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| - What's new at the Library
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- Open House and Book Sale : a great
success
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| - Coming events and activities
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- Christmas concert - Don’t
miss it !
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December 1997
What’s New?
The Holiday season is now upon us! Thanksgiving
was last Thursday. The Library was open on this traditional American holiday, but we took
the time to consider some of the reasons we have to be thankful.
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Our Library and its collection of books and other
holdings are in excellent shape. Although our budget has to be carefully managed (and
whose doesn’t these days!) we have received hundreds of new books since the beginning
of the year. We purchase most of these books with funds provided by membership fees, but
many are donated by our friends at the American Library in Paris and we are ever grateful
for their continuing support!
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We are also thankful for our team of volunteers who
give time and energy to our Library. Most of our volunteers are stationed at the Reception
desk. They are responsible for answering the telephone, providing information about the
Library, its activities and just about anything! Most importantly, they are our
Ambassadors to the community. It is they who provide our visitors with their first
impressions of the Library. Thanks, people! Well done!
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We are grateful for the community at large.
Montpellier is a wonderful city with a population that is well-educated and broad-minded
enough to support an institution such as ours. The proof is that our membership renews
itself every year.
Membership statistics are holding steady and it’s not just university students but
representatives from the entire community.
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Finally, we are thankful for YOU. The Friends
of the American Library association is vital to our continued growth. Without your
commitment, our Library would never have become what it is today.
Thanks!
-Kevin Lightner |
Open House and Book Sale
A Great Success!
November’s Open House and Book Sale was another
great success! Hundreds of people visited the Library on November 15th and we
netted around ten thousand francs that will go towards several new projects. In addition,
about fifty people took advantage of the special Library card discount offered on that
day.
Those of you who look at such events from a philosophical point of view
might consider it a perfect example of an "eternal flux"… books come and
books go… Fortunately, for the health of the Library’s book collection, more
books are coming in than are going…
To deal with this influx of new materials, the Library staff has been
making plans to increase shelf space. Some of the profits from the Book Sale will go for
the purchase of new shelves to be placed in the South Wing hallway.
Proceeds will also contribute to the purchase of much-needed new
reference materials.
Once again we would like to thank the loyal sponsors of our annual
raffle sale. AIR LITTORAL was
kind enough to donate yet another free trip for two to Corsica for our Grand Prize.
Sponsors included the BOOKSHOP, SOS PIZZA, LA
LIBRAIRIE MOLIERE and McDONALD'S.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank BILL'S BOOK COMPANY for its donation of
hundreds of books for our sale!
Many thanks also to Matilda Lipscomb, who donated hundreds of colorful
American bookmarks that are selling briskly at the circulation desk. She also contributed
a very generous check to the Friends of the American Library.
Christmas Concert : A reminder
The Friends of the American Library association would
like to remind you that it will sponsor the Christmas concert of the Madrigalistes de
Montpellier.
The program of Anglo-Saxon Christmas Music will be held on Sunday
December 21, 1997 at 5:30 p.m. in Montpellier’s Eglise Saint Mathieu.
COMING IN MARCH
Good news!
We’ve just received word from Susan Harloe, the
Artistic Director of Word for Word, that the troupe will be returning to
Montpellier for a new performance.
Word for Word is a San Francisco - based theater group that
stages versions of literary works "word for word", including "he
said", "she said", "they exclaimed," etc. Last year’s
presentation of Edith Wharton's "XINGU" was very well received here at the
Library. The troupe gave two performances to a packed house!
This year’s story is by Langston Hughes, a noted African-American
writer of the 20’s - 60’s. The story is called "The Blues I’m
Playing". The Library has a copy of the story available for members. Just ask at
the Circulation desk.
We’ll be sure to keep you informed about the dates of this
year’s Word for Word visit which we hope will become an American Library
tradition!
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