The Foods of Arizona at the FSL membership kick-off

Elizabeth Stephens

The Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries, FSL, Annual Membership Kickoff event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 22, 2014, in the MountainView Ballroom. The doors will open at 1:00 p.m. and the program begins at 1:30 p.m. Gregory McNamee, a dynamic speaker and prolific writer from the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona, will present The Foods of Arizona: Many Cultures, Many Flavors, or Deconstructing the Taco. Plan to join us for an afternoon packed with fascinating details and door prizes, too!

This free lecture kicks off the 2014 membership drive for the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries. The generous contributions of 680 SaddleBrooke households allowed us to purchase over 80% of the new books, magazines and DVDs in our three libraries during 2013. In addition, the FSL contributed 25% of the funding for furniture and shelving and purchased over 300 new books and 25 magazine subscriptions for the new Cholla Library at MountainView.

Your 2014 membership allows us to continue to purchase additional new materials for our libraries as well as bring author’s luncheons and exciting educational opportunities to our community. This year we offer several levels of contribution that allow us to fund: $500.00 or more will pay for 15 new books and sponsor annual lecture series; $250.00 to $499.00 for five to 10 new books plus five videos plus four audio books plus two lectures; $100.00 to $24.009 for five to six new books plus two audio books plus one lecture; $50.00 to $99.00 for two to four new audio books or videos; $25.00 to $49.00 will purchase two to three new books or magazines and $20.00 to $24.00 will purchase one new book.

Of the 4,196 households who borrowed over 67,000 library items in 2013, 16% were members of the Friends of the SaddleBrooke Libraries. Since FSL is the primary source of funding for new books and DVDs in our libraries, we would love to increase our membership numbers so that we can purchase even more for our libraries in 2014.

This year, in appreciation for your contributions to our libraries, we are offering these new benefits to FSL members. For those who contribute and provide their email address all members will receive advanced email notification for FSL events before the community at large is informed and free admission to three lectures. Contributions over $25.00 will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize at kickoff; Over $50.00 will be entered into a drawing for one free ticket to Author’s Luncheon; Over $100.00 will be entered into drawings for seating at the author’s table, seven per event; Over $250.00 entitles you for a buy one, get one free voucher to one wine event and over $500.00 will get you two free tickets to the Oracle Playhouse spring event.

Please plan to join us on January 22 for this entertaining and informative afternoon and consider joining FSL in 2014. Membership application forms and a list of upcoming FSL events can be found on our FSL website at www.friendsssblib.org.