Friends Bulletin
Friends of the Modesto Library Newsletter
Grassroots Efforts Needed to Sustain Our Library
The continued soft economy is
taking its toll on library service:
the 1/8 of a percent Stanislaus
County sales tax dedicated to
the library system—which pro-
vides about 85% of the total li-
brary system budget--can no
longer support the level of ser-
vice we have been enjoying. Be-
cause of the economy, the li-
brary continues to lose approxi-
mately $60,000 per month in
revenue.
To balance the budget the Mo-
desto Library is closed an extra
day a week – Fridays – starting
June 26, 2010. New hours for
Modesto will be Monday
through Thursday 10 a.m. to 9
p.m, and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Other branches will re-
align their days of service to
also be closed Fridays, although
their total hours will be the
same, except for Keyes. Full
list of branch hours is available
on the library’s website at http://
www.stanislauslibrary.org/pdf/
new_hours.pdf.
Cuts to staff and to the materials
budget for books, magazines/
newspapers, and databases are
also being made. The book
budget for the entire system is
$200,000 for FY 2010-2011, a
precipitous drop from previous
years’ budgets. So those reserve
lists for best sellers may be a bit Inside this issue:
longer, folks. The Friends are President’s Note 2
helping as much as we can—this
year, we’re giving the library Library Stuff & Book Review 3
$6000 to apply to the materials
budget—but that comes far short The Little Shop 4
of meeting the budget shortfall in
Volunteer Profile 4
comparison with just two years
ago. Little Shop Merchandise 5
You can help by performing
Community Hero—Dittos! 6
these essential actions:
Scholastic Book Sale Recap 6
Join the Friends of the Modesto
Library. If you’re already a Used Book Sale Recap 6
member, make an extra donation.
You can do this through our Membership Form 7
website: modestolibrary-
friends.org using the PayPal Modesto
“Donate” button.
Library
Tell your family, friends, and
neighbors about how the library 1500 I Street
is an essential community re- Modesto CA 95354
source. That it is more than just
(209) 558-7800
books—it offers services not
available elsewhere—and that Monday - Thursday
the library system is funded by a 10 am—9 pm
1/8 cent sales tax which will be
up for renewal in 2012. Friday
Closed
The Yes for Libraries 2012 cam-
paign to renew the tax is now up Saturday
and running at yesforlibrari-
es2012.com and welcomes your
10 am—5 pm
support. Your donations and
Sunday
volunteer assistance are needed.
(Continues on Page 2)
Closed
Friends Bulletin
This newsletter is published
quarterly by the Friends of the
Modesto Library. Copies may be
requested by emailing
info@modestolibraryfriends.org.
The Friends of the Modesto Library
is a nonprofit organization that
promotes goodwill and support by
the community for the Modesto
Library, stimulates public
awareness of Modesto Library
needs, and seeks out sources of
cultural and educational programs
for the Modesto Library.
Mail:
FOML
P.O. Box 4565
Modesto CA 95352
info@modestolibraryfriends.org
Online:
http://www.ModestoLibraryFriends.org
Board of Directors 2009-2010
Officers
President: Stella Beratlis
Vice-Pres: Joan Patterson
Secretary: Anne Britton
Treasurer: Jonaca Driscoll
Directors:
Membership: Ellen Dambrosio
Book Sale: Anne Britton
Activities: Barbara Quinn
Publicity: vacant
Hospitality: vacant
Newsletter: Gene Malone
Special thanks to Dittos of Modesto
(www.dittosprint.com)
The Friends of the Modesto Library is
a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the
state of California. All contributions are
tax-deductible as allowed by law.
ID#: 77-0038333
Page 2
Grassroots Efforts Needed to Sustain Our Library
(Continued from Page 1)
This is just the start for library supporters. People who want to do more can
shop and/or volunteer at the Little Shop in the Modesto Library (see page 4
for details); purchase your books for and from your home through the
Stanislaus County Library Foundation’s affiliate link (http://
www.stanislauslibraryfoundation.org/); use our Save Mart S.H.A.R.E.S &
Raley’s eScrip cards when grocery shopping (email member-
ship@modestolibraryfriends.org to request a card); or become an active vol-
unteer in the Friends organization by serving on fundraising, publicity, or
hospitality committees.
We would love to hear your ideas on more ways we can help the Friends
help the library!
Thank you. --Stella Beratlis & Anne Britton
President’s Note
Dear Library Supporters,
Times are tougher than ever for libraries AND for families and individuals
in Stanislaus County and elsewhere. However, during hard times, it’s a fact
that library usage goes up.
Where else can residents get such a great return on their tax dollar invest-
ment? The typical family contributes approximately $20 per year toward the
library indirectly via sales tax on purchases. For that, we get electronic data-
bases, books, DVDs, Internet use, wireless Internet in the library, top-notch
reference service, free programs that entertain and inform us throughout the
year, reading clubs, story time for toddlers and young children in English
and Spanish, workshops that provide us with practical skills, and computer
classes to boost our tech savvy. Obviously, the library is more than books,
and certainly all the services provided at the library will never be replaced
by Google! Your active support NOW is critical—join your local Friends
group and tell your like-minded friends to join. Find out more about the Yes
for Libraries 2012 campaign tax renewal effort at
www.yesforlibraries2012.com. Together we can communicate to policy-
makers and voters that the library is a necessary community service which
adds tremendous value to our city.
The following librarians from the Modesto Library have retired from Stanis-
laus County. We give our congratulations and thanks to Sharon Arpoika
(January), Andrew Lamance (March), and Pat Phelan and Kathy Johnson
(July). Good luck and thank you for serving the Modesto community for so
many years. On a personal note, several of these professionals trained me
when I was first hired as a library assistant back in 1996, and I know they
are all-around wonderful people. Thank you so much; you’ll be missed.
Stella Beratlis

Events at Modesto Library
Water Your Mind:
Read!
Summer Reading
For Adults
June 1 - August 14, 2010
@ Your Local Stanislaus County Library Branch
Read a book and submit a book review form to be
entered into a drawing for the grand prize!
Even grownups have their own Summer Reading
Program! At the request of many readers Salida
Library piloted a program last year. Now we all can
be part of it! Forms are available at Reference, online
at http://www.stanislauslibrary.org/pdf/src_form.pdf
and at all branches. Adult readers can submit entries
for each book they read this summer. The short
reviews will be posted and a drawing from
submissions will be held at the end of the summer.
Children up to age 12 and teens have their own
summer reading incentive program. Those two
programs also run June 1 – August 14, 2010 at any of
the 13 Stanislaus libraries. See the library website for
details: www.stanislauslibrary.org.
Library Book Club, Modesto Library
Wednesday, August 18, 7 pm
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Scholastic Book Fair - November 17, 18 & 20, 2010
(Wed.pm, Thurs., & Sat.)
Put this on your calendar now. You don’t want to
miss this event!
Friends Bulletin
What We’ve Been Reading:
Book Review
The Children’s Book; a novel by A.S. Byatt
675 pages — Books on CD: 30.5 hours
Don’t expect this Booker Prize nominee book to
please everyone. But if you like stories of depth,
insight, history, and fully realized, sometimes
eccentric characters – Byatt is an author who
delivers. As in her
breakout novel,
Possession, this book
immerses us in a literary
world full of detail and
memorable characters.
Two families – the
Wellwood who are
authors, and the Fludds,
who are potters –
intertwine the lives of both
adults and their children. The characters move
through a background of the worlds of authors
J.M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame, and E. Nesbit as
well as the Arts & Crafts movement, Fabian
Society and women’s suffrage movements, on
through the building political pressure that slides
into WWI and its final arbitrary devastation of
Edwardian frivolity and personal relationships. If
yourself stuck at home this summer, this book is a
trip worth taking to another time and way of life.
Reviewed by Anne Britton
Page 3
Friends Bulletin

The Little Shop

Where:
In the Modesto Library near the
tutoring office.

When:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs-
days from 10 am to 2 pm.
Saturday 10 am to 5 pm.
Phone:
(209) 573-3142
Volunteer Opportunities
The Little Shop is a 100% volunteer-run project! Volunteers staff the
shop Tues.-Thurs. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. We also
have volunteers who schedule the sales associates, manage the shop,
and purchase inventory for the shop.
We are currently looking for someone to volunteer as Staffing
Coordinator, a job which can be done entirely by phone and email.
Contacting shop volunteers, the Staffing Coordinator makes the
schedule for each month and helps with recruitment and reporting
hours to Volunteer Center on regular basis. Nice to be able to fill in at
shop occasionally. Approximate time commitment: 4 hours per month.

We are also seeking a Bookkeeper, as well as someone to eventually

take the role of General Manager. Manager should be good
communicator, able to recruit volunteers and plan retention strategies,
work with Purchasing Manager in bringing in new merchandise, and
source interesting art and other unique, locally-made items to bring into
store on consignment basis.

Volunteer Profile: YOLANDA ROCHIN

Yolanda has worked steadily as a volunteer in the Little
Shop since it opened last fall. A native of Turlock,
Yolanda currently lives in Modesto with her fiancé. She
has three children, ages 11, 10, and 5. Yolanda is currently
reading the works of author Charlaine Harris. When she’s
not reading or volunteering, she enjoys surfing the
Internet and taking walks. Yolanda loves to mail cards and
letters to friends for every kind of occasion - her recipients
are amazed to receive snail mail in this day and age.

You can usually find Yolanda working in the Little Shop on Saturday
mornings; stop by and say hi!
Page 4
Little Shop Merchandise
Check out the exciting new merchandise in the Little Shop by Suzanne Staud (smaller framed
art pieces), Kathi Pethoud (smaller watercolors, cards), Linda Ohlson (glass jewelry), Tammy
Watson (framed art pieces, jewelry, gift tag), and Anne Enright-Tinkle (stationery). We also
have recycled items: binders, notebooks pencils, and market tote bags. Also in are strong mints
in really cool lacquered boxes, notepads, and children’s books. We sell art, crafts, and gift items
for adults, teens, and children alike!

Cards and bookmarks

Smaller piece by Suzanne Staud

One of Kathi Pethoud's watercolors

Page 5
 Friends Bulletin
Kudos for Friends
Community Hero – Dittos!
The Stanislaus County Library
Foundation awarded their Shin-
ing Star Award to Dittos for its
support of literacy. Since 2005
the downtown print business has
provided copy service for Friends
book sales, special events and
newsletter printing. Our thanks
to co-owner John Rake and man-
ager Brad Braillard for these con-
tributions to our community. If
you use Dittos for your copies,
be sure to thank them for being a
Friend to the Modesto Library
and to literacy.
Our Own Stella Beratlis Recog-
nized – and Adds a Hat
Stella was involved with the
Friends for only a few years
when she was tapped to take on
the role of President in 2008.
She has initiated and supported
many changes in just two short
years, which brought her recog-
nition as a Shining Star by the
Stanislaus County Library Foun-
dation at their April awards cere-
mony at the Salida Library. Con-
gratulations – and thanks to
Stella for her leadership.
Friends Recipient of Coins in
the Fountain Award
The FOML was notified in early
July that it was chosen as the
2010-2011 recipient of the Coins
Page 6
LIBRARY SPOTLIGHT
in the Fountain at Vintage Faire
Mall! Congratulations to Friends
Membership Coordinator Ellen
Dambrosio, who identified the
opportunity and wrote the appli-
cation. The Friends can expect to
receive quarterly installments
(get it?) of the coins. Past years’
coin totals have amounted to
$5000 - $6000 for community
groups. We are thrilled to have
been chosen this year! If you’ve
had experience with cleaning
fountain coins, give us a buzz or
drop a line to
info@modestolibraryfriends.org
with your cleaning advice.
We’ve been told we might need
to use a small cement mixer,
which some of us find frighten-
ing. In a good way.
Thanks to Volunteer Friends:
Scholastic Book Sale
Twenty five volunteers worked
132 hours and earned over $2000
worth of books for the Modesto
Children’s and Teen library pro-
grams at the May Scholastic sale.
The Friends hosted the sale to
brings high-quality, low-cost new
books for children and teens to
our community. The Scholastic
Fresno branch warehouse man-
ager, Mike Erb, was so im-
pressed with the generosity of the
volunteers that he brought two
additional boxes of books as gifts
to the Friends.
May 2010 Scholastic book sale
Thanks to Used Book Sale Volun-
teers
The Used Book Sale on May 1 was a
thrilling success, with coordinator
Clare Noonan organizing and leading
a group of 20-25 people who helped
in all capacities. In one hour and 15
minutes, eight people and five trucks
moved about 3,000-3,500 books from
Clare’s house to the library audito-
rium. Other volunteers showed up at
the library at 7:30 a.m. the day of the
sale to move the books from the audi-
torium to the portico. One volunteer
even came from Oakland! There were
sorters, movers, and cashiers, as well
as others: Modesto Bee news editor
Maria Rocha made the sign that hung
at the front of the library, while Li-
brary Foundation member Maree
Hawkins made the signs for book
genres/categories. Thanks to every-
one who helped, as well as the Salida
and Turlock Friends groups who ad-
vised Clare on how to conduct the
“perfect” used book sale. The sale
netted almost $3000 for the library as
well as several new memberships!
Friends Bulletin

Page 7
 Friends of the Modesto Library
PO Box 4565
Modesto CA 95352
ModestoLibraryFriends.org
Mark your Calendar!
Summer Reading For Adults
June 1 - August 14, 2010
At Your Local Stanislaus County Library Branch
The richest person in
the world - in fact all
the riches in the world Library Book Club, Modesto Library
- couldn't provide you Wednesday, August 18, 7 pm
with anything like the
endless, incredible Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
loot available at your
local library.
~Malcolm Forbes Scholastic Book Fair - November 17, 18 & 20, 2010