Library Land

The Riverside County Library was recently featured in an article in the Press Enterprise highlighting our new e-book collection. If you have not had a chance to check it out our e-books yet, we hope you will. The link is available right at the top of this page. 

Another fiscal year for the Riverside County Library has just closed with several key advances in the system this year.  The new Highgrove Library was opened and RCLS staff continued to produce significant new programming.  Unfortunately, however, we must also note the end of one of the most successful and important projects in the recent history of the library system. 

Sometimes inspiration comes from unexpected sources. I recently read a book that is possibly one of the most inspiring pieces of writing that I have ever encountered (and I read a lot). The book I’m referring to is “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion” by Gregory Boyle.

This past weekend, we hosted children’s author Amada Irma Perez in three of our libraries as part of our Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) celebration.
 

This week, the Riverside County Library staff and public lost a dear friend and co-worker. Helen Kerrigan, manager of the Desert Hot Springs Library for nearly 20 years until health problems forced her to step down, died on March 21.

Until this weekend, the Highgrove Library on Center Street has been one of the smallest facilities in the Riverside County Library System, at only about 1,600 square feet. 
 
On March 19, that will change.

Governor Brown’s January budget proposal was released last week to universal groans and howls as every sector of public funding (with the exception of public schools) took massive hits. Public libraries were not excluded.

Governor Brown’s January budget proposal was released last week to universal groans and howls as every sector of public funding (with the exception of public schools) took massive hits. Public libraries were not excluded.
 
The governor’s budget proposes the elimination of four key programs for public libraries: Public Library Foundation funding (PLF), transaction-based reimbursement (TBR), literacy funding, and funding for regional library systems. Each in their way are critical to the future of public libraries as they exist in this state. I’d like to explain what each one is and what losing it will mean to the Riverside County Library System.
 

We have come to the end of another year and this has been a particularly active one for the Riverside County Library System.  We were able to add new programs, services and facilities during 2010 that we hope have broadened and expanded services to library customers. Here are just a few of the highlights:
 

I was very happy this week to learn that the National Book Award for Non-Fiction went to the “Godmother of Punk,” Patti Smith, for her memoir, Just Kids.