8Apr, 2020
    Scottsdale Libraries to Go Fine-Free Starting July 1

    Scottsdale City Council voted on Tuesday, April 7 to stop charging late fines on overdue Scottsdale Public Library materials effective July 1, 2020.

    Scottsdale joins over 300 cities that will no longer charge late fines to Library patrons, although members will still be financially responsible for any lost or damaged items. The Friends of the Scottsdale Public Library would like to thank the Scottsdale Library Board for its efforts on researching and proposing this initiative in coordination with the Library.

    In January 2019, the American Library Association (ALA) passed a resolution that urged libraries to scrutinize their fines programs and strengthen their funding support so they are not dependent on fines as a source of revenue.

    ALA found that blocking library cards due to unpaid fines was a form of social inequity. Currently in Scottsdale, over 7,600 library cards are blocked, with a majority of the blocked cards from addresses south of Camelback Road.

    The Friends supports the fine-free resolution and submitted an official comment to City Council in favor.

    If you would like to help supplement some of the lost revenue from Scottsdale Public Library fines, please consider a Friends membership. Money raised from your tax-deductible donation supports Library events and programs.

    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.

    15Nov, 2016
    Friends Relaunches Membership Program

    Are you looking to support programming at the Scottsdale Public Library? Well for as low as $35, you can join the Friends of Scottsdale Public Library and provide invaluable funding to our programs.

    All donations are tax-deductible and support important Library programs like author visits, children’s educational events and our external projects like Books2Go and Story Stroll. Memberships last for one year, and we’ll even highlight you on our website.

    If your company offers employee matching, make sure you mention your donation or even your volunteer hours if you help out at a Library branch. It’s possible your employer will match your donation.

    Thank you so much to our Friends, as we couldn’t provide great programming at the Library without their support.