From Cover To CoverSummer 2009A Publication of the Friends of the Lafayette LibraryNo. 156

artwork in each area. These boards

were displayed for several weeks in

the current library. Viewers indicated

preferences on provided comment

cards, information that was later

considered during the final meetings

of the art selection process.

The artist picked for the library’s

outdoor corridor artwork is Brian

Groggin of San Francisco. Brian

proposed a towering sculpture

resembling a stack of books, the last

of which is open, its loose pages

suspended from a network of cables,

so that the pages appear to float off

the stack and spread throughout the

plaza leading to the front entrance.

His sculpture is whimsical while

also being serious art.

Well, we’re almost there! Our

beautiful new library is

expected to open on November 14th..

In addition to the new library

building and the community hall,

just down the hill from the library

and right next to the indoor garage,

will be a wonderful new Book Room

for the Friends to sell our “gently

used” books. Already, many Friends

are busy preparing plans for this

Book Room move, which will be a

major operation for us.

It will be so exciting to move

into this new environment with

its beautiful artwork. In 2008, the

Lafayette Public Art Committee,

working with the Oakland Museum

of California, put out a widespread

request soliciting proposals from

artists.

Out of 80 applications received for

the outdoor plaza corridor and 55 for

the children’s activity deck, the final

pool of artists narrowed to 11 who

were asked to prepare site-specific

proposals of artworks.

Each finalist received “assumptions”

regarding the projects, such as

needing to meet City codes and

requirements; to reflect and

complementing the surrounding

area; and to be sustainable, durable

and resistant to vandalism, among

others.

Each artist prepared one or two

boards illustrating ideas for the

Kana Tanaka is the artist chosen for

the children’s activity deck project.

Her artwork uses colored disks

suspended from an overhead trellis,

casting shadows that show the

symbols from the periodic table.

Optical lenses placed along the outer

deck walls create opportunities for

children to see each other through

the “looking glass.” This proposal

was clearly the most interesting and

insightful in a subtle, child-friendly

way.

Lafayette will be fortunate to

have sculptures of such artistic

excellence, innovation, creativity

and originality.

Just like our new library.

“This is a very complicated, expensive,magni!cent, fabulous building.”

Lafayette City Manager Steve Falk, speaking to the Friends Board Meeting, May 11, 2009Photo courtesy of the City of Lafayette

Grand Opening – November 14, 2009President’s

Message

Lois Laine

Page 2 Summer 2009 • From Cover to Cover

Librarian’s

Corner

Susan Weaver

What exciting times we’re in!

Library staff are plotting and

planning the big move with just 6

short months to go!

Here’s just a sampling of what we’re

working on:

Taking inventory of every book shelf

and piece of furniture in the old li-

brary to offer to other County librar-

ies and departments when we move.

Measuring the linear

feet of books plus es-

timating the

number of

boxes we’ll

need to pack

up office and other

supplies for the movers.

Ordering the “Opening Day Col-

lection” of adult, teen and children

books. (Money for this is coming

from the City and Friends to expand

and enhance our current collection.)

Creating a timeline for what we need

to accomplish after the furniture and

shelves are installed in the new li-

brary – no mean feat with all of the

technology and thousands of books

to be checked, processed and shelved

in an orderly and quick fashion.

Planning exciting, fun programs in

the new library for everyone.

And we’re doing all of this between

Story Times, the Summer Reading

Program, and other events in the li-

brary. We can’t wait and we know

you’re excited too.

Together, we’re going to make our

new library the best in the country!

The economy is and library use is

By nearly 10% overall over the past year,

according to County circulation reports

years” customer. Books in ratty con-

dition? Triplicate copies? They’re

gone, too.

Inventory management, says Bel-

lenger, is a key to saving hard dollar

costs as the Book Room transitions

to the new retail space in the new li-

brary building.

There’s the immediate savings. Less

books mean less boxes to pack this

fall and a lower moving bill.

Long term, lower inventory means

hard-dollar expense savings. The

estimated linear shelf space in the

new Book Room can accommodate

18,000 books, but nothing close to

40,000. Keeping inventory down

should eliminate off-site inventory

storage rental needs.

The Book Room doesn’t buy inven-

tory -- it’s all donated. But we do face

other inventory costs.

Managing those inventory costs

down -- now that’s a smart move!

Hats off to Bellenger and the rest of

the Book Room team for a job well

done.

-- Robin Fox

It took a year, but Merryman Book

Room Chair Sally Bellenger says

the Book Room has finally managed

its inventory down to the “right”

level – between 17, 000 and 18,000

books.

That’s a drastic drop from the 40,000

books the Book Room had on hand

last spring, and represents a huge

culling effort -- book by book and box

by box -- that started with ongoing

donations then moved to long-held

stock on the Book Room shelves.

The result? Customer satisfaction is

up, thanks to improved Book Room

browse-ability. “Customers are happy

because now they can find the books

they want to buy,” says Bellenger.

It helps that Book Room volunteers

make good choices.

“We know what our customers want

to buy,” says Bellenger, adding these

are the genres and topics that are now

given the largest shelf space, every-

thing from children’s books to mys-

teries and cookbooks. (See chart.)

Bottom line: No more holding eclec-

tic titles indefinately, hoping for what

Bellenger calls the “once every seven

Managing Book Room Inventory = Smart Move

* Count shown doesn’t

include 6,200 aggre-

gate volumes from 60

“Other” book genres

or topic categories

(airplanes” to “west-

erns”)

Book Room Inventory at 4/30/09

Most Popular Categories *

3508

2357

1487

1151

671

578

525

473

426

390

205

Children's

Mystery

Novels (incl trade)

Fiction Paperback

Biography

History

Sci-Fi

Romance

Classics

Travel

Cookbooks

Number of Books (estimate based on linear shelf feet)

Our Loss, Portland’s Gain

son whom we’ll miss greatly.”

So what does Portland offer this

past Friends of the Library presi-

dent that’s better than her Friends

and our new Lafayette Library &

Learning Center? Her grandchild.

(Alas, there’s no competing with

him!)

But Linda will be back in town for

November’s grand opening, and as

often as she can after that.

“I’m keeping my Lafayette Library

card and will hope that’s enough to

get me in the door forever, whenever

I come to visit,” she says.

Not to worry, Linda – Friends like

you are always welcome!

Parents – put away the checkbooks this time.

The Lafayette Library & Learning Center Foundation’s newest fundraising

campaign – The Power of YOUTH – is for the kids. It’s still about making every

dollar count for the new library. But these dollars are the ones kids of all ages

earn themselves. And here’s fun news: Donating at least $15 of those dollars

means a specially designed library card and a T-shirt for the donor.

“This is a two-pronged effort to encourage our young people to become stake-

holders in the new library while simultaneously experiencing the rewards of

philanthropy,” says Gwenn Lennox, LL&LC Foundation Director.

Kids either raise money on their own, or help collect, sort and price used books

for sale at the upcoming Art & Wine Festival. Or they can do both. For more

details, go to lafayettelib.com and click on The Power of YOUTH link.

The Foundation Harnesses The Power of YOUTHIt was as if she wasn’t moving to

Portland in July.

At our May board

meeting, long time

FLL board member

Linda Peterson

explained why the

Friends shouldn’t

miss the oppor-

tunity to help

support the

new library

building’s

proposed

“Living Media

Wall” – a wall of grouped computer-

ized plasma screens with seemingly

limitless potential as an in-library

communication and educational

vehicle. It will be state of the art, she

said, and we’ll probably be the first

public library to have one, how cool

would that be?

Very cool – right? But what’s even

“cooler” is Linda’s unfettered

enthusiasm for all things Lafayette

Library. Even as the moving van

looms in her future.

If we dedicated every column inch

of this 8-page newsletter to describe

what Linda has done for our La-

fayette Library, directly as well as

working with the Friends and others

charged with library fundraising,

we’d fall short. The list is too long.

Just know – Linda has lent her time,

energy, leadership and considerable

professional communications exper-

tise in nearly every possible way to

make the existing library a better

place for all, and to ensure that the

new library becomes a reality.

And that includes launching what

has become the Friends’ very

popular Sweet Thursdays: Writers

on Writing author series, as well as

taking pen to paper to help create

award-winning printed marketing

materials that tell the Lafayette Li-

brary & Learning Center story. All

the while, adds FLL Board member

Ruth Bailey, “being a very nice per-

Linda Peterson

From Cover to Cover • Summer 2009 Page 3

Page 4

Book Room Volunteer Solves Cold Case Mystery

Book Room Volunteer Pat Draa

It looked like the “usual trunk-full of

book donations,” Pat Draa says she

usually picks up from the library for

delivery to the Book Room. Only that

December night, it wasn’t.

Instead of literary gems, one box con-

cealed a Henry Weinhard 12-pack beer

box jammed with jewelry – diamonds

and sapphires and more. Everything

packed in little boxes or baggies.

Right away, Draa saw the mistake. But

there was no name in sight.

So she took the jewelry home and sift-

ed for clues. And she found one – a

1960’s school-girl I.D. bracelet, com-

plete with name, Lafayette address

and phone number.

When the number didn’t work, Draa

quickly Googled an update.

“Are there a lot of rings?” Draa later

quoted the elderly woman who an-

swered the phone call, but now wishes

to remain anonymous.

The jewelry had been M.I.A. for nearly

two years, ever since she’d “hidden”

it from would-be thieves before she’d

left on vacation. The trouble was that

when she got back, she couldn’t re-

member where she’d put it. Her fam-

ily had hunted for it ever since – in

closets, cupboards and drawers.

She didn’t think to look through the

old books.

Last Christmas,

the woman’s

grown chil-

dren offered

to help her

de-clutter,

starting

with

donating already boxed-up books.

The beer box of jewelry was buried

under books in one of those boxes.

That jewelry, the woman says now,

was more than just gems and gold:

“It was sixty years of marriage.”

All the more dear because the jewelry

resurfaced while her husband was ill

and housebound.

Her daughter, writing by email a few

weeks later, painted the picture:

“My mom and my dad spent his awake

part of many days going through the

box, little by little, remembering the

story behind each piece of jewelry.

There were the little gifts brought

back from overseas trips when my fa-

ther would be gone for a month at a

time, leaving my mom with 4 kids on

her own.

There were a few pieces from my

mother’s mother, which are the only

things left from that generation.

And there were the silly (but artistic)

gifts, like the necklace made out of a

gold crown from my dad’s tooth that

needed to be replaced. He reshaped

it, placed a diamond in the middle,

and created a beautiful piece of jew-

elry.

Lots of laughter, lots of love, and lots

of memories filled those moments for

them.”

All of this proves that Draa had been

more than a good Friend. She’d

solved one family’s mystery, and

helped start another chapter in a long

love story.

Oh – and that identification brace-

let? It belonged to the woman’s other

daughter. Something Vallecito El-

ementary School (then located where

Bentley School is now) required stu-

dents to have in the late 1960’s.

Just in case of an emergency.

-- Robin Fox

Summer 2009 • From Cover to Cover

Bancroft Library Archives Merryman Bookmark Collection

Thanks to the efforts of Mary Solon, Joan Merryman’s bookmark collection

is now part of the UC-Berkeley’s Bancroft Library archives.

This collection, 35 years in the buiding, held approximately 16,000 bookmarks

at the time of Merryman’s death in 2008. Among others, it includes bookmarks

Merryman picked up free at every bookstore and library she en-

tered, as well as gifts from friends who did the same for her.

Some, like the Thomas Stevens’ Stevengraph woven silk depiction

of the procession of Lady Godiva (circa late 1800’s), have signifi-

cant monetary value.

Most are cardstock bookmarks used by publishers and bookstores

to advertise books and events. Individually, throw-aways.

Merryman’s large collection, culled mostly locally for such a

long time, is interesting, said Bancroft Library Principle Pro-

cessing Archivist Jane Roasario, because of “what it shows

about the Bay Area book scene.” It tells the story of a chang-

ing market and bookstores that no longer exist.

Page 5

In June, the Friends of the Lafayette

Library will present not one but three

Sweet Thursday events featuring high-

profile and best-selling authors.

On June 4, New York Times bestselling

author Michelle Richmond will

discuss No One You Know, a nominee

for the Northern California Book

Award that’s recently been released

in paperback. The story revolves

around an unsolved mystery — the

murder of the protagonist’s sister,

a gifted mathmetician. As with the

author’s previous works, including

The Year of Fog, this psychological

thriller examines love, pain, betrayal

and loss. Critics call it, “compulsively

readable.”

Publishers Weekly writes: “Richmond

returns to San Francisco for another

enjoyable blend of mystery and

domestic fiction... Vivid descriptions

and loving explanations of the city and

intelligent forays into the sciences of

coffee and mathematics enhance [this]

quietly captivating novel.” (www.

michellerichmond.com)

On June 12th, Lisa See, author of

Snowflower and the Secret Fan

and Peony in Love, returns to Sweet

Thursday for a special Friday afternoon

program at Lafayette’s Stanley Middle

School (2 p.m.) to discuss her latest and

eagerly-awaited novel. Shanghai Girls

tells the story of two sisters who leave

Shanghai to find new lives in 1930’s Los

Angeles. In this work, See continues to

explore the big issues of friendship and

love, loyalty and betrayal.

Booklist says: “The sisters are tena-

ciously devoted to each other, though

time and events will strain this loyalty

nearly to the point of destruction.

Examining the chains of friendship

within the confines of family, See’s

kaleidoscopic saga transits from the

barbaric horrors of Japanese occupation

to the sobering indignities suffered by

foreigners in 1930’s Hollywood, while

From Cover to Cover • Summer 2009

A Writers on Writing Discussion and Dessert Series

Unless noted, events are held at the Lafayette Library at 7:30 p.m. • Complimentary coffee and dessert

Thanks to the Lafayette

Book Store, books are

available for sale at all

events.

Don’t miss Sweet Thursday!

For up-to-date information and calendar reminders, add your name to our e-mail

distribution list. Send your e-mail address to: fll.editor@comcast.net

offering a buoyant and lustrous paean to

the bonds of sisterhood.” $10 suggested

donation at the door to benefit the new

Library. (www.lisasee.com)

On June 18, Berkeley-resident Sophia

Raday will discuss her new book, Love

in Condition Yellow, a funny and moving

memoir of an unlikely marriage. Her

husband is a soldier/police officer and

she’s a self-proclaimed peace-loving

activist. (www.sophiaraday.com)

These June events just start the summer.

On July 23rd., Sweet Thursdays hosts

Tanya Egan Gibson, author of How to

Buy a Love of Reading. The Lafayette

Library will be conducting a related

essay contest. Details at the library.

We’re taking a break in August, but

pencil in September 17 – we’ll be

featuring Sara Houghteling, author of

Pictures at an Exhibition. For more

info go to (www.sarahoughteling.

com).

– Casey Sasner

Sweet Thursdays

From Cover to Cover • Summer 2009Page 6

* All events are free and held at the Lafayette Library, unless noted.

Mark Your Calendars, Friends *Every Monday & Thursday

10:15 a.m. -- Mother Goose Time

Story time for Babies & Toddlers. Interactive, early literacy time for young children and

their adult caregivers. Share songs, rhymes, lapjogs... and books, of course!

Every Monday & Thursday

11:15 a.m.Preschool Story Time

Story time for preschoolers PLUS craft. Help children develop early literacy skills as

they listen to stories, sing songs, and learn fingerplays and rhymes. Craft to follow.

Thurs, June 4, 7:30pm Free Author Event Sweet Thursday. Michelle Richmond, No One You Know.

Sat, June 6, 9a.m. – Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Fri, June 12, 2pm

Stanley Middle School Author Event

Special Sweet Thursday -- on a Friday at Stanley! Lisa See, Shanghai Girls. $10

suggested donation benefits new Library.

Thurs, June 18, 7:30p.m. Free Author Event Sweet Thursday. Sophia Raday. Love in Condition Yellow.

Sat, June 20, 9a.m. – Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Weds, June 24, 7p.m. Library Adult Program – Book Club A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty White. Newcomers Welcome.

Tues, June 30, 7 p.m. Family Story Time – Pajamarama Stories and songs with Miss Donna. Kids – don’t forget to wear PJ’s and bring Teddy.

Sat, July 4, 9 a.m.–Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Tues, July 7, 7 p.m Family Story Time – Pajamarama Stories and songs with Miss Donna. Kids – don’t forget to wear PJ’s and bring Teddy.

Tues, July 14, 7 p.m. Family Story Time – Pajamarama Stories and songs with Miss Donna. Kids – don’t forget to wear PJ’s and bring Teddy.

Sat, July 18, 9 a.m.–Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Tues, July 21, 7 p.m. Family Story Time – Pajamarama Stories and songs with Miss Donna. Kids – don’t forget to wear PJ’s and bring Teddy.

Weds, July 22, 7 p.m. Library Adult Program -- Book Club Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Newcomers Welcome.

Thurs, July 23, 7:30 p.m. Free Author Event Sweet Thursday. Tanya Egan Gibson, How to Buy a Love of Reading.

Tues, July 28, 7 p.m. Family Story Time – Pajamarama“Campo-Out.” Stories and songs with Miss Donna. Kids – don’t forget to wear PJ’s and

bring Teddy and a flashlight.

Sat, Aug 1, 9 a.m.–Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Sat, Aug 15, 9 a.m.–Noon Friends of the Library Book Sale Used books. Great prices. Merryman Book Room, Lafayette Community Center.

Summer Reading Program 2009June 8 – August 17

“Be Creative @ Your Library”

Sign-ups start June 8 • Ask Librarian for details

Special Events

Tuesday, June 16 @ 1pm

Red Panda Acrobats

Thursday, July 9 @ 1pm

Create a Fun Project with

Lafayette’s The Art Room*

Thursday, August 13 @ 1pm

Fratello Puppets*

* sponsored by the Friends

Free Kaplan College & SAT Prep @

the Library

Monday, June 29 @ 7pm

Getting into college workshop

Saturday, July 11, 8 a.m. to Noon

SAT practice test

Monday, July 13 @ 7pm

SAT follow-up

Monday, July 27 @ 7pm

SAT essay writing workshop

All are free – but call Kaplan at

1-800-KAPTEST to sign up.

Chess Anyone?

3rd Saturdays4 p.m.

Chess Instruction

Farhad Azimzadeh, Instructor

Free

Beginner and Intermediate

Page 7

The Perfect Gift, Every Time

Friends of the Lafayette Library Merryman Book Room

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Available at the Library Circulation Desk

Great for any occasion -- birthday, thank-you, teacher appreciation, holidays, or even get well wishes... for anyone who

loves books!

From Cover to Cover • Summer 2009

Wanted! Teen Summer Volunteers

Teens! Looking for something interesting

and fun to do over the summer? The li-

brary needs summer volunteers to help out

with Summer Reading. If you like people, es-

pecially kids, this is a laid-back way to inter-

act with others, help your local library, and get

your community service hours for next year

done before the school year even starts! We

also need volunteers to shelve books and help

us prepare books for the new library.

Call Rebekah if interested at 925-283-3872.

450 Student Artists Compete in 2009 Bookmark Contest

The Friends of the Lafayette Library

2009 Bookmark Contest was a great

success with more than 450 partici-

pants. The theme was “Open Door,

Open Minds.” As always, the contest

was open to all students in Lafayette,

grades first through eighth.

The awards ceremony took place

on Tuesday, April 7th, at the library

where all entries remained on display

throughout the month.

Each student winner received a $25

gift certificate from either the Story-

teller or Lafayette Bookstore. In ad-

dition, Anthony Ruiz of FastFrame

once again offered to frame the art-

work free of charge. Mr. Ruiz also

frames all 8 winners for display in

the library.

The Friends’ Bookmark Contest

“Hall of Fame” category recognizes

students that potentially have a win-

ning bookmark but have already won

in the past. 7 students earned this

honor this year. Each received a gift

certificate to the Friends’ Merryman

Book Room.

Thanks to all who particpated in this

year’s bookmark contest!

-- Meagan Hagglund

Front row (left to right):

Payson Newman (Happy

Valley, 4th grade), Melissa

Nolan (Springhill, 3rd).

Back row: Evan Groover

(Stanley, 8th), Griffin Haz

(Stanley, 7th), Silvana

Moiceanu (Stanley, 7th),

Weston Carpenter (Stan-

ley, 6th).

Not pictured: Arianna

Ninh (Stanley. 6th)

Front (left to right) Hailey Kittinger (Happy Valley, 3rd), Emmet Morgridge (Lafayette, 2nd),

Yakov Shalunov (Springhill, 1st)

Back row: Charlie Delamore (Burton Valley, 4th), Maddie Koelzer (St. Perpetua, 5th), Dana

Piercy (Stanley, 6th), David MacDannald ( Stanley, 7th), Heather Eagle (Stanley, 8th)

2009 Winners

2009 Bookmark Contest “Hall of Fame”

Friends of the Lafayette Library952 Moraga RoadLafayette, CA 94549www.lafayettefriends.org

2008-2009 FLL Officers:Lois Laine, President

Linda Peterson, Immediate Past Pres.

Robin Holt, Vice President

Seerat Aziz, Recording Secretary

Sharon Lingane, Corresponding

Secretary

Dave Hiden,Treasurer

Merryman Book RoomLafayette Community Center

500 St. Mary’s Road

Open 9 a.m. to Noon

1st & 3rd Saturday each month

Lafayette Library HoursMonday 10 a.m – 6 p.m.

Tuesday Noon – 8 p.m.

Wednesday Noon – 8 p.m.

Thursday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Non-Profit

Organizaton

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Lafayette, CA 94549

Permit No. 54

TIME-DATED

MATERIAL

FRIENDS OF THE LAFAYETTE LIBRARY

952 Moraga Road • Lafayette, CA 94549

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

From Cover To Cover

Published by theFriends of the

Lafayette Library

Editor: Robin Fox

We welcome your comments

and questions.

FLL.Editor@comcast.net

(925) 962-0992

Celebrate!

Our New Library Opens

November 14, 2009

Summer reading has

always been fun. Now

it’s easy on the budget

thanks to the Book Room’s

super sale on Saturday, June

20. Books are half-price from

9-11 a.m., and then $5 a bag

from 11 a.m. until noon.

See you there!

Volunteers staff sales. All money goes to the Lafayette Library.

Friends of the Lafayette Library Book Sale

1st & 3rd Saturday of Every Month9:00 a.m. to Noon

Merryman Book RoomLafayette Community Center • 500 St. Mary’s Road

June 6, 20*; July 4, 18; Aug 1, 15 *Half-price day PLUS $5 bag sale 11 a.m. – Noon

Find. Open. Smile. Share. It’s all part of the Book Room fun!

Stop by and see for yourself.