of the used books are in the basement of the Milan library, while at Berlin we have a small, revolving kiosk near the entrance which we regularly replenish. Guess which library consistently sells more books? As a new member of the Friends told me one morning, the members and leadership are rather resistant to new ideas. But there's hope! This situation is similar to the senior library staff, the members of which are highly territorial and don't appreciate mere clerks stepping out of their lane. Reply to a suggestion that we have a permanent shelf showcase of local authors: "Thank you, but at this time I'm not interested in doing that." In other words, stay in your lane!! The libraries are great community resources and do have regular programs--but this happens every so often, when groups get set in their ways. Time is usually the answer--staff turns over, older volunteers retire.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter everyone!
New ideas can be hard--sometimes you have to wait for a new administration:)
DeleteLucy that is wonderful - 70K!!
ReplyDeleteDoes the library have a wish list - or how do they plan to spend the money?
How do you price the books?
Do you sell donated books from locals?
Does the library donate books as well?
How many people generally show up?
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DeleteYes the head librarian always presents a wish list, mostly books, ebooks, and program costs. Look at our website, friendsofthekeywestlibrary.org, where you'll find donation guidelines.
DeleteLucy, amazing work your Friends of the Library group is doing!
ReplyDeleteI wrote a thank you note to a library clerk at my local branch library last year. One busy Saturday morning, my friend Hjalmer and I showed up with the Nicaraguan family of 5 that our church is sponsoring. Jennifer found Spanish language application forms and very patiently entered the information and created library cards for each one of them. They each checked out a book. I was so grateful for the time and care she took with us and her pleasure in helping us. As the daughter of two librarians, one of whom worked for Multnomah County as a children's librarian, I was very pleased with the way the library functioned that spring morning.
Wonderful Gillian. And great to grow up with librarians, I bet you read like mad...
DeleteI live in a very small town--one traffic signal--in a red county in rural Oregon. During Banned Book Week I called my local library and asked if there had been any attempts to ban books at our library. To be honest, I wasn't sure whether I would reach someone who would be opposed to such an effort, given our location and the library's reliance on local volunteers. To my absolute delight the librarian answering the phone said she had encountered no attempts to ban books or restrict reading material. When I told her I was unable to come to town due to an autoimmune condition and Covid, she launched with great enthusiasm into a long description of the library's Banned Book Week events, which included crafts, programs, displays, lots of ways to involve the community's kids and families. I'll be honest; I was shocked that she hadn't gotten any pushback from my neighbors. And I am so proud of the library for doing the right thing, and proceeding forward as if doing so is the most natural thing in the world. It gave me great hope.
ReplyDeleteLove your comment about proceeding forward as if doing so is the most natural thing in the world...
DeleteGreat example for both the kids and the adults in this little town.
DeleteI was very involved with two needlework guilds for about 30 years, working with the local, regional, and national organizations. My most significant accomplishments were creating the first Web site for one of the national groups in 1997 and being program chairman for the other group’s local chapter for 20 years. I enjoyed both activities at the time, but have retired from them.
ReplyDeleteCreating that first Web site was a lot of work, like having a second full-time job, but very rewarding. It attracted a lot of new members and the email list we started made people more aware of and excited about the guild’s offerings. The first national seminar after the Web site was live had the highest attendance in guild history.
And planning programs at the local and region level was fun. It provided educational opportunities to our members without necessitating travel. I met a lot of the best known and most respected teachers in the field.
I made many wonderful friends along the way, many of whom are still in my life.
Fantastic story Pat! Making friends along the way is such a bonus...
DeleteOh, Lucy, you are completely wonderful ! And I know how much time it takes! And how much… Wrangling. I am on the programming committee of our local library, and it is always pretty hilarious. (We had Colson Whitehead and Dan Brown among others, and it was transporting.) but I am absolutely in awe of how much work you do – – and the joy and enthusiasm you bring to it. You are such a massive asset— not only because of your devotion, but because of your deep understanding of the publishing industry, and what readers want. You are just the perfect person for this!
ReplyDeleteHank, when I think of authors who volunteer, your face is the first one that comes to mind. I can't think of another author involved in three different on-line groups which promote other authors' work. Noone puts more time and effort into making readers aware of new authors and up-coming events. You ROCK!
Delete(I very much admire your partners in all these endeavors, too.)
Yes agree, Hank puts so much time into many programs! Thanks Hank, but it's really a team effort and we're lucky to have interested librarians and Books and Books to support us!
DeleteLUCY: You are wonderful! Friends of Key West Library is fortunate to have you. I am sure the library has ALL of your cozy mysteries, right?
ReplyDeleteWhen I moved to the town where I currently live, the public library had moved to the new Library / Community Center building the same year. Because I was moving to a smaller place, I had to get rid of so many books, though I kept books that are now out of print and books that were personally signed to me by authors. I donated all of the books, which I was not keeping, to the new library. Before the pandemic, I noticed that the library Still had the books that I donated on their library shelves and I saw "Friends of the ...Library" stamp inside the books!
Before the pandemic, my family and I used to volunteer at every Used Book Sales - we would organize the books before the day of the sales.
Still using the library, though we use Libby - borrow the books online instead of borrowing books in person. Things have changed because of the pandemic.
Diana
Yes a lot of changes have stuck Diana, some for better and some not
DeleteHappy Easter! My volunteering efforts have mainly been in the public school library realm. I started volunteering in my son’s school library and eventually became a library tech myself where I had wonderful volunteers. Now that I am retired, I volunteer in one of my friend’s library. I bow down to you and your colleagues, Lucy. Great job! — Pat S
ReplyDeleteThat is hysterical. Love the rooster. Definitely Key West in a clip. Congratulations to the Friends. What a successful year.
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, Lucy! The librarian in me loves, loves, loves this post! Yay, Friends!!!!
ReplyDelete