Rolly Prager
Let’s start with a multiple-choice question.
Who pays for books and other materials in the three SaddleBrooke libraries?
A. SaddleBrooke One
B. Ed Robson
C. Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries
D. SaddleBrooke TWO
If you chose C, you are correct!
There seems to be some confusion in the community regarding how books and other library materials are acquired. It’s time to clear this up. Our libraries are managed by volunteers and funding is provided by Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL). To understand the extent of the funding we can look at the coming year. Our Library Management Committee, composed of volunteers, prepared a request for a grant that will fund expenditures for 2021. That request has been sent to the FSL Board for approval.
The grant request totals $34,000 and encompasses the following:
Fiction: $9,900
Non-Fiction: $3,300
Large Print: $7,500
Audio Books: $2,900
Paperbacks: $1,200
DVD movies, TV: $6,200
Printing Cost of Handouts and Bookmarks, etc.: $3,000
The grant money is allocated to the three libraries based on specific collections and needs.
This is what it costs to ensure the libraries are well stocked with a variety of media that is in demand by the community. Like other organizations dealing with COVID-19, FSL has had to cope with a decrease in funding from its traditional fundraisers such as the twice annual author luncheons and popular FSL trips. So now Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries is more dependent on membership fees to maintain the current level of funding. If you are an FSL member, be sure to renew that membership. If you are not a member, please join and help keep our libraries vibrant and relevant.
We all look forward to having the libraries open. In the meantime, our volunteers have worked tirelessly to maintain curbside pick-up and drop off to accommodate library patrons while our libraries are closed.
Check out our website, sbfsl.org, for membership and other information.