Art at the Library



At last spring has come to our island and Bainbridge Public Library is ready to celebrate with First Friday Art Walk and our April artist, Cynthia Lait.  Cynthia will host an opening reception on April 5, 5-7PM of her exhibit titled "A Celebration of Ocean, Earth and Sky".

Here is Cynthia's description of her work:

Living on an island, we are surrounded by water and sky. These elements are an endless source of amazement and delight and integral to our daily life here. As a child, the beach was freedom from household rules and the need to keep things tidy. As an adult, it's a means to reconnect with one's self. In my wave work, I share the joy and energy of being in the water, feeling supported and carried by the waves. Like the water, the skies are always changing, so expansive and another way to connect with something larger than myself. It's easy to be drawn into the night sky, getting pulled into the vastness of the universe. In the Galaxy series, I connect with this sense of endlessness and the movement  of the earth as we travel through the universe. In both series, I paint Japanese papers with brilliant colors, slice them up and reassemble them to create dynamic and vibrant compositions. They're a celebration of the moment, a reminder to connect with joy and wonder.

You can view Cynthia's work all of April during regular library hours and on the library website, www.bainbridgepubliclibrary.org.  A podcast interview with Cynthia is also available at https://www.bestofbcb.org/arts-035-artist-cynthia-lait/

Thank you for supporting your Bainbridge Public Library and local artists.

~ Linda Meier, art coordinator
Bike-a-Thon Donation for the Library


The kids of Winslow Cohousing on Bainbridge Island organized a bike-a-thon to raise money for the Library. Twelve children, ages 3 - 15, raised $365 total. On March 25th the six kids (and one dad) pictured here personally presented their donation to the BPL board president, Carol Schuyler. "I am very proud to accept this donation on behalf of the BPL board. Thank you so much!"
Plums by Gum!

The five Thundercloud Plums that line the sidewalk by the Harui Japanese Gardens at the Bainbridge Public Library have lived beyond their normal lifespan of 20 years.  Sadly, due to numerous issues with their roots and trunks they have to be removed for the safety of all who walk and drive by them, on their way to the library, schools and businesses.  They are presently in fabulous full bloom, belying their aging issues.  

Please take a moment to enjoy and appreciate them, as they will be removed in mid-April.  While they will be missed, they will be replaced by lovely Venus dogwoods from Bainbridge Gardens.  We can watch our new additions as they grow into beautiful trees and hopefully they will bring their bloom to us next spring.
Annual BPL Donor Party




Bainbridge Public Library had the privilege of once again thanking our donors at a celebration honoring them on Sunday, March 24 th . Without these special folks we wouldn't have a beautiful library building and the funds to perform necessary upgrades, remodels, and routine maintenance on both the building and grounds. About 100 donors joined in this celebration, which was held in the morning for a little variation now that the library is once again open on Sunday afternoons. Invited guests enjoyed mimosas, appetizers, and desserts. And the long-standing tradition continued of Martha Bayley sharing her choices for new books too good to miss as the topping on the cake! Thank you, donors - we couldn't do it without you!
BPL Profile - Caryl Grosch

 

Caryl Grosch loves the library. Remember the small heart logo that adorned the E-blast newsletter interviews of patrons who love the library? The idea was Caryl's, as part of the Communication and Fundraising Committee she chairs. More recently, Caryl's sister Linda, an artist, created the larger red heart within a book for the fundraiser, "Book Lovers Night Out."

Caryl grew up in Nanuet, New York where the three females of the family were a home spun singing group: Caryl, Linda, and her mother, a professional singer. They loved singing casually at home and often sang 3-part harmony while entertaining Caryl's Dad. Caryl worked at IslandWood for many years. She also sang with IslandWood's Forest Chorus for about 10 years, and just retired last year. She's still going strong as an active docent. Caryl began her relationship with the library in 2002 after arriving with her sister and brother-in-law from Marblehead, Massachusetts. As Caryl, Linda and James inhaled the dazzling view from the Agate Pass Bridge after their lengthy trip, they agreed in unison, "This is the right place for us to be." And so it has been!

An early new friend from church and former BPL Board member encouraged Caryl to volunteer with the Bainbridge Public Library. He had been a devoted fan of BPL for decades and knew that she was a rapacious reader. His suggestion turned out to be a comfortable fit and Caryl quickly became a member of the Communication and Fundraising Committee and later the Co-chair of Fundraising. At that time, Cindy Harrison was KRL Bainbridge Branch Manager, an effective leader who spread the word of the unique KRL/BPL partnership and appreciated Caryl's work. In 2015, with Rebecca Judd then KRL Branch Manager, Caryl was ready for a repeat performance as BPL board member and Chair of Communications and Fundraising. She's now in her 5 th  year as Chair of the "CoFun" Committee. Caryl ushers a busy committee which is responsible for donor relations, the E-blast newsletter, Book Lovers' Night Out and most new fundraising and donor events. The committee is perhaps the most relevant committee for our patrons and donors.

Caryl and her Committee work diligently so that BPL's patrons and donors feel appreciated, engaged, and pleased with BPL Board's connection skills. Let Caryl know if you have new, different ideas for fundraising or communicating. She will bring your thoughts to "CoFun" and the committee will try to work with you to make your ideas come to fruition.

Kitsap Great Give



It's almost that time again - for Kitsap Great Give! Please remember BPL during the 24 hours of on-line giving on April 23 rd ! Visit www.kitsapgreatgive.org for more details. There will be an opportunity to make your gift early and still be recorded as a KGG 4/23 donation. These details can be found on the Website mentioned above. There's also a link on the BPL website for making a Kitsap Great Give donation. We appreciate our community's support so we can maintain the library that Bainbridge built!
Financial Spring Cleaning

Spring clean your finances at an investing and financial education lecture series presented by the Bainbridge Community Foundation and hosted at the Bainbridge Public Library. 

This series was developed to make individual financial and donor education resources readily available to all islanders. As BCF executive director, Jim Hopper, explains, "Charitable giving begins with confidence in your own financial position, and we're pleased to offer these seminars to help islanders make sound decisions with their money at every stage of life. Investing in yourself and your community, they're two sides of the same coin." Presented by Paul Merriman, longtime island resident and author of numerous books on investment and financial planning, these free seminars include:

Retirement 101 | April 11th , 2019 | 7PM - Paul Merriman will answer some of the toughest questions about retirement.  How much will you need to retire?  How can you take more money from your investments without taking more risk? And so on.

Two Funds for Life| April 18th , 2019 | 7PM - With a special emphasis on investors saving for retirement, this session will highlight how to successfully launch a lifetime of thoughtful investing and financial health. Guests will learn how to get the most out of their 401k and IRA, as well as how to avoid making costly investment mistakes.  

The Tricks and Traps of Estate Planning| April 25th , 2019 | 7PM - Join Paul Merriman and a panel of other professional advisors as they share tools to successfully support the people and causes you care about after you're gone. Learn the answers to the most commonly asked estate planning questions, as well as how to avoid the most common estate planning mistakes. 

Register for these free seminars at https://conta.cc/2TQxYer.
These free seminars are underwritten by the Merriman Financial Education Foundation.
Friends of the Library Book Sales

The Bainbridge Island Friends of the Library book sales offer gently used books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and magazines to support the Friends, who in turn reinvest in the library through endowment gifts, programming and special events, magazine subscriptions, the aquarium in the Children's Library and much more. Daily, scores of donated books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, and other items arrive in our book room.  A crew of volunteers work three days a week to sort, price, organize, and shelve these donations for our sales.  As a result, our stock of books and other items on display for sale is constantly renewed. Over a year's period, we receive several hundred thousand books and we are proud that we have only gently used, often new appearing books on our shelves.

Mark your calendar for book sales at Bainbridge Public Library:

Thursday, April 4th 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Saturday, April 13th 10:00am - 4:00pm
Tuesday, April 23rd 10:00am - 4:00pm

Did You Know?

Bainbridge Public Library, a nonprofit organization, owns, operates, and maintains the Library building and grounds through community donations and grants.  Kitsap Regional Library provides the library staff, collection, classes, and a virtual library at KRL.org with funding from property tax revenues.  Together we provide the quality library our community wants and has come to expect.  Thank you for your support!