Summer 2023 Newsletter

President’s Message

Michele Vass

President

Hello Friends!

I hope that you are well and enjoying our nice summer weather.

We are so excited to be entering the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year;” or as it’s more commonly called, Summer Reading! Your Placer County Library Team has been putting months of effort into picking a theme, planning events, creating challenges, and curating prizes. This year will feature collectable pins for those under 18, and entries into prize raffles for adults. The system wide goal is 1 million minutes read this summer; so, do your part and sign up online today!

I wanted to thank everyone who has responded to our email pleas in recent weeks and for writing to our County Supervisors about supporting the Placer County Library System. Due in part to your advocacy efforts, there will be a $100,000 increase in the annual materials budget to $600,000.

The Supervisors also voted to accept the $4.9 million-dollar (matching funds), State Library Grant that your Library Administration Team was able to secure for rehabbing the Auburn Library. The only downside of that decision was that up to $1 million dollars of the library budget can be used as part of the County’s matching funds. While in theory Library funds can and should be used for library facilities, the Board of Supervisors has yet to adopt the 2022 Library Services Study they commissioned, and they have not put in the effort to ensure that our County Library funds are being used equitably to serve all the residents in our Library Service area. This piecemeal approach is not sustainable and relies on their “feelings” about the library on any given day when making decisions about the Library System. We need our Supervisors to adopt the 2022 Library Services Study, and then use the information contained in it to chart a way forward for our System.

As the Library’s tax base funding has grown over the past couple of years, we are finally in a place for the Supervisors to be able to reinstate the hours that were taken from the Auburn and Rocklin branches in January of 2015. The Library Administration Team presented that very request to the Supervisors in April, and they are hoping to add 4 additional staff members to facilitate the return of Monday hours, with a possible expansion to a half-day Sunday model at those locations as well.

We’ll be asking you again soon to submit written comment, or if you’re able, to join me at their meeting on June 13th in Auburn to speak in person. Our libraries are so important to our individual communities. From serving our littlest learners, hosting book clubs, offering a safe place for our neighbors to increase their literacy, or just being a welcoming home away from home – our Rocklin community has gone 8 years waiting for our library to be returned to us on Mondays. Now is the time to make good on their promise to return our hours.

I would like to thank our partner in supporting the Placer County Library System, Supervisor Jim Holmes. Jim has always been available and eager to listen to our concerns. He has sought to understand the complex issues facing the library, and he continues to be supportive of our library staff, and their mission in serving our community. Jim has read and digested the 2022 Library Services Study and at the public meeting in which it was presented, he stated that he is in favor of continued additional investment in our Library System to help bring us up from our current average/below average status. Next time you see Jim, please tell him thank you for being a champion of our libraries and an educated and informed population.



Thank you for your continued support of the Rocklin Friends of the Library and our Placer County Library System. Our advocacy and financial gifts to the Library would not be possible without without your continued support.

Placer County Library Invites Readers of All Ages to Sign Up for Summer Fest 2023!

The Placer County Library’s Summer Program kicks off June 6^th and runs through July. This year’s theme is Find Your Voice, celebrating art, music, and self-expression. Placer County Library invites readers of all ages to track reading, participate in challenges, share reviews, and earn badges and prizes through the digital platform, Beanstack. Children can earn fun collectible pins and tickets for grand prize drawings. Teens and adults have the chance to earn awesome Book Bundle grand prizes such as a Ukulele Bundle or a Manga Drawing Bundle and more!

Summer Fest at Your Library also includes an exciting lineup of performances and events at many Placer County Library locations including musical performances, magicians, science activities, animal shows, and more! Plus, don’t forget to swing by your nearest library each week to participate in our Summer Fest Activity Booth featuring fun and simple activities to do together as a family.

“Research has shown that reading over the summer prevents summer learning loss,” said Felicia Black, Programming Librarian. The Placer County Library is committed to supporting lifelong learning and educational enrichment for all ages. “Plus everyone can do their part to help us reach our Community Reading Goal of 1 Million Minutes,” added Felicia. “If Placer can collectively log 1 Million Minutes, your librarians will do some sort of outrageous stunt as a reward!”

Starting June 6th, join the summer program by visiting https://placer.beanstack.org or download the Beanstack app (free for iOS and Android). To learn more about the summer reading adventure, visit the library’s website, www.placer.ca.gov/library and follow Placer County Library on social media.

Two new AWE Learning Early Literacy Stations for ages 2-8 years old have arrived at the Rocklin Library!

These all-in-one computers are packed with fun literacy games designed to help children explore and learn in a safe digital space. The Rocklin Friends of the Library provided the funding to purchase these stations. All content is STREAM-aligned and pre-loaded, creating an easy-to-use learning environment not connected to the Internet. Content features handwriting, phonics, music, math, history, coding, and more.

Congratulations Gloria!

 At the March City Council meeting, the Rocklin City Council voted to award Friends member and Book Sale Chairwoman, Gloria Beverage, a Ruhkala Community Service Award! Our library benefits from Gloria's extensive efforts and we are so happy about her well deserved recognition.

Gloria has contributed to the Rocklin community since she moved here in 1987. Many in Rocklin first made their acquaintance with Gloria through her employment with Gold Country Media. Over the years she worked for several of their papers and was editor of Rocklin's newspaper, The Placer Herald.

As she got to know Rocklin, Gloria found places to plug in and get connected. She is a Board Member with the Rocklin Historical Society, and has been a contributor to the Quarry Quarterly for many years. Gloria is credited with instituting rotating displays at the Rocklin Historical Museum, where she serves as a docent. She also writes press releases and stories on behalf of RHS for the newspaper.

Gloria has also been a member of the Rocklin Friends of the Library for many years. She has graciously served as Book Sale Chair and stores all of the used books donated to the Friends in her GARAGE, where she sorts them for sale in the Library book store, the eBay store, and for the Friends' semi-annual sales. She coordinates volunteers and provides training. Gloria also helps to manage the Little Free Library program which is a partnership between the City of Rocklin and the Friends. She provides books to member volunteers every month to aid them in restocking the Little Libraries for the community. (She personally curates one too!)

Gloria also started the "Rocklin Reads" program that has showcased local authors and created a partnership between the Rocklin Friends of the Library and the Rocklin Historical Society. That partnership has also led to several co-sponsored Women's History events over the years.

Gloria has been the leader of the Sierra College Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Book Club for seniors for many years; and if all of that was not enough, she just became the leader of a book club for seniors at the Atria Senior Living Community in Rocklin providing educational and recreational service to those who can't make it to the book club at the Rocklin Library.

We are so proud to have Gloria as a member of the Friends and we are delighted that she has been recognized by our City Council for her years of volunteerism in Rocklin.

New Automated Materials Handling System

at the Rocklin Library

Rocklin Library Staff provided the Rocklin Friends of the Library with a hands on demonstration of the new Automated Materials Handling System after our April 2023 Board Meeting. This new system sorts books by genre as they are returned through the outside book shoots and is a tremendous time saver for the Library staff.

SAT, JUNE 24 AT 9 AM

Surplus Book Sale

Rocklin Parks & Recreation

5460 Fifth Street - Rocklin, CA

Book lovers will be able to shop for bargains from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 at the Rocklin Parks and Recreation building, 5460 Fifth St. (Johnson-Springview Park.).

The preview sale, open only to members of the Friends of the Library, will be held from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Applications to join the Friends will be available that morning. Or pick up a membership form in the Friends of the Library’s used bookstore. Memberships start at $10.

  The sale will open to the public at 9:30 a.m. Starting at 1 p.m., book lovers will be able to fill a bag for $5.

  A wide range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s as well as specialty or gift books, DVDs and CDs will be offered. Featured will be unique specialty books from a private collection donated earlier this year.  

  In addition to hosting semi-annual book sales, the Friends of the Library operate a bookstore inside the Rocklin Library. We offer newer fiction and non-fiction books, DVDs and CDs.

  The Friends also support the eight Little Free Libraries set up in Rocklin’s neighborhood parks. Our Little Free Librarians regularly check on the little libraries, adding new books as needed.

  Due to limited storage space at the library, donations are stored off site. To arrange for delivery of a donation, send an email to [email protected].

  Sales from books donated to the Friends are used to support the library’s collection as well as fund special projects. 

Thanks to the generous support of book lovers in our community, last November’s Super Surplus Book Sale brought in nearly $700. That’s a lot of books, CDs, DVDs and jigsaw puzzles, not to mention some unique collectibles. 

We are accepting material donations!

The Friends are accepting books, CDs, DVDs, and puzzles for our used book sales. Email us to schedule a time to drop off your donation - [email protected]