Finished News Report #1

"With Budgets Tight, Public Libraries Step Up Book Donation Programs"
Lynn Blumenstein, LibraryJournal
8/31/2009
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6686755.html

This article is about how three different systems are working to keep stocking libraries with needed books. The Fairfax County Library in California is using a system through Amazon.com that enables citizens to donate books directly to the library. Donors can view the libraries' wish list and once purchased the books are put on the shelves. As an added benefit, the program sends a recipet to the donor for tax deduction purposes. The Santa Cruz Public Library is getting new books from it's local community. They are taking local donations and are partnering with several community bookstores. The director of the SCPL, Theresa Landers, acknowledges that this is no permanent way for the library to aquire materials but in the is economic down time it is the most pragmatic approach. The third part of the article is about the Library Systems and Services LLC and its !stread program. This program is being revamped to encompass more donations. The system benefits both donors and libraries. Donors buy books at a discounted rate and once finished with the book they donate it to their local library and recieve a coupon for a discount on their next book purchase.

I think that libraries are a fundamental part of our local communities and that in times of economic hardship many citizens forget to lend their support. It is good to see that several different programs are in place to keep new material flowing into libraries even while their budgets are being restricted.