17Oct, 2021
    Happy Friends of Libraries Week

    October 17-31 is National Friends of Libraries Week, and we want to thank all the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library members for supporting our initiatives to improve the experience at the library.

    We have plenty of ways to celebrate over the next two weeks, including a fundraiser at Oregano’s on Tuesday, October 19 (20 percent of sales go to the Friends when you present this flyer) and free book bingo on Tuesday, October 26.

    One easy (and free) way to show your library friendship is to sign up for a library card. SPL has a goal of 2,000 new card sign-ups by November 30, and the goal is well over halfway complete.

    Library cardholders will also be invited to a Library Appreciation Night at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, November 12, which includes entertainment funded by the Friends.

    If you want to support this and other library programs, please consider a Friends membership. They start at just $35 annually, and you’ll receive invites to author presentations and more fun activities.

    29Jun, 2021
    Friends Supports 2021 Summer Reading Program

    The Summer Reading Program (SRP) is off and running, and once again the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is helping to fund the prize packs for those who complete the program.

    Teen prize pack for 2021 Summer Reading Program

    The SRP runs from June 1 through August 1, 2021, and is open to readers of all ages. It is not too late to sign up, and anyone who reaches 1,000 points is eligible to receive a prize pack after August 2 (while supplies last).

    You’ll receive one point for every minute read, and you can also receive additional points by completing online challenges or attending events. Children can also pick-up a free gameboard at any Scottsdale Public Library branch during open hours, as well as drive-thru windows and curbside pickup.

    To register for the Summer Reading Program, visit https://maricopacountyreads.org.

    27Apr, 2021
    Friends Recognized in New Display Honoring Scottsdale History

    The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is proud to be recognized as one of 15 organizations selected for “Celebrate Scottsdale Organizations,” a display opening this summer to acknowledge non-profits bringing “a uniqueness to Scottsdale.”

    The permanent display will open at the end of June next to the Scottsdale Heritage Connection in Civic Center Library. This display will debut during the 70th anniversary of the incorporation of Scottsdale in 1951.

    Honored organizations will receive a 2 foot by 4 foot panel in the final display to showcase pictures, significant programs, and their mission statement. It will be available for public viewing during normal Library hours.

    An independent five member Selection Committee chose the honorees with criteria including:

    • Non-profit status
    • 30 years of longevity providing services to Scottsdale and special communities
    • A major event, fundraisers, and local citizens as members and volunteers

    Other chosen organizations include Scottsdale Boys and Girls Clubs, McDowell Sonoran Land Trust, Scottsdale Leadership, Scottsdale Arts, Scottsdale Community Partners, Scottsdale Railroad and Mechanical Society, Scottsdale Sister Cities Association, Scottsdale Historical Society, HonorHealth Auxiliary, Scottsdale Charros, Scottsdale Rotary Cub, Scottsdale Jaycees, Arabian Horse Association, and Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce.

    There will also be approximately 45 additional organizations featured in the final display, but those names have not been announced. Stay tuned for pictures once construction is underway.

    6Apr, 2021
    Friends Prioritizes 2nd Grade Library Card Campaign for Arizona Gives Day

    Today is Arizona Gives Day, and this year the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is raising money for one of our signature programs: the 2nd Grade Library Card Campaign.

    We’ve set a goal to raise $1,000, which will allow us to provide a free backpack to 400 Scottsdale second graders who sign up for their first library card.

    Each year, Scottsdale Public Library staff work with schools in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley to promote the program to as many second graders as possible. During the 2019-2020 school year, 234 second graders signed up for their first card, with 6,058 subsequent checkouts.

    This is the first year the Friends has participated in Arizona Gives Day since 2018, but we raised over $900 through the early giving period that began on March 16. While you can donate to the Friends year-round through Arizona Gives Day, donations received today make us eligible for bonus prizes.

    We received some extra promotion for Arizona Gives Day this year through an article in the April edition of Scottsdale Independent.

    If you’d like to help us reach our goal, simply visit https://www.azgives.org/scottsdalelibraryfriends and click the green Donate button.

    19May, 2020
    Friends Sponsors 2020 Summer Reading Program

    The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is proud to support this year’s Scottsdale Public Library Summer Reading Program (SRP), which will run from June 1 through August 1, 2020.

    Designed to encourage literacy at all ages, kids, teens, and adults log each minute they read over two months online to earn points. The goal is to read at least 20 minutes each day to build a lifelong reading habit.

    There will also be reading challenges and library programs with secret codes.

    Many of the events will be held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 virus. These include yoga storytimes, Shark Week family storytime, a series with McDowell Sonoran Preserve, craft programs, and trivia games for teens and adults.

    Kids can pick up a bilingual gameboard at Civic Center Library through the drive thru windows at the Appaloosa, Arabian and Mustang branches or curbside from Civic Center starting May 26, or at service desks when the Library reopens in early June.

    Participants who complete the program will receive completion prize packets during August, while supplies last. The Friends contributed towards the purchase of this year’s prizes, which will include books, journals, stickers, and water bottles.

    10Feb, 2020
    Thank You Scottsdale Library Volunteers for Your Hard Work

    The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library was a supporting partner of the 40th annual Scottsdale Library Volunteer Luncheon on Friday, February 7, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale at Gainey Ranch.

    Bruce Wall presents about Scottsdale History at the 40th volunteer luncheon

    Scottsdale historical storyteller Bruce Wall served as guest speaker to discuss one of the most interesting crimes in Scottsdale history. Several City Council Members and members of the Library Board were also in attendance.

    The annual lunch is a celebration of all the hard work by Library volunteers. In Scottsdale, there are nearly three volunteers for every staff member who volunteer at the Library, and their responsibilities include everything from shelving books to reading to children to running the book shops.

    As an all-volunteer organization, the Friends is appreciative of the efforts of volunteers to provide the highest quality experience to patrons of Scottsdale Public Library.

    1Jan, 2020
    Friends Relaunches Membership Program with “Be a Friend, Make a Friend!”

    Do you love libraries and support lifelong learning? Are you looking to meet people with common interests? If so, the the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library’s new membership program is for you.

    Spear-headed by Membership Chair Peggy Sharp-Chamberlain, we now have four levels of membership:

    1. Friend ($35 – $99)
    2. Contributing Friend ($100 – $499)
    3. Supporting Friend ($500+)
    4. Corporate Friend ($1,000)

    We are also rewarding Friends members with special benefits, like a book club membership, invitations (and guest passes) for author presentations, discounts at the Library Shop, and a behind the scenes tour of the Library.

    All Friends memberships are tax deductible, and money raised supports events and programs at Scottsdale Public Library. If you are interested, view our membership brochure or make a donation today.

    9Oct, 2019
    Former Friends Board Members Receive Historic Preservation Recognition Awards

    Two former Presidents of the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library recently received Historic Preservation Recognition Awards from the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on October 5.

    Paul Messinger (left) and Douglas Sydnor (right) presented with Historic Preservation Awards

    Paul Messinger and Douglas Sydnor received the awards due to their efforts preserving the history of Scottsdale.

    In addition to their time serving on the Friends Board, both Messinger and Sydnor were committee members who helped raise funds for the Scottsdale Heritage Connection, the Friends’ major fundraising effort from 2017-19. They were also Gold and Silver donors, respectively, toward the new space.

    The SHC will officially open to the public on Saturday, October 19 within Civic Center Library. It will preserve the written and oral history of Scottsdale, offering research opportunities and historic lectures.

    “Paul Messinger is a walking encyclopedia on everything Scottsdale and very much deserves to be recognized by the Daughters of the American Revolution for his contributions to preserving history,” wrote Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s Official State Historian, in his letter of recommendation.

    Sydnor has authored three books on Arizona Historic architecture, and in 2018 received the Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award.

    The Friends congratulates Messinger and Sydnor on their recent honor, and thanks them for helping preserve the history of Scottsdale.

    1Jul, 2019
    Scottsdale Heritage Connection Unveiled With Ribbon Cutting

    After over two years of fundraising, the Scottsdale Heritage Connection held its ribbon cutting ceremony with a private breakfast for donors on Tuesday, June 25 at Civic Center Library.

    SHC Ribbon Cutting
    Mayor Jim Lane and Paul Messinger cut the ribbon for the Scottsdale Heritage Connection

    Mayor Jim Lane was present to cut the ribbon, as were valued members of the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library and the SHC fundraising committee. Attendees were treated to a tour of the space and breakfast items catered by Creations in Cuisine Catering.

    The space is in the former home of Scottsdale Public Art next to the Knowasis Teen Center. It will be open to the public later this summer, as shelving still needs to be installed to house the historical documents. Once opened, the SHC will showcase over 10,000 documents celebrating the history of Scottsdale.

    For those unable to attend, here is a brief Project Narrative reviewed during the opening.

    Stay tuned for more details about free historical programming in the space beginning this fall. It’s also not too late to donate if you want to help us hit our goal of $500,000. The next stage of the project will be installing kiosks at the other Scottsdale Library branches to showcase the collection.

    13Dec, 2018
    Friends Donates Over $100K to Preserve Scottsdale History

    For Immediate Release

    Scottsdale, Ariz. (December 14, 2018) – The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library presented a $101,200 donation to the Scottsdale City Council at the December 12 Council meeting to be used for the Scottsdale Heritage Connection (SHC), a 2,000 square foot modern research space to house a collection of the oral, written and visual history of Scottsdale.

    Scottsdale Heritage Connection Architect Doug Sydnor addresses Scottsdale City Council with a presentation on the SHC before the money was donated

    The money raised is through a public-private partnership including leaders of the Scottsdale community like Paul Messinger, Honorary SHC Committee Chair. Over 60 Library supporters and community citizens have donated, in addition to contributions from area corporations and foundations.

    This $101,200 is the first of several planned donations to the SHC project. It will provide supplemental funding to ensure that construction schedule will continue moving forward in the spring of 2019. The City of Scottsdale has planned for the project in its Capital Improvements Project budget for 2018-2019 fiscal year.

    The permanent 2,000 square foot glass walled area, set to open in 2019, is being branded as “a window to the past, a celebration of the present and a portal to the future.” It will be a newly built space next to the Knowasis Teen Center in the Civic Center Library. The archives will include:

    • Over 10,000 photographs and images of Scottsdale, its buildings, events and residents
    • More than 450 video and audio recordings highlighting the City’s rich history
    • 700 books, phone directories, local media and Scottsdale high school yearbooks
    • Local newspaper clippings from as early as the 1950s

    The Friends is grateful to the many donors of the Library’s Southwest Collection since 1973, which provided the framework for the current SHC collection. For example, in the 1980s, numerous donors honored the memory of the late Scottsdale Mayor B.L. “Bud” Tims through contributions to the Southwest Collection.

    The new SHC space will expand public access and research resources regarding Scottsdale’s diverse history. It will also provide artifact display opportunities, with computers to access the online collection, a private room to conduct research, and a designated area for lectures and community meetings related to local history.

    “We are so thankful for the generous donations thus far from advocates for Scottsdale history,” said Carol Damaso, SHC Campaign Committee Chair and former Director of the Scottsdale Public Library. “We look forward to the Friends making another donation soon to fund the completion of this project.”

    As the official 501(c)(3) campaign partner, the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is accepting tax-deductible donations of all levels to support the SHC. To learn more or to donate, please visit https://scottsdalelibraryfriends.org/shc. High-resolution images of the project design are available for media use.

    About the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library
    The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library, founded in 1985, is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization whose members support Scottsdale’s Library system through public education, advocacy, and fundraising. The Friends provides funding for Scottsdale Public Library programming and resources to support lifelong learning.