THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 5, 1996 TAG: 9601030157
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GREG GOLDFARB, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
To some people, the Friends of the Virginia Beach Public Library's used-book sale is just a good place to find a cheap read.
To others, it's also an important link in a chain of activities that provides educational opportunities that otherwise might not exist.
``Every municipal government is worried, because the needs of the community are outstripping our means to meet them,'' said Marcy J. Sims, director of the Virginia Beach public library system. ``Supporting the used-book sale is important because of all the benefits the community gets from a vibrant library system.''
Now in its 15th year, the semiannual book sale has attracted a total of about 500,000 shoppers since its inception and they have purchased more than 1 million books, said Sims. About $10,000 worth of used books, magazines, records, compact discs, audio tapes and encyclopedias are sold at each sale, which leaves the Friends with about $7,000 after expenses to help fund local activities, Sims said.
Activities sponsored by the Friends group include children's summer reading clubs, which draw between 8,000 to 10,000 kids a year; computer-based literacy programs for adults who can't read, which last year reached 500 adults; free films, which attract 2,000 kids and 1,000 to 1,500 seniors a year; storytellers and young author workshops at the libraries; and a ``Great Book'' series at the Kempsville area library.
The Friends also operate the gift shop at the Central Library, which generates between $15,000 and $20,000 annually, said Sims.
Sims, who has been the city's library director for almost 20 years, said that, overall, the system is strong. Of the city's 419,000 residents, 260,000 of them are ``library users,'' Sims said, and the libraries host 1.8 million visitors a year.
Because of the high public demand for library services, said Sims, the city relies on the Friends' volunteerism to pay for some of the ``extras,'' which ends up saving the city about $50,000 a year. But even with the Friends' involvement, there is room for improvement.
``The most pressing problem our community is facing is that our kids are coming to school not ready to read,'' said Sims. ``We encourage parents to read to their infants - even before they are born.''
In his sixth term as president of the Friends group, state senator-elect Edward L. Schrock agreed with Sims that healthy libraries make for healthier communities.
``I have such high beliefs that libraries are such an integral part of our educational system,'' said Schrock, a State Library Board member. ``Libraries provide great benefits for people.''
The Friends group, formed about 20 years ago, has several hundred members, Schrock said, and is governed by a 35-member committee. He said it's too early to tell how much of a funding pinch public libraries across the state may feel in the future, but the community had better stand ready to do as much, if not more, for them than it ever has.
``It's got to be a public/private partnership. There's no doubt about it. I look at Virginia Beach as an incredible area for potential growth (for new libraries),'' said Schrock, adding that the Pungo-Blackwater area library needs to be expanded and that the neighborhoods near the intersection of Diamond Springs Road and Northampton Boulevard need a library. ``Right now, there's a crying need for libraries.'' MEMO: Free and open to the public, the Friends of the Virginia Beach Public
Library's used-book sale will be Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at
Pavilion. No single book will cost more than $1.
ILLUSTRATION: Now in its 15th year, the semiannual Friends of the Virginia
Beach Public Library used-book sale has attracted about 500,000
shoppers who have purchased more than 1 million books.
by CNB