In recognition of the critical need for free, reliable health information in Fresno County, the national non-profit organization, Libraries for the Future (LFF), has awarded the Fresno County Public Library a grant of $25,000. The grant will allow for a full year of Fit for Life programming in 2009 to address physical and brain health with a special focus on pre-school and school age children, teens and their parents.

The Friends of the Fresno County Library are excited to announce a new way to raise funds to support our library system. The Friends are now a recognized charity on Goodsearch, a Yahoo! powered search engine. Instead of using Google, use Goodsearch, found at www.goodsearch.com, to perform online searches.

Endowments

The Alfred J. Shepherd Trust endowment of $900,000.00 for the Sanger Library to be used only for professional development and materials acquisition at the Sanger Library in honor of the Shepherd, Ellis, and Powell families.

Grants

Bertha and John Garabedian Charitable Foundation grant of $5,000.00 to the Shaver Lake Branch Library and $5,000.00 for the Auberry Branch Library.

Major Gifts

“The Friends of the Fresno County Public Library is a model for other nonprofits to follow in regard to managing its fiscal affairs.”

This was a comment made by the Friends’ independent auditor, Angela Chi, CPA, of Watts, Campbell, Chi, & Baker Accountancy Corporation when she reported on the Friends 2007 and first independent audit.

On April 19, 2008, donors Dr. Joseph and Barbara Capell hosted six guests for dinner with acclaimed author Steve Yarbrough and his wife Ewa. The seven-course Italian dinner, complete with wine pairing, was held at the home of Linda and Dave Calandra.

Dr. and Mrs. Cappell were the successful bidders for the evening sold as a silent auction item at the Friends’ Dinner in the Library last November. Friends board president Dusty Guthier, vice president Tanya Nichols, and Library development officer Linda Calandra teamed up to prepare and serve the meal.

On April 15 the Friends of the Auberry Library sponsored a musical drama at the library. "€œSprawlzilla vs Mainstreet"€ is a humorous, audience participation melodrama about urban sprawl. The actors conducted workshops at the local high school and, in turn, the high school Mountain Choral Company performed with them at the library.

This was one of the monthly concert series provided by the Friends of the Auberry Library for the local community.

We continue to provide sales of donated books to patrons of the Fig Garden Library whenever the library is open. The success of our sales, which has been remarkable, has actually diminished our inventory, and we want all patrons of Fig Garden or anyone else to know that the library will receive donations at any time. If you’re cleaning out the house, the attic, the cellar, or just want to share your recent book acquisitions with others, please consider dropping off your books at the library. Everyone benefits: patrons and the library.

Friends of the Fresno County Public Library elected three new directors at the annual meeting, April 5, 2008, bringing the number of directors to 14. Elected were Linnea Alexander, a professor at California State University Fresno; Brandon McAvoy, a CPA with Torosian-Walter; and Melissa Moradian, an account executive with Jeffrey Scott Advertising.

On behalf of the Library, I want to thank Al Owen for his very hard work this past year as president of the Friends. During much of the year, Al served as both president and acting executive secretary; he was truly a tireless worker for the Friends of the Library.