THE  LIBRARY AND ITS FRIENDS
The Newsletter of
Friends of the Library
serving the
Alachua County Library District
Gainesville, FL

As the “Friends” of the Alachua County Library District, we allocate the majority of the money from our bi-annual sales to go directly to the Library to enrich library resources and services and to enhance facilities. A part of this “enrichment” funding is used to support a wide variety of special cultural and literacy programs in our community. Each year, library staff uses Friends’ funding to bring distinguished award-winning writers, illustrators, and musicians to libraries and schools in our community. Here are some highlights from this last year’s literary program schedule:

Sarah Manguso signs books
following her program
at the HQ Library.

In March, comics artist and the creator of the acclaimed King-Cat Comix, John Porcellino, conducted a comics workshop for an audience of fifty aspiring artists and visited three local school classes. Porcellino was also the keynote speaker at the annual UF Comics Convention.

Comics artist Porcellino leads
a workshop at the HQ Library.

UF Assistant Professor of Hebrew Literature Todd Hasak-Lowy made a return visit to the Library in early June in a program complementing a special Holocaust display.

Coming in August, local mystery writer M. D. Abrams, author of Murder on the Prairie and Murder at Wakulla Springs, will speak about her work at the HQ Library (August 29th, at 2 PM).

Ann LeZotte, a member of the ACLD staff and the author of T4: A Novel, gave presentations in October at the HQ Library, Santa Fe and Eastside High Schools. T4, LeZotte’s debut novel, is described as ”spare and lyrical” and “A great addition to the cannon of WWII young adult literature.”

In January, Audrey Couloumbis, Newbery Honor-winning author of Getting Near to Baby, spoke at Tower Road and to over 700 students at area middle schools. Her new book, The Misadventures of Maude March, described as “a fun read-aloud,” appears on the nominations list of Sunshine State Young Readers Award.

Audrey Couloumbis visits
local middle school.

Carl Joseph, dubbed “The One-Legged Wonder,” gave a wonderfully inspiring talk at the HQ Library in February. Joseph, born without his left leg, was determined to play football. His outstanding athleticism earned him induction into Florida’s High School Athletic Hall of Fame. An FOL mini-grant (another Friends program in support of community culture and literacy) provided copies of his book, Carl Joseph: Some Call Me “Superstar,” to students at Reichart House.

Carl Joseph speaks at the HQ Library.

Gainesville’s own Rick Yancey recently won ALA’s Printz Honor Award for his latest book, The Monstrumologist, about a boy who races against time to save his town from a pod of monstrous creatures that prey on humans. In April, Yancy visited the Millhopper Branch and also spoke with students at Mebane and Fort Clarke Middle Schools.

Writer Rick Yancy engages middle
school students in High Springs.