LISNews: Librarian News

Friends of the London (ON) Public Library turned 15 last month.

...great promotional image

In the coming months Friends will be offering two great opportunities for Londoners to pay equal homage to their library system. First is their gift to Londoners at their annual three-day book sale at the Western Fair’s Special Events Building Friday to Sunday, Oct. 24-26.

Then there’s the opportunity for Londoners to give back with the gift of literacy by donating to A Book For Every Child. The 2008 campaign begins on Nov. 8, which which most London bookstores offer a 20 per cent discount for books purchased and left at the store to be donated to the library and given to a deserving child. The Londoner.

Weeded books from the Mamaroneck Library found a new home thanks to Eagle Scout Benjamin Bernstein.

Bernstein and about 20 of his friends and family members donated about 3,000 books to the Hispanic Resource Center. The donation is a part of Bernstein's Eagle Scout Service project, which will distribute almost 10,000 cast-off books from the Mamaroneck library to various organizations throughout the community. Bernstein is a volunteer at the library.

The library was trying to figure out a way to put 10,000 outdated books to use as it prepares to break ground on a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion project next month.

Columbus GA library store, always there for all kinds of shoppers. "Interior designers choose the books because of the way they look," explained volunteer Alice Budge. "They get them to fill shelves in homes and businesses."

The store has raised more than $80,000 for library programs and services for children and adults. Some of those services are volunteer recruitment and training as well as sponsoring visits by authors. The store, run by volunteers, was made possible by a gift to the Muscogee County Library Foundation by Budge and her husband, former Ledger-Enquirer publisher John Greenman.

She recalled one student came in looking for a particular book. "He wanted something thin," she said, laughing.

Why a store in a place where books are free?

"Some people just love to own a book. Children especially love to have a few of their own," Budge said. "At these prices they have a few."

Kind Of Sad... The folks in Dorset, England want to form Friends of the Island Libraries. They held a meeting, but only 3 people showed up. The meeting was redeemed by the presence of Town Mayor Tim Munro and councillors Les Ames, David Hawkins and Richard Denton-White, who all stressed that while they were there as councillors to fight for the retention of the libraries and their opening times, they were also present as members of the public who use the libraries.