Celebrate National Friends of the Library Week

The Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library will be spending the entire week of October 19-25 celebrating its Friends of the Library group. The Friends of the Stockton Public Library was established in 1957 and has raised over $2,000,000 for the Library to date. Currently there are approximately 300 community members contributing annually to the Friends and nearly 105 of these contributors actively volunteer their time to assist the group with fundraising efforts that include operating the Friends of the Stockton Public Library Bookstore located at 1724 W. Hammer Lane in Stockton.

"I was practically raised in a library, the one three blocks from where I grew up as a child in Lodi. I can remember the great day when I graduated from the separate children's section to the shush-shush caverns of the adult rooms with their rows and rows of forbidding books," said Friends of the Stockton Public Library president Vince Perrin. "I've been a board member of the Friends of the Library for more years than I care to remember, and they are years I always will remember. The other board members are as dedicated as I, and we all find it terribly rewarding to be able to assist the library financially and support its goals." Other officers of the organization are Colleen Cook, Vice President; Arnold Whipple, Treasurer; David Scheffer, Secretary; and Board Members Marge Flaherty, Kendra Hall, Bill Maxwell, Coralita Rathhaus, and Jane Thro. Jann Bueno is the Friends' Bookstore Manager.

Activities that have been supported by the Friends of the Stockton Public Library are numerous and varied. They include the co-sponsoring of the annual Summer Reading Program’s many events such as storytimes, educational science programs, engaging puppet shows that teach children how to follow storylines; author talks, art exhibits, and other educational and enrichment programs for adults, teens, children and their families.

"Our library would be much poorer without the Friends," said Library director Natalie R. Rencher. "The funds they raise definitely put the icing on the cake. The programs they support draw the community into the Library. I think most customers would be surprised to learn how many of the services and programs they enjoy that are supported by the Friends." The Library encourages the community to show its appreciation of the Friends:

• Reduce bookshelf clutter, pack up your old books and take them to the Friends of the Stockton Public Library Bookstore
• Become a member of the Friends of the Stockton Public Library, learn more by calling (209) 476-9033
• Visit the Library and attend programs, many of which are sponsored by the Friends group
• Learn more by visiting the Friends of the Library page.
• Take notice of our other friends groups:
  • Friends of the Escalon Library
  • Friends of the Linden Library
  • Friends of the Manteca Library
  • Friends of the Memorial Ripon Library
  • Tracy Friends of the Library