Friends of the Citrus County Library System

SPRING SALE BLOOMING for BOOK LOVERS

2012-02-08T15:05:00.015-05:00

Sit back and listen to Billie Holiday croon the blues in hits such as “Lover Man” and “Soli-tude” on the Complete Decca CD recordings (with notes and photos). Or peruse Elizabeth Taylor’s My Love Affair with Jewelry, written by the legendary actress with life-sized photos of her cherished jewelry collection. For contemporary best selling bargains, check out Janet Evanovich’s Smokin’ Seventeen from the Stephanie Plum series and Michael Crichton’s latest novel, co-authored with Richard Preston, Micro (2011), blending science and fiction as only Crichton can.

All these treasures and more await you at the Friends of the Citrus County Library System’s Spring Book Sale, March 9-13 at the Citrus County Auditorium, Hwy. 41 South, next to the Fairgrounds. Sale hours are Fri. 5-8 p.m. $5 donation (Fri night only); Sat. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.; Mon. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (half price day); and Tues. 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. ($3 a bag). Mark your calendars now for the book sale spring fling. Pictured here, FOCCLS volunteers sort thousands of mint condition books, CDs, DVDs, games and puzzles in preparation for the five day event. Each Friends’ sale features new inventory of quality items in over 40 different categories with most prices ranging from $1 to $3.

This is the twelfth year of the Friends’ semi-annual fundraisers. Since their first spring sale in 2001, the combined FOCCLS partners of Coastal, Central Ridge and Lakes regional libraries have raised a grand total of $620,000, over half a million dollars, for Citrus libraries. This spring sale will feature “blue light specials” and BOGOs each hour on Sunday as well as half-price day on Monday and $3 a bag day on Tuesday.

FOCCLS is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. Proceeds benefit Citrus County libraries, providing for the purchase of books, periodicals, DVDs, CDs and media services library patrons request.

For booksale information, call 352-746-1334 or 352-527-8405 or visit http://www.foccls.org/

ANNIVERSARY FALL SALE A ROUSING SUCCESS

2011-10-19T11:28:00.007-04:00

Thank you, Citrus County, for supporting our Fall Book Sale! This was a special sale for many reasons. We had a record number of beautiful books donated by our residents – we filled the Citrus County Auditorium to the brim. Because of the donations and the enthusiastic purchases of our patrons, the fall sale made a very impressive $40,889 for Citrus County Libraries.

In the ten years since the formation of Friends of the Citrus County Library System, the Friends partners of Central Ridge, Coastal, and Lakes Region libraries have raised more than $620,000 for the purchase of materials and other projects. With the budget constraints on all services and the even greater use of the libraries, these figures are particularly significant. This money has enabled the libraries to provide new books and other materials requested by patrons to add even more to our libraries’ service to the community.

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of FOCCLS founding, we had visits from many costumed authors and characters from literature visit during the weekend. In addition the Citrus Clowns were present to paint faces and hand out balloon animals to happy children. Pictured here are the Alcorn family enjoying their selection of children’s books.

The Friends’ Spring Book Sale will take place March 9-13,2012 at the Citrus County Auditorium. FOCCLS is now accepting donations of books, DVDs, CDs, games and puzzles for the spring sale. Materials may be dropped off at the checkout desks of Central Ridge, Coastal or Lakes Regional libraries.

Bountiful Harvest for Book Lovers

2011-08-09T21:21:00.007-04:00

Thousands of quality books, over 75,000 of them, await you at the Friends of the Citrus County Library System Fall Book Sale. Mark your calendars now. The FOCCLS sale will take place Sept 16-20 at the Citrus County Auditorium, Hwy. 41 South, next to the Fairgrounds. Sale hours are Fri. 5-8 p.m. $5 donation (Fri night only); Sat. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.; Mon. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. (half price day); and Tues. 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. ($3 a bag).

Friends from Central Ridge, Coastal and Lakes Regional libraries have already boxed and stored a record-breaking number of items in preparation for the big sale. Hardcover and paperback bargains abound, with over 40 different categories including best sellers, large print, crafts, cooking, children's, treasures and a special holiday section. Each Friends’ sale features new inventory of quality items with most prices ranging from $1 to $3. Sale patrons will also find popular DVDs, CDs, games, and piles of puzzles to select. Special treasures for this sale include “Vargas Girls,” two volumes of Esquire Pin-Up Girls of WW II; The Completely Mad Don Martin, a two volume set of best cartoons from Mad Magazine; Wild America: A Collection of Drawings and Paintings of North American Wildlife by James Lockhart; Official Military Atlas of the Civil War; a first edition of E.M. Forster’s classic Aspects of the Novel; Ludwig Bemelmans’ Mad About Madeline, The Complete Tales with introduction by Anna Quindlen; and current 2011 and 2010 best sellers from popular authors including Janet Evanovich, Dean Koontz, Maeve Binchy, Patricia Cornwell, and Jan Karon, all at one quarter of the market value.

This year the Friends celebrate the 10th anniversary of the organization’s founding. Since that first fall sale in 2001, the combined FOCCLS partners have raised a grand total of $580,088, over half a million dollars for Citrus County libraries. Come join us for the fall anniversary celebration with special festivities on Super Saturday, Sept 17th to delight children and adults, including clowns, animal balloons and face painting among the morning events. Famous authors and characters from literature including Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson and Harry Potter have been invited to the sale to visit with shoppers throughout the day. The fun continues on Special Sunday Sept 18th with live music, door prizes and more literary characters. Join the happy Friends pictured here for this landmark event and take home some bargains!

FOCCLS is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization. Proceeds from the semi-annual fundraisers benefit the Citrus County Library system, revenue much needed is these fiscally challenging times. The Friends are hoping for a record turn-out of patrons to raise funds in support of our libraries.

Donations of gently used books and related materials are still welcome and may be dropped off now at the checkout desks of Central Ridge, Coastal or Lakes Region libraries. For book sale information, call 746-1334 or 527-8405.

Spring Sale Blooms with Success

2011-04-16T14:38:00.003-04:00

Crowds of book loving shoppers helped the Friends of the Citrus County Library System raise $37,121 for Citrus libraries during the five day spring sale. Since 2001 the FOCCLS partners of Coastal, Central Ridge and Lakes Regional Libraries have amassed a grand total of $553,776 making possible the purchase of books, materials and equipment not covered by the library budget. Pictured here, Rodney Balderas and his three daughters Noella, age 6, Adrianne age 3, with little sister Delaney in the background display their selections at the spring sale. The girls receive monthly books from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project,for which the Friends collected $660 in donations at the sale to help cover shipping costs. Thousands of quality books in over 40 different categories at bargain prices make the FOCCLS semi-annual sale event a perennial favorite. The Friends next sale takes place Sept 16-20 at the Citrus County Auditorium. In the meantime, “Read-Return-Recycle” your books, DVDs, CDs, games and puzzles. Please drop off your donations at your library check-out desks for the benefit of community libraries.

SPRING SALE OFFERS BOOKS, PUZZLES and MORE!

2011-02-20T14:54:00.004-05:00

Looking for the latest James Patterson or that best-seller by Laura Hillenbrand, an audio book or a fun jigsaw puzzle for the family? Make the Friends of the Library semi-annual spring sale your destination!

The Friends of the Citrus County Library System’s big Spring Sale runs from Friday March 11 through Tuesday March 15 at the Citrus County Auditorium on U.S. 41 South, next to the Fairgrounds. Hours are Fri. 5-8 p.m. ($5 donation Friday night only); Sat. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Sun 1 p.m.- 4 p.m.; Mon. 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. (half price day); and Tues. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. ($3 a bag).

Readers of all ages will find a host of bargains in quality books as well as CDs, DVDs, videos, records, games and puzzles. Most books are $1-$3. The sale features items from over 40 categories including sections dedicated to Civil War, Florida, children’s literature, cooking, crafts, along with thousands of quality mystery novels and other fiction.

Special treasures for this sale include Classics of Medicine Library, a multi-volume set including Pavlov, Harvey, Hippocrates; The Love of Sport Fishing,, with 2500 illustrations of game fish; Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators by columnist Jeff Klinkenberg; an autographed copy of Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith; collectors’ six volume set of History of the Second World War by Marshall Cavendish; The Hobbit Companion by David Day with beautiful illustrations by Lidia Postma; and a six volume set of The Memoirs of Casanova. Shoppers will find best-sellers like Star Island by Carl Hiaasen and Unbroken: An Extraordinary True Story of Courage and Survival by Laura Hillenbrand and many other 2010 releases, all at one quarter of the market value. The Friends have also received a large donation of histories and classics in German.

Pictured here, President Sue Haderer surveys the box loads of puzzles donated to the Friends of the Citrus County Library System (FOCCLS) for the spring sale. FOCCLS is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization and donations of materials are tax deductible. Proceeds from the Friends’ semi-annual sales benefit Central Ridge, Coastal and Lakes Region libraries and the Citrus County Library System. Since 2001, the combined FOCCLS partners have raised a grand total of $516,655, over half a million dollars for Citrus County libraries.

For book sale information call 746-1334 or 527-8405 or continue to visit us online!

Library Friends Say, "Read. . .Return. . .Recycle"

2011-02-02T15:08:00.005-05:00

Friends of the Citrus County Library System are busy sorting books for the big spring sale which takes place March 11-15 at the Citrus County Auditorium. Check your books shelves and closets for gently used books, CDs, DVDs, games and puzzles and recycle them for a great cause. Donations of books and related materials may be dropped off now at the checkout desks of Central Ridge, Coastal and Lakes Region libraries. Proceeds from the Friends’ semi-annual sales benefit the Citrus County Library System.

Pictured from left admiring the new arrivals are Friends volunteers Peggy Stillman, Kathe Echlin, Sue Haderer, Sandy Price, Ann Bader, Walter Zychowicz, Lynne Boele, Therese Kendrick and Janeen Caudle. –Photo by Jim Echlin

Friends’ Annual Meetings in January Feature Great Speakers, Topics

2010-12-20T13:38:00.008-05:00

Ring in the new year with these entertaining and informative programs, sponsored by Citrus County Friends of the Library groups. The public as well as Friends members are invited to attend. Mark your calendars now for the following stimulating sessions:

Topic: What to Do, Where to Go for Services in Citrus County, January 11, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. in the Lakes Library Community Room (1511 Druid Road, Inverness, FL)
The Friends of Lakes Region Library present guest speaker Cathy Pearson, Community Services Administrator, who will talk about the various services available to residents including Senior Programs, Animal Services, Library Services, Housing, Community and Recreation Programs, and other Support Services. Cathy will answer questions such as where to get your pet micro-chipped, how to become a volunteer, or how to eradicate that problem weed choking your azaleas. Door prizes will be awarded and delicious refreshments served. For more information call 726-6069.

Topic: Flight Experiences of NASA Test Pilot Jim Patton, January 13, 2011 at 2 p.m. in the Community Room of Coastal Regional Library (8619 W. Crystal St, Crystal River, FL)
The Friends of Coastal Region Library welcome Jim Patton, former NASA Test Pilot who will give an overview of his career as a military test pilot, discuss his flight testing experiences and show Power Point slides of significant planes he has piloted. For more information call 563-1933.

Topic: Kitchen Wisdom and Cooking Tips, January 20, 2011 at 2 p.m. in the Community Room of Central Ridge Library (425 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Beverly Hills, FL)
The Friends of Central Ridge Library proudly present Sue Rexford, past board member and fund raising go-getter, who will discuss her new book Suzanne’s Kitchen, Come on In. Sue’s book offers advice on equipping your kitchen, purchasing large and small appliances, entertaining basics and other topics to create the perfect kitchen from A to Z. Come hear Sue and bring a friend. She is a dynamic lady with a powerhouse delivery. In addition, there will be a door prize given: a copy of this fabulous book. For more information call 746-1334 or 527-8405.

Fall Sale, Bibliophile Bonanza

2010-10-15T15:39:00.014-04:00

The touch of a Kindle may be appealing, but judging by the crowds at the Friends of the Citrus County Library System Fall Sale, people still love to turn the pages of a book. More than 1,000 library lovers turned out during the five day event, seeking bargains among the quality books, DVDs, CDs, games and puzzles.

Their purchases totaled $43,474 for the Citrus County Library System. The fall and spring 2010 sales combined have raised a total of $90,928. Even more astonishing is the sum of funds generated by the FOCCLS book sales since 2001. That 10 year grand total is now $516,655.

Revenue from these semi-annual sales assists county libraries in the purchase of new books, print and audio, periodicals and other materials, acquisitions that would not otherwise be possible in these budget constrained times.

The bright yellow t-shirts sported by Friends members were visible throughout the Citrus County Auditorium sorting and re-stocking over 1,000 banana boxes of reading related materials. Over 140 volunteers from Central Ridge, Coastal and Lakes Region Libraries worked the sale, helping shoppers locate favorite subjects, authors and titles. Whole families, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, like Suzie Smith pictured here with her mother and little red book cart, found treasures to their liking among the over 70,000 items on sale.

The Friends again collected donations for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project which provides a book a month for children from birth to age 5. Sale goers contributed $546 to help defray expenses of $30 a year per child. Approximately 1,000 Citrus County children are registered in the program and receive their monthly books, but 232 remain on a waiting list.

FOCCLS also contributed boxes of books to Operation Paperback for our service men and women overseas, and donated books to the Citrus County Library System’s Adult Literacy Program.

FOCCLS operates year-round at the Book House located in the Historic Hernando School, sorting, pricing and packing books. The group now begins preparation for the next sale, which will take place March 4-8. Supporting the “Read-Return-Recycle” motto, the Friends welcome donations of gently used books, DVDs, CDs, games and puzzles. Materials may be dropped off at the check out desks of Central Ridge, Coastal or Lakes Regional libraries.

Find Treasures at the Fall Sale

2010-08-10T16:46:00.002-04:00

Book lovers, treasures await you! Pictured here are some of the special offerings in the Friends of the Citrus County Library System Fall Sale, Oct 1-5 at the Citrus County Auditorium. From left, an adorable children’s book with handle for carrying, entitled Bedtime Buddies. Behind that, a Ronald Reagan memoir, Speaking My Mind. A selection sure to please nature enthusiasts is The Art and Photography of the World’s Foremost Birder by Roger Tory Peterson. Next, two beautiful coffee table editions for art lovers: The Prado, gorgeously illustrated plates of artworks and commentary from the famed museum in Madrid; and a stunning collection of Winslow Homer’s Watercolors. Featured in the center is Ted Kennedy’s True Compassion, a memoir (2009); an illustrated history, Pearl Harbor; an elegantly illustrated cookbook with history and recipes from a De’ Medici descendant entitled The Renaissance of Italian Cooking; and recent best sellers I, Alex Cross by James Patterson, and a Large Print edition of John Grisham’s Ford County: Stories.
Other treasures not pictured are a first edition (1914) Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs; a keepsake for Gator Nation sports fans, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football by columnist Tom McEwen, (1974); and Housekeeping in Old Virginia, a reprint of the 1879 edition (published in 1965) with contributions from 250 noted Virginia housewives including secret family recipes. The fall sale also features audio books, DVDs, games, puzzles and a special Christmas section.

Book Sale Highlights

2010-08-05T13:51:00.003-04:00

On Friday, October 1, 2010, at 5:00 PM the doors to the Citrus County Auditorium will open on a new chapter of our fantastic Book Sales. Over 100 tables filled with thousands of books and other materials will become available. From Mystery, SciFi, Romance, and Westerns on the Fiction side through over 40 categories including Art, Cooking, History, Religion, Science, and Technology on the Non-Fiction side, you're sure to find something to please every reader. We also have a number of very special items in the Treasures and Christmas areas. It's a great time to search for gifts for all those on your shopping list as well as for your own enjoyment.

May is Friends of the Library Month!

2010-05-03T16:32:00.000-04:00

The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed May as Friends of the Library Month.

It was recognized that libraries value lifelong learning and are a cornerstone of Florida’s educational system, providing materials and programs for children, families, adults and elders to enrich their understanding of the world.

The Friends of the Library are the foundation of community support for the Citrus County Library System and provide outstanding fundraising and volunteer support to enhance the services and materials offered. Since 2001 the Friends groups have raised over $500,000. These funds help buy new library materials, support educational, cultural, and literacy programs, as well as provide support for facility improvements and equipment. Read more here.

Spring Sale Success

2010-04-18T15:00:00.003-04:00

Thank you, Citrus County for loving your libraries! Because of your tremendous support, the Friends of the Citrus County Library System Spring Book Sale raised $47,432.64 for our libraries. The five day event, featuring nearly 80,000 quality books and other items, surpassed the previous FOCCLS record of last fall by $3,866.24. The proceeds provide needed revenue for the Citrus County Library System which faces further budgetary cuts this year.

The grand total of funds raised since 2001 by the combined FOCCLS partners of Central Ridge, Coastal and Lakes Region libraries is an amazing $473,181.

In addition to helping our libraries, sale patrons supported childhood literacy by donating $680 for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library project which provides a book a month to all registered Citrus County children from birth to age five. The money collected will sponsor 23 more children by covering the annual $30 shipping charge. In addition, we donated books to the Cypress Creek Academy for youthful offenders and a collection of Spanish language books to be housed at the Floral City Library for the migrant worker population.

We are deeply grateful to the following organizations and individuals who helped make the fall sale a record-breaking success: the Citrus County Chronicle for co-sponsorship of the semi-annual event, with special thanks to Neal Brennan, Mike Arnold and the news staff, Amanda Mims, Brian LaPeter, the staff of the Community and News Departments, and editors of the weeklies, especially Cathy Kapulka. We also thank WYKE-TV for their continued support; the staff of the Citrus County Auditorium and Parks and Recreation for their friendliness and assistance; the Rotary Club of Inverness for setting up scores of tables; the Citrus High School Air Force JROTC for distribution of banana boxes in setup and for after sale clean-up; the Inverness Wal-Mart Super Center for donating the banana boxes; and the Crystal River, Homosassa and Forest Ridge Publix Super Markets, Sweetbay Super Market of Crystal River and Winn Dixie of Beverly Hills for supplying plastic bags. Many thanks as well to the entire library staff and our faithful courier, Lee Seagreaves, for delivery of donated materials under challenging conditions.

This spring sale, like those of the previous nine years, also owes its success to the hard work and devotion of the Friends volunteers, an unparalleled 177 of whom worked the sale. Finally, and most importantly, we salute the people of Citrus County who make these fundraisers possible by their contributions of quality books and by their patronage of the sales. We couldn’t succeed without you!

FOCCLS operates year-round. The Friends now begin anew the sorting, pricing and packing of boxes for our next sale, Oct 1-5, 2010 at the Citrus County Auditorium. Please read-return-recycle. Drop off your gently used books, games, puzzles, CDs and DVDs at the checkout desk of Central Ridge, Coastal or Lakes Region libraries. We look forward to seeing you next fall!

Lynne Boele, President Friends of the Citrus County Library System