By Karen Reilly | Friends of the Library
If you have visited the Mission Valley Branch Library, you have probably encountered the carts of books, DVDs and audiobooks in front, not for you to check out, but to buy. This is our Friends of the Mission Valley Library Book Sale, which operates most days that we are open. You may even have bought something there (thank you!).
It’s hard to believe, but those sales, which average $1 per item, bring in thousands of dollars every year to support our programming, materials and equipment. Just in the last fiscal year, the Friends of the Mission Valley Library gave us $11,000 to help pay for our Baby Sign Language classes, OASIS lectures, Sensory Sunday Family Times, Summer Reading Program events and special events such as our River Days pony rides and petting zoo. In addition, they have helped us to purchase new Express Check machines, shelving, chairs and tables, special book kits for families dealing with divorce, death or other traumatic issues, story time toys and many, many books.
The Friends of the Mission Valley Branch Library is a chapter of the Friends of the San Diego Public Library, a nonprofit corporation comprised of Friends’ chapters at each of the 36 branch libraries in the city of San Diego. Since 1978, Friends groups have contributed more than $15 million to the library. The city of San Diego recognizes the importance of our Friends groups, and has joined them in a dollar-for-dollar “Matching Fund” program to match up to $1 million a year in donations.
The Friends would love to have your help in supporting the library. Have you always dreamed of running your own little store? Come run theirs for just four hours a week — all the fun, with none of the stress of running your own business! Perhaps you see yourself in more of a management or advisory role? They need additional board members to help guide the operation. The board meets just once a month for about an hour, so it’s not a big-time commitment. Do you have a background in bookkeeping or accounting? The parent organization, The Friends of the San Diego Public Library, does the heavy lifting here, but the Mission Valley Friends could really use your help with keeping their ledger up-to-date. Stop by the library or email me if you are interested in getting involved, and we can put you in touch with our Friends.
Ballot drop off
Speaking of civic activism, we are excited to announce that this election season the Mission Valley Branch Library will serve as a mail ballot drop off location! Starting Monday, Oct. 29, and through Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 6, voters will be able to drop off their mail ballots during our regular business hours at a special table inside the branch staffed by poll workers.
Don’t drop your ballot in our book drop, please! That is not a secure location, and the ballot could be lost or mangled under a pile of returned books. On Election Day, our Community Room will be a polling place for the local precinct, and there will also be a mail ballot drop-off table inside the Community Room where you can drop off your ballot.
What could be more convenient? You can park, drop off your ballot, and then check out the latest best-seller!
—Karen E. Reilly is branch manager of the Mission Valley Library. Reach her at [email protected].
