Newslettersummer 2018

WELCOME (BACK) TO OUR LIBRARY!

A m O N G F r I e N D s

December 15, 2018, marked the opening of the William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library, welcomed by thousands of people who came out for this special day. The event was long-awaited—although just a little over a year from the groundbreaking, which is a testament to the dedicated team from Sarasota County responsible for the project.

The grand opening of the beautiful building, which was designed by Sweet Sparkman Architects and constructed by Ajax Tandem, was a wonderful day full of dignitaries, friends, music, confetti, and fun.

Many community members had special roles in the festivities. Venice High School’s Honor Guard and Band performed. Sarabeth Kalajian, Sarasota County Director of Libraries and Historical Resources, delivered remarks, noting the wonderful cooperation between the City of Venice, the County, and supportive community members like Dr. Bill Jervey and the Friends. County Commission Chair Charles Hines and Administrator Jonathan Lewis echoed those sentiments.Dr. Jervey spoke movingly about how libraries had been essential to his entire life’s trajectory, but how this day was “the best day of my life” yet. Friends President Deborah Kostroun thanked everyone involved, especially the volunteers who are essential to operations, while Library Manager Ann Hall expressed her gratitude to all for the fabulous facilities.

Thousands may have attended the opening day, but almost 30,000 have been in since. The Friends Bookstore, with its volunteer “ambassadors,” has been wonderfully received too, with both purchases and donations. If you haven’t been in yet, come soon—you will be dazzled!

NewslettermArch 2019A m O N G F r I e N D s

INSIDE

Bookstore News ....................2

President’s Letter ..................3

Celebration Photos ..........4-5

Adult Programs .....................6

Youth Programs ....................7

Annual Meeting ....................8

Bookstore News!FRIENDS BOOKSTORE ATTRACTS NEW CUSTOMERS

The Friends Bookstore is back and sales are booming! Last month, more than two dozen volunteer booksellers greeted thousands of customers at the new face of the William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library—the Friends Bookstore. With enhancements courtesy of gifts from past and current Friends Board members, the Bookstore features the brand-new and the gently used. The former includes definitive local history hardback Venice: Journey from Horse and Chaise ($25) and Farley Literary Landmark T-shirts in all sizes ($20), while the latter comprises hardcovers and paperbacks in all genres, DVDs, books and music on CD, and magazines. Customers may now pay with credit and debit cards and ApplePay and SamsungPay, as well as checks and cash.

HELP FILL OUR SHELVES!

We need your used books and other media, including LPs and comic books! Limited space at home? Use our bookshelves and help bring enriching programs to our Library patrons, both young and young-at-heart. Great at customer service and ready to meet bibliophiles like yourself? Stop by the store and fill out a volunteer application or do it online at VeniceFriends.org and look for an announcement of the next Volunteer Training session.

We invited Friends member and dedicated volunteer Janet Schotz to share her thoughts on helping out in the new Library. We hope you enjoy her tongue-in-cheek take on the vital role that volunteers continue to serve in our beautiful, high-tech library.

The new library is a glorious bastion of knowledge and information. And, in many ways, the upgraded technology makes it easier than ever for patrons to search, scan, and check out materials. But if any longtime volunteers worried that new tech might push out good ol’ human help, you can rest easy.

Sure, our library utilizes the latest and greatest in automated check-in and sorting systems for retuned materials. You can even watch your books travel down a conveyor belt and magically drop into their rightful bins on a video monitor! But rumors that the original proposal called for an automated, robotic re-shelving system called the Sort-o-Matic3000 were unfounded. (Besides, it probably would have put the project a cool million or two over budget.) Instead, a far more cost-effective and time-proven solution was implemented: volunteers. It's we volunteers who walk the stacks each day, pushing non-motorized carts filled with tomes and carefully placing them back in the appropriate spots, ensuring that they are right where you expect them to be. In doing so, we pick up a few things along the way. For example, we often discover books we never knew existed. Did you know that someone actually took the time to write The Secret World of Slugs and Snails? And someone else wrote a book called Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. A third author wrote something called Moby Dick. It's amazing to learn just how many titles there are out there.

Our hours spent shelving and straightening are also how we can serve as floating information kiosks. Whether we are pointing someone toward Tony Robbins, helping someone else find Zig Ziglar, or directing a third toward the Self-Help section, we let our experience be our guide.

We look forward to helping you on your next visit. And trust me, if we bump into you with a cart, it was completely accidental.

A Volunteer’s View

A Letter From Our PresidentHello, Friends!

We’re in! Thanks to the commitment of our government leaders and wonderful donors to the Friends, the doors to the William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library opened in December and thousands have poured inside since!

The Reading Garden and Fountain, gifted by the City of Venice, is enjoyed daily by the community. The Compass Rose, funded by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and its Kathleen K. Catlin Fund, is “true north” (and truly stunning). Children and teens are flocking to their unique spaces and exploring the innovative Creation Station, thanks to the Venice Nokomis Woman’s Club and donor Pamela Morris.

The welcoming Gulf Coast Community Foundation Community Room is in constant use (the movies have started again!). And thanks to the Friends’ own donation, our Bookstore is gorgeous and busy! With the John Nolen plan for Venice displayed across the entryway, thanks to Barb Freeman, our store is the first face of the Library and, as board member Nancy Kellaway said, “as beautiful as the Library.”

Our wonderful volunteers are indeed ambassadors, helping people with purchases, accepting the tremendous book and media donations we receive, and answering all kinds of questions about the Library and community in general. Our patrons, donors, and volunteers show how important libraries are to the entire community.

Author Eric Klinenberg wrote a book called “Palaces for the People,” which talks about how essential public spaces like libraries are in bringing us together as a community, especially in times of stress. In a public library, all are welcome and equal. Dr. Klinenberg will be here in Sarasota on May 3 to speak to the community, and it will be a wonderful reminder to our government leaders, and to us all, of how vital it is to continue supporting libraries.

See you at the Fountain!

In Friendship,

Deborah Kostroun, President

Vital StatisticsHere are just a few impressive figures from the new library’s first few months of operation: • 26,000 patrons have visited • 544 new library cards issued in the first six weeks • 70 new Bookstore volunteers trained in January and February

The spectacular William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library has welcomed nearly 30,000 community members since its doors officially opened December 15. A preview party for Library donors on December 5 and the daylong grand-opening celebration provided plenty of photo-worthy opportunities to explore all corners

of this stunning facility. To see more photos from these events, visit the Friends’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VeniceFriends.

Katie Schwabach, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, finds her center on the mosaic compass rose at the heart of the new Library. A gift from the Community Foundation’s Kathleen K. Catlin Fund made the decorative feature possible. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Members of the Venice Lions Club, longtime supporters of the Library, stand next to their plaque on the Donor Wall in the Library foyer. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Barbara Freeman, co-chair of the Friends’ Enhancements Campaign Committee, standing in front of the Storytime Room, which her gift funded. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Venice Nokomis Woman’s Club member Jill Hockney shows off the Creation Station on opening day.

Enchancements Campaign Cochairs Barbara Freeman and Judy Collins former Library Manager Nancy Pike were all smiles on opening day.

The spectacular William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library has welcomed nearly 30,000 community members since its doors officially opened December 15. A preview party for Library donors on December 5 and the daylong grand-opening celebration provided plenty of photo-worthy opportunities to explore all corners

of this stunning facility. To see more photos from these events, visit the Friends’ Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VeniceFriends.

Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert with Mark Pritchett, President/CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Gulf Coast funded the flexible, high-tech Gulf Coast Community Foundation Community Room, home to many of the Library’s popular programs. Photos by Cliff Roles.

Barbara Freeman, co-chair of the Friends’ Enhancements Campaign Committee, standing in front of the Storytime Room, which her gift funded. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Philanthropist and Venice history lover Julia Laning’s generosity made it possible to install the reimagined Walter Farley Literary Landmark near the front of the Library. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Library namesake William H. Jervey Jr. relaxes in the Reading Garden, whose feature fountain was gifted by the City of Venice. Photo by Cliff Roles.

Enchancements Campaign Cochairs Barbara Freeman and Judy Collins former Library Manager Nancy Pike were all smiles on opening day.

County Commission Chair Charles Hines (third from left) is joined by (L to R) Library Manager Ann Hall, county libraries director Sarabeth Kalajian, philanthropist Bill Jervey, County Commissioner Al Maio, and County Administrator Jonathan Lewis for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Photo by Steve Dawson, Sarasota County Government.

adult programsWhere reservations are required, go online to scgov.net/library and click Library Events.

PERFORMANCES

Monday, March 4, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.Peggy Martin presents Teacher: The Life of Anne Sullivan, a one-woman show with Peggy as the instructor and friend who taught Helen Keller to read. Reservations required.

Wednesday, March 6, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.Welcome back husband-and-wife musical team Lisa Brande and Mark Trichka for Easy Street in Concert, pop standards to bluegrass performed on a variety of instruments.

Tuesday, March 12, Noon – 1:00 p.m. Feast on a delightful lunchtime treat of operatic appetizers, a hearty chorus, and some sweet surprises served up by the Sarasota Opera Apprentice Artists.

Tuesday, March 19, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.Enjoy songs from the Great American Songbook, international cabaret, and Bossa Nova withSonny & Perley. Reservations required.

LECTURES AND WORKSHOPS

Financial Literacy WorkshopsLearn about these timely topics in free 75-minute workshops presented by nonprofit Foundation for Financial Education: Tuesday, March 5, 6:00 p.m.: College Planning; Saturday, March 16, 10:00 a.m.: Social Security; Tuesday, April 9, 6:00 p.m.: Taxes and the IRS; Saturday, April 27, 10:00 a.m.: Mitigating the Cost of Long Term Care

Baila Miller Discusses Influential ArtistsBaila Miller explores two giants of modern art in her customary enthusiastic and engaging manner. March 8: Francis Bacon: A Brush with Death; April 12: Lucian Freud: A Complicated Man. Both lectures 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Musical Echoes of World War Two March 13 and 27, 3:00 p.m.Explore another chapter of the Great American Songbook with educator and musician Dick Smolens.

iPad Basics with Steve BurnettSecond Friday of the month, 10:00 a.m. – noon. Reservations required.

Travels with Ken Erb Thursday, March 21, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Journey to Poland and learn about the country’s geography and culture in Ken’s slide-illustrated travelogue.

Swinging Through American History Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.Go back to the dance emporiums of the past with Mark Matthews to see how American dancing evolved with social changes.

Thursday Evening FilmsShows begin at 6:00 p.m. and should be over by 8:00 p.m.March 7: The Intouchables; March 14: Tsotsi; March 21: The Commitments; March 28: The Dish

Off the Shelf: Venice Library Book GroupSecond Wednesday of each month, 11:00 a.m. – noon. Friendly informal discussions; newcomers welcome.

Youth ProgramsMONDAYS Forty Carrots Partners in Play, 10:15–11:15 a.m. Free parenting education offered by Forty Carrots Family Center. Pick up a ticket at the Youth Desk. Ages 0 to 5; limited to 12 families.

LEGOs at the Library, 5–7:30 p.m. (starts at 4 p.m. on March 18) Work on your own creations or build as a team. We provide the LEGOs, you provide the imagination!

Monday, March 11 - Family Movie Night: Trolls, 5:30 p.m.

Monday, March 18 Read with the Dogs, 3:30–4:30 p.m. Children read with certified pet-therapy dogs in a program that encourages conversation and develops reading and communication skills.

Family Movie: Toy Story, 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. (two showings)

Monday, March 25Popcorn Book Club Movie: The Tale of Despereaux, 5:30 p.m.

TUESDAYSSing Along with Miss Vicki, 10:15–10:45 a.m. Ages 0-5. Caregivers and children join in singing nursery and folk song favorites.

LEGOs at the Library, 5–7:30 p.m. (starts at 4 p.m. on March 19) See “Mondays” for program description.

Tuesday, March 19 - Spring Break Hooping Mania, 1:30–2:30 p.m. Elementary, middle, and high school ages.

WEDNESDAYSStorytime, 10:15–11:00 a.m. (except March 20) Ages 0-5. Enjoy interacting with your child in early literacy activities that include music and movement, books, and crafts.

Wednesday, March 20 - Read with a Stuffed Animal Buddy, 10:15–10:45 a.m. Ages 0-5. Caregivers and children select a stuffed animal buddy and coordinating book for some special one-on-one time.

Family Movie: Toy Story 2, 1:30 p.m.

Chess Club, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

THURSDAYSFamily Game Night, 5–7:30 p.m. (starts at 4 p.m. on March 21)

Thursday, March 14 Fun To Be Fit Kids, 10:15–11:00 a.m. A music and movement program for kids and their caregivers.

Thursday, March 21 - Spring Break Hooping Mania, 11:00 a.m.–1:45 p.m. Toddler and preschool ages.

FRIDAYSKeep Calm and Color On, 2:30–4:00 p.m. (except March 22, 12:30–1:30 p.m.)

Friday, March 22 - Morning Movie: Toy Story 3, 10:30 a.m.

Saturday, March 30GARDEN Club, 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Ages 5–11. Join the G.A.R.D.E.N. (Gardeners and Readers Develop Naturally) Club for storytelling and learning activities to inspire the green thumb in everyone! Registration opens March 1.

Annual Meeting of the FriendsAprIl 13, 8:30 A.m., cOmmuNIty rOOm

The annual meeting of the Friends of the Venice Public Library will be held on April 13, at 8:30 a.m., in the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Community Room at the William H. Jervey Jr. Venice Public Library. Please join us for annual reports from the Friends board and its committees, and the election of officers and new board members. The meeting will be followed by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting

for our new Bookstore, with guests from the Venice Area Chamber of Commerce and Venice MainStreet participating.

For more information, call 941.861.1351 or email admin@venicefriends.org.

Friends of the Venice Public Library, Inc.300 Nokomis Ave. S.Venice, FL 34285

Web: www.venicefriends.orgEmail: Admin@Venicefriends.org