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.

    31Oct, 2013
    Scottsdale’s Bond Election and Your Public Library

    The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library would like to ask for your support in the upcoming Special Election on November 5.

    Bond Question 1 asks for the authorization of $50.4 million to go towards parks, libraries and other community facilities. Voting “yes” to this question would provide the library with some of the funding it needs to begin the planning and construction of The Discovery Zone, a high-tech learning center at the Civic Center Library for children 12 and under.

    This will be an important community resource because nearly four out of every 10 children in Arizona do not have a computer at home. Furthermore, within five miles of the Civic Center Library, there are seven elementary schools noted as Title 1 (free and reduced lunch). Studies continue to show that low-income children have less access to the Internet, computers and other digital devices than those from higher income homes. These children may have access to some digital content through their schools, but in a classroom environment there is not always time for children to “play” with the technology, get comfortable with it, and develop new skills.

    The National Institute of Museum and Library Services’ recent task force on 21st century skills reported, “Success in today’s society requires information literacy, a spirit of self-reliance, and a strong ability to collaborate, communicate effectively, and solve problems. Combining strengths in traditional learning with robust investment in modern communication infrastructures, libraries and museums are well-equipped to build the skills Americans need in the 21st century.”

    The Discovery Zone will promote this extended definition of literacy through the provision of child-friendly computer environments complete with the software needed to view and create digital content. Areas for quiet reading, study, computer use, multi-media use and production, tutoring, gaming and fun are all essential parts of The Discovery Zone.

    Again, we ask for your support to make this vision a reality. To learn more about the items on the ballot, please visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/elections.