“ A LIBRARY IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR THE PROMOTION OF LEARNING . … IT WILL ALWAYS BE IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY WHERE ANSWERS ARE NOT GIVEN AT THE SPEED OF A SINGLE SEARCH RESULT .”
— KARYN PHILIPPSEN
through the University of California Master Gardener Program , and also offers an English as a second language conversational program , which meets twice a week . A Lego club also convenes at the library and a birthday party complete with cupcakes was even held there for the city ’ s newest police dog , Cooper . Meanwhile a poetry contest is accepting submissions through April 30 with the winning entries to be read June 3 . Patrons can learn about these and other programs by visiting ocpl . org .
The Laguna Beach Library also houses a local history collection , which includes past Laguna Beach school yearbooks , newspapers , programs and other archives . Books on California art , old phone directories , digitized newspapers and oral histories often used by architectural historians can also be found in the library ’ s collection .
Top : story time during an event at the Laguna Beach Library ; bottom : Branch Manager Nadya Hickam ( second from right ) and staff
“ The Laguna Beach Library has an impressive local history collection that contains several primary sources , such as letters , photographs and genealogies , that all comprise the real history of Laguna Beach ,” Philippsen says . “ It is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to research our town ’ s past . The librarian assistant , Nelda Stone , maintains impeccable records and is a wealth of knowledge should a patron need guidance .”
A FRIEND INDEED In the early 1970s , the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library was established to protect the legacy of literacy and create a funding arm beyond the scope of what the county budget provided to support programs and equipment for all ages within the library . According to Philippsen , the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library organization raises funds to help enhance the programming and promote educational , interactive programming for all ages , ranging from providing a puppet show to cookies and treats , crayons and puzzles , as well as the use of a 3D printer .
The Friends of the Laguna Beach Library board comprises “ 15 committed residents that range from 22 to 94 years of age with expertise in many professions , [ including ] teachers , educators , retired business leaders and owners , city government executives , catering [ company ] and restaurant owners , poets , artists , lawyers , accountants and parents ,” Philippsen says . “ The key to the success of our library is the collaboration and cooperation we all have for each other , the staff , the board and all the volunteers .”
In 1987 , the Friends opened the library ’ s bookshop . The Friends of the Laguna Beach Library provides an important community service by accepting and making use of donated books while also raising funds to support library programs through the sale of those books ; they ’ re also less expensive for community members to purchase than new ones .
“ The Friends Book Shop is an important part of the library support . People donate books , CDs , books on tape , puzzles , magazines and DVDs , which we resell at a great price . Everything in the shop is donated , including furniture and shelving . It is solely run by volunteers ,” Philippsen says . “ This allows us to support the local art students
TOP : SIMONE ADAMS
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