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Commentary
Library's birthday showed an aging building
By Sallsy Towse and Dolly Barnes
Three different yet complementary groups with sometimes overlapping casts co-sponsored Jump! Jive! And Raise the Roof! on June 26th.
Jump! was both a celebration of our library's 21 years of service to the community and a heads-up that the library needs repairs and upgrades to continue to provide the service we expect. The Saratoga Library Commission, the Friends of the Saratoga Libraries and the Saratoga Community Library Foundation described the needs of the Saratoga Community Library.
The library is bursting at the seams and showing its age. The library needs more room for materials. Heating and air conditioning systems need replacement, as does the roof. We need improved lighting, acoustics, electrical and computer wiring.
Library use is exploding. In 1991 we estimated that our library would circulate 45,000 items a month in 2005. Last March, six years shy of our original target date, we circulated 84,000 items, over 87 percent more than our original projections.
Saratogans need to talk about what can be done, what should be done and what we expect from our library. Soon you'll see volunteers in front of stores, the library and the post office. We are gathering information about the priorities Saratogans put on our library's wide-ranging needs. Please help us out when we stop you to ask questions or if you find mail from us in your mailbox.
Jump! was a magical, memorable evening. The event grew from a suggestion Ken Lee made more than a year ago. He passed away in January, but we remembered him as we dined and danced in the parking lot to the Lyratones.
SCLF patrons donated money to "the cause"; Saratogans who couldn't attend sent donations ranging from $10 to $1,000. Donations to the Saratoga Community Library Foundation totaled over $20,000 and profit from ticket sales for the event seem guaranteed to add even more to that total--all for the library's benefit.
The Saratoga City Council and staff and the library staff lent support. St. Andrews provided parking. Bonnie Stone donated her artistic talent. Cynthia Lee and Ann Peterson acted as co-chairs and managed a large group of very dedicated volunteers. We'd like to thank them all.
Kelly Moore Paint, Safeway, Trader Joe's and Fernwood Florists also pitched in. The door prizes included gifts from Preston Wynne, Hillview Cleaners, Rapunzel Salon, Viaggio Restaurant and, of course, the Book-Go-Round.
Mike and Lori Fox and MEFox Distributing contributed the sodas and beer. Wine was provided by local wineries: Cinnabar Winery, Clos La Chance Winery, Conrado Cellars, Cooper Garrod Estate Vineyards, J. Lohr, Mountain Winery, Saratoga Hills Winery and Trout Gulch Vineyard.
Seeing the community support and talking to former City Council members and Citizens of the Year who showed up on a balmy Saturday night, showed us, again, how important the library is to our community. We'd like to thank everyone who made the evening possible and encourage everyone to get involved with the library.
Sally J. Towse is president of the Saratoga Community Library Foundation; Dolly Barnes is community librarian for the Saratoga Community Library.
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
