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Volunteers Needed
Bookstore volunteers needed. No experience just a willingness to process incoming book donations, shelving inventory and waiting on customers! Shifts are 2-1/2 hours between 10:30 - 3:30. 2 hour shifts on Tuesday 12-4. Pickup an application at the bookstore!
Many ways to Support!
Renew your membership when it’s due and consider giving a little extra.
Volunteer at the Open Book Store. An application is available at the store.
Purchase a tile on our donor wall; the application is on this website at friendsoframonalibrary.org/donor-wall.
New Members
Donate to the FORL via this website via paypal below or donate books at the Book Store. Please keep donations to 2 bags or boxes, no magazine or encyclopedias.
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Help Our Cause
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals and improve conditions. Your generous donation will fund our mission.
Article provided by Charlene Pulsonetti, Ramona Home Journal
Maxine McNamara loves libraries.
Though there is a certain coziness to the small, quaint book repositories of yesteryear, she is happy to have seen their format evolve to accommodate new ways of learning and, in the case of Ramona Library, the needs of its people.
"I like the peacefulness and the quietness, and the activities and the opportunities for information,” she says.
McNamara is president of the Friends of the Ramona Library, a 501(c)(3) that supports library projects, materials and programs through supplemental funding.
The Friends group helped fund the construction of additional rooms at the library’s previous location and contributed $1.2 million toward the new branch when it moved to its current location at 1275 Main St. FORL has also commissioned art to make the branch more attractive, including ceramic murals by artist Betsy K. Schulz and stained-glass windows by James Hubbell.
"I think that when we were raising money for the branch to build the new library, we were on people’s minds all the time,” says McNamara. "And people were very energetic — they raised more than a million dollars to build the branch. It’s been quieter because we provide ongoing support. It’s not just one thing we do.”
This year, FORL has already donated $21,750.
"(It supports) crafts, summer learning clubs, honorariums for programs, magazines, newspapers and subscriptions,” she says.
In recent months, the library has added an array of programs at no cost to the community, such as painting classes, youth clubs and park ranger story time, to name a few.
The organization is funded by its membership, charitable trusts, and The Open Book bookstore, which is located in the southwest corner of the building.
The store is stocked with donated goods, and along with new and older titles, there is a dedicated section for children’s books and electronic media.
"We also sell on Amazon — that’s a big chunk of what the Friends make,” she says.
Because they have increased the donation allowance from one to two bags of books per person, per day, there is a need for additional volunteers to sort and clean materials, as well as work in the shop.
"It’s a lot more fun when we have more than one person,” she says.
The store is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.
Though the group’s primary role is to provide fiscal support, McNamara explains that members work closely with library administration to lend a hand and offer suggestions. One thing she would like to see is more reading material for Ramona’s Spanish-speaking residents. Additionally, she would like to collaborate with other nonprofits.
One of the easiest ways to support FORL is to become a member — visit friendsoframonalibrary.org.
"The best thing about being a member is seeing what we can do for the library and the community,” she says.
"I think our library is unique because it’s a community center. They offer so much more than books and the internet. They offer health screenings, the fire department came and gave shots, and nonprofits can reserve the community room.”
While the basic components of each library are similar, their unique qualities come from the love — and support — they receive from the community they serve.
Serving on the board of directors is another way to volunteer. McNamara says a board election will be held soon, and individuals with new ideas are invited to apply.
"Being a director means attending a one-hour meeting every two months,” she says. "We need at least 11 people on the board.”
For information, email McNamara at wildrose@barneymc.com or Patsy Heald at pjheald@aol.com.
Extra hands will also be needed as the group prepares for Authors’ Day, which will return on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, from 1 to 4 p.m.
"We will have a panel of authors, and they will be able to sell and sign books,” she says. "It’s going to be all local authors — we hope to have people that have published recently.”
The event’s guest speaker will be Julian resident and author Angie Brenner, whose work includes "Seeking Beauty: Jim’s Gift,” a book about James Hubbell.
"The best thing about being a member is seeing what we can do for the library and the community,” she says.
"I think our library is unique because it’s a community center. They offer so much more than books and the internet. They offer health screenings, the fire department came and gave shots, and nonprofits can reserve the community room.”
While the basic components of each library are similar, their unique qualities come from the love — and support — they receive from the community they serve.