News from PG Friends
Monterey County Gives
Bucks for Books
ends December 31, 2020
Your donation to the Friends through Monterey County Gives will purchase new books for the PG Library in 2021. Plus it will be matched by added Gives! funds. Thank you for your contribution!
Click here to donate to Bucks for Books
Ready to Read?
"Books by the Bag" are ready for you!
Order online and a carefully curated bag of used books will be ready for pick up or delivery. Most popular are mysteries, children’s books and fiction, although the Friends have a little of everything. What are you ready to read?
Click here to order "Books by the Bag"
Friends of the Pacific Grove Library
Annual Meeting
with Alka Joshi
Reservations now open for the Friends 2021 Annual Meeting (Sunday, January 24, 2021, 2pm to 4pm) on Zoom with guest speaker -- author Alka Joshi. Free, and open to Friends members only!
To register and learn more via EventBrite, click this link
This Giving Tuesday please enjoy the completed video glimpse of our beautiful renewed PG library. It’s a timely reminder of what we can accomplish when we all work together to improve the future for all of us! Watch the video in its own window.
Read the Friends' Fall Newsletter here
Newsletter Highlights:
President's Message: looking forward
Meet Library Manager Diana Godwin
Books By The Bag
Partnering with Meals on Wheels
What's the Latest at the Library
and more....
Donate now to give Bucks for Books.
The Friends of the Pacific Grove Public Library helps ensure that the library is a thriving community center for discovery and lifelong learning. Our Monterey County Gives! Big Idea, Bucks for Books, aims to raise money to support acquisition of new library materials for the newly renovated library. Due to declining city revenue from Covid-19, the P.G. Public Library’s budget is down 37 percent this year. People of all ages want and need library books and other materials now more than ever. In 2019, the Pacific Grove Public Library circulated more than 250,000 print, video, audio and electronic materials. The library hopes to be able to continue lending from a robust collection, especially when people need it most.
Dear Friends of the Library
Although the Friends Dine Out and Friends in-person book sales are still indefinitely postponed, we have good news for used book buyers. And PG Library patrons.
The Friends book sale returns - online!
We now have two ways you can buy gently used books from the Friends through our website:
- With your online Books by the Bag purchase you'll receive a bag of curated books, in one or two genres, for contact-less pick up at St Mary's Church or contact-less delivery to your home. More information at books-bag
- Prefer to pick out your own books? Visit our Friends Amazon and Abebooks online bookstores to choose from over 400 titles, with mail delivery.
Two Pacific Grove Public Library services are returning, as well!
- The curbside book drop reopens in its usual spot, next to the Library by Jewell Park, on Monday, September 28. All returned materials will be quarantined before being available for holds.
- Library holds pickups at the PG Library will begin Wednesday, October 21, and will be available two days per week - Mondays from 3 to 6 pm and Wednesdays from 10 am to 1 pm. Holds can be placed online.
Reference and other questions will continue to be answered via phone or email. The Library will expand days and hours as more staffing is restored.
Enjoy a taste of fall from our generous PG restaurant Friends through "take out or distanced dining" at Victorian Corner, Wild Fish Restaurant, Taste Bistro, The Red House Cafe, Petra Cafe, Peppers Mexicali Cafe, Pacific Thai Cuisine, Inc., Max's Grill, La Mia Cucina, Il Vecchio and the Beach House at Lovers Point.
Be safe, be well, please vote and keep reading!
Kim Bui
Friends President
Are you missing our First Saturday Book Sales as much as we are? During this time of Shelter-in-Place we would like to offer weekly contactless “Books by the Bag” until we can safely reopen.
Here is how to order, pay online and pick up:
- Order your bag here.
- Pay online: $20 per Big Bag or $10 per Basic Bag.
- Select your genre(s).
- Wait for our email letting you know your bag of books is ready for outdoor, contactless pick-up.
- Put on your face-covering and come to St. Mary’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, on the 13th Street side, above Central Avenue. We will have your bag(s) waiting for you!
- Read and enjoy!
Details:
- Beginning September 29, pick-up times are 10 am – 12 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.
- Please give us one week to select and prepare your bag of books.
- All books have been quarantined during these months. All volunteers will sanitize and wear face coverings.
- If you are unable to pick-up books because of health issues we offer delivery service for an extra $5.00, but only in Pacific Grove.
At this time, we still cannot accept book donations or returns.
Library Renewal Project construction is complete, and the move back into the Library building has started! Read the City's latest update here.
July's Lego Challenge!
DEADLINE: July 31st 2020
CHALLENGE: Create a new method of transportation that is environmentally friendly.
SUBMIT: Please take a picture by the deadline and submit it to ysdesk@cityofpacificgrove.org. Your picture will be added to the Gallery.
Dear Friends of the Library:
Thanks to Council leadership, and three meetings of public input, a $116,000 increase for the 2020/2021 Library budget was approved at Wednesday's (June 24) Council meeting. Your voices were heard, and made a difference!
This added funding will restore three 3/4 time regular positions, including the children's librarian, to the Library this fall and December. This increase will allow limited library services to resume when all six staff are in place.
As Friends, we will advocate for a speedy resumption of Library services as soon the Library is moved back into the completed Renewed Library, and as soon as the State allows in-person Library service.
We very much hope that Library services will begin earlier this fall, rather than later. December is too long to wait! We all miss our Library, its collections and services, and its wonderful staff, so much.
Our Summer newsletter will have more updates on the Friends and the Library, as well as our annual listing of our current members, Friends and Foundation donors. It should be coming your way in early July.
These are unprecedented times, the very rainiest of rainy days, for our residents and for the Library. The Friends are here to help. We will continue to work with the City, Foundation, Library Board and staff to support PG Library services to meet community needs and community demand.
Kim Bui
President