All proceeds go to help Palo Alto libraries.

All Palo Alto libraries will be closed on Monday, May 26 for the Memorial Day holiday.  You can always find the latest library hours via the Internet.

On Tuesday, May 6, Palo Alto's City Manager Frank Benest proposed a series of cuts to meet the city's projected two-year $9.7 million budget shortfall.  The $9.7 million includes a 5% budget cut across most of the city government.  One of Benest's proposals was to close the Terman Library, which the city projects will save $61,750 a year.  The Friends of the Palo Alto Library oppose this closing for several reasons, including the fact that the Terman Library is the site of one our book sales and helps us raise an estimated $25,000 a year, offsetting the projecting savings that closings would provide.  It would also mean that we could sell fewer books and accept fewer donations.  We also feel that the Terman Library is a major resource in its community and that the modest net savings hardly justify shutting it down.  The city is also proposing to further cut other library hours.  Read our letter to the City Council and a recent San Jose Mercury article.  E-mail the City Council, fax them at (650) 328-3631, or write to them at City Council, 250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301.

When rain and wind caused us to cancel our April outdoors sale at our Cubberley location, we instead held an extra indoor sale on the next day.  Thanks to all of our customers and volunteer staff, our total sales for the month were $10,500.  Not only does this mean that thousands of books were put back into circulation by the sale, but all the funds we raise help the Palo Alto libraries by paying for new books, DVDs, and videos for the libraries, after-school tutoring, cultural events, and many other important activities.

You can now ask the Palo Alto library to purchase new books for its collection without leaving your computer screen.  Just go to the library's purchase request form and enter the author and title.  Under the current budget constraints, there's no guarantee that a book you request will be purchased.  But it can't hurt to point out the books that you want.

The Friends of the Palo Alto Library are sponsoring "Meet Your World," a series of six multicultural events at Palo Alto's libraries over the next month.  There will be music from Paraguay, the American south, and Eastern Europe, and storytelling from many different countries and cultures.  All programs are suitable for any age.  More information, including specific times and programs.