News - The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library

4Oct, 2022

Friends Funds Bilingual Dial-a-Story Program

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is now funding Scottsdale Public Library’s free Dial-a-Story program, where booklovers can hear a free children’s story in English or Spanish via telephone.

To use the program, call (480) 787-0875, then press 1 for English, or 2 for Spanish. The available story rotates weekly, and includes popular titles like “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Ugly Duckling,” and “The Fox and the Rooster.”

The company that provides the service has been in business for 25 years, and Scottsdale Public Library has offered the free program since 2021. To learn more about great free programs offered by the library, visit https://www.scottsdalelibrary.org.

26Jul, 2022

Book & Wine Pairing Set for September 18

In celebration of Banned Books Week from September 18-24, the Friends is hosting an art, book, and wine pairing fundraiser that will discuss banned books on Sunday, September 18 at 6pm.

Anticus Event — *Attendees enjoying our February wine fundraiser*

This is the third event featuring art viewing, book discussion, and wine tastings that the Friends is putting on at Anticus Fine Art Gallery in Old Town Scottsdale. The previous events both sold out quickly.

For a $75 ticket, attendees will receive five samples of wine from LDV Estate Winery, appetizers, five book passage readings (at least four of which will feature banned books), and a private screening of five Anticus art pieces. Friends members will receive a $10 discount.

Attendance is limited to 15 people to ensure a safe and intimate experience. To purchase your ticket, please visit https://ticketstripe.com/events/1030028.

21Jun, 2022

Friends Sponsors Summer Reading Program & Girls in STEM

For the third year in a row, the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is supporting the Summer Reading Program (SRP) to fund prizes for recipients of all ages.

The theme of this year’s program is “Oceans of Possibilities,” and many of the prizes purchased by the Friends are sea themed. This includes beach balls, fish squirters, and stickers. The Friends also supplied items for teen volunteers helping with the program.

The program runs from June 1 through August 1, and participants will receive one point for every minute they log of reading time at https://maricopacountyreads.org. Over 4,000 people have already registered.

Prizes can be earned starting at 250 points, so there is plenty of time left to participate. Other prizes this year include vouchers from Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, Peter Piper Pizza, Raising Cane’s, and Rubio’s, Phoenix Mercury tickets, and an Arizona State Parks pass.

The Friends is also supporting the Girls in STEM program, which takes place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in June and July at Civic Center Library. This program promotes careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) for female students (though males are allowed to participate) in sixth through eight grade with 90 minute sessions of hands-on activities.

Friends’ funding will support supplies including forensic science kits, chemistry sets, and star gazing kits, in addition to speakers and specialists on STEM topics.

You can support these and other free programs at Scottsdale Public Library branches through a Friends membership.

17May, 2022

SkyRoom Now Open for Family Storytime

Scottsdale Public Library re-opened its storytime room, now known as the SkyRoom, at Civic Center Library on May 12. The ceremony included an open house and a storytime for two and three year olds.

Sky Room Check Presentation — *Friends, Library and Fiesta Bowl representatives pose with $25,000 check*

The room renovation began in 2021, and more than doubled the size of the space to 3,428 square feet. TheSky Room also features a new audio/visual system, a flat screen Smart TV, and other technological components.

SkyRoom sponsors Fiesta Bowl Charities and Literary Society of the Southwest were both recognized during the opening remarks. Fiesta Bowl Charities also presented an oversized check and award to the Friends as one of its 2021 grant recipients.

The overall cost of the renovation was nearly $500,000, and the Friends donated $28,000 during the Phase 1 construction. Phase 2 funding is now underway, where Friends will raise an additional $28,000 to furnish the space with tables, lounge seating, and custom shelving.

If you would like to donate to this campaign, please visit our Storytime Room Expansion page. If you would like to enjoy the new space with your family, check out the library’s schedule of upcoming Family Storytimes.

12Apr, 2022

Join Our Wine Fundraiser on April 24

In partnership with Anticus Fine Art Gallery and LDV Estate Winery, the Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is hosting a fine wine, fine art, and book discussion fundraiser on Sunday, April 24 at 6pm.

Tickets for the event are $75, and it will be held at Anticus. Friends members will receive a $10 discount.

Your ticket will include five samples of wine from LDV, small bites paired with the wine, five book passage readings and discussion, and a private screening of five Anticus art pieces.

Attendees are also eligible to win prizes including an Anticus gift certificate and bottles of wine from LDV.

At our two previous wine tastings in January and February, tickets sold out quickly. To ensure a safe and intimate experience, we are limiting attendance at this event to 15 people.

To purchase your ticket, please visit https://ticketstripe.com/events/1028669. For other upcoming Friends events, check out our Events page.

Editor’s Note: This event is postponed until September 18. We apologize for any inconvenience.

7Mar, 2022

Friends Sponsors Read Aloud Nights with Title I Schools

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library donated $2,630 to support the Family Read Aloud Nights (FRAN) program with four Title I schools in 2022.

FRAN Story Performance — *Scottsdale Public Library staff act out a story for students at Tonalea K-8 school*

The first FRAN event of the year took place March 3 at Tonalea K-8 school in South Scottsdale. It included 178 participants (children and parents) enjoying three stories brought to life through song and dance, costumes, and interaction. This was the largest FRAN crowd in four years.

For these FRAN events, the library partners with a Title I school in Scottsdale, which are located in lower-income areas and provide additional programming to raise the achievement of these students. There are nine Title I schools located in Scottsdale, and the FRAN program rotates among them.

Friends funding for FRAN pays for pizza and drinks for all participants, to ensure parents don’t need to cook a meal that night. Children also take home a free bag and book to encourage reading at home.

The next FRAN event is scheduled for April 5 at Echo Canyon K-8. If you want to help the Friends support programs like FRAN, please consider becoming a Friends member.

1Mar, 2022

Friends Members Enjoy High Tea With Authors

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library celebrated “We Love Reading” month with a high tea celebration featuring 18 guests, six local authors and an afternoon of fun on February 24.

TeaTime Scottsdale served as host for this sold out event. Guests enjoyed multiple varieties of tea, sandwiches, and desserts while discussing books with authors Dan Baldwin, Donis Casey, Dianne Freeman, Karen Odden, Betty Webb, and Dianne White.

To ensure a safe and intimate event, each table featured three Friends members and an author. While the event was not exclusive to Friends members, they received a $10 discount on tickets. In all, 14 of the 18 attendees were Friends members.

The Friends want to extend a special thank you to Sonoran National Insurance Group for its sponsorship of this event.

The event was such a success that a sequel is already being discussed. In order to receive priority notice (and discounts) for all Friends events, consider becoming a member today.

21Feb, 2022

Eat at Portillo’s to Benefit Library on February 28

Our next restaurant fundraiser will take place Monday, February 28 from 3pm to 9pm at Portillo’s in Scottsdale, where 20 percent of your purchase will benefit Scottsdale Library.

Portillo's Food — *A sample of food available at Portillo’s*

Portillo’s specializes in Chicago-style food, including hot dogs and Italian beef. It also features salads and pasta dishes.

Here is how to participate in this fundraiser:

Visit Portillo’s (10574 N 90th St, a mile from Mustang Library on Shea Blvd) anytime between 3pm and 9pm
Show this flyer, printed or on your phone), or mention Scottsdale Library when you first order (if ordering drive-thru, you must mention the fundraiser at the ordering window)

Our restaurant fundraisers brought in over $1,300 during 2021, and we appreciate all support as we continue raising money for the library.

13Feb, 2022

Friends to Host Author Wynne Brown on March 6

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is pleased to host Arizona author Wynne Brown at the Museum of the West in Old Town Scottsdale on Sunday, March 6 from 2pm to 4pm.

*Wynne Brown and her book* The Forgotten Botanist

Brown’s most recent book is The Forgotten Botanist: Sara Plummer Lemmon’s Life of Science and Art.

This is the story of two botanists (Sara Plummer Lemmon and her husband John Gill Lemmon) that discover hundreds of new plant species in the Western United States.

Friends is hosting this event at the Museum of the West to bring together literary and historical audiences. The presentation with include a conversation with the author and free book signing.

Friends members will receive a special meet-and-greet session with Brown in addition to her presentation.

Although this free event is taking place in the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust theater, registration is required and attendance will be limited due to COVID-19. If you would like to reserve your spot, please contact the Museum of the West at 480-686-9539 or info@scottsdalemuseumwest.org.

17Jan, 2022

Join Us for Birdies for Charity, Chance to Win $25 Gift Card

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library is once again participating in Birdies for Charity through the WM Phoenix Open, and this year your donation could win you a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

*Help us hit the perfect drive by participating in Birdies for Charity 2022*

This fundraiser is sponsored by Thunderbirds Charities through the annual golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale.

It works just like a walk-a-thon, except you are pledging a fixed amount (as low as $.01) for each birdie scored at the golf tournament held at TPC Scottsdale.

With over 1,500 birdies typically scored by PGA golfers at the event, even small pledges result in significant donations ($.01 per birdie x 1,500 birdies = $15 donation). You can also donate a fixed amount.

The Friends will receive 100 percent of the donation if you choose us as your non-profit, and Thunderbirds will match 10 percent of funds once we reach $500 in total donations.

As an added perk for this year’s donors, anyone who pledges at least $.02 per birdie (or $25 fixed) is eligible to participate in our “Guess the Birdies” contest. Whoever guesses closest to the actual number of birdies scored at the event will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card.

To donate, visit http://birdiesforcharityaz.com and click the Donate/Register button. All pledges must be received by 5pm on Sunday, February 13, 2022, and if you want to participate in the Guess the Birdies contest, your pledge needs to be in by Wednesday, February 9 at 5pm.

If you would prefer not to donate online, you can fill out and mail in this pledge form to:

The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library
PO Box 71
Scottsdale, AZ 85252