Celia Rivenbark to speak at the Friends of the Library Annual Membership Meeting
Friday, Nov 6, 7 pm
Northeast Regional Library

Local humor writer Celia Rivenbark will speak to the Friends of the Library at their annual Membership Meeting on November 6. If you're a member you're invited, and if you’re not already a Library Friend please come join at the door and get in on the fun and festivities. The Friday evening event kicks off the Friends’ membership drive for 2010.

Celia is an award-winning nationally syndicated humor columnist and best-selling author, as well as a popular and entertaining speaker. "Think Dave Barry with a female point of view," said USA Today. A native of Duplin County, she knows Southeastern North Carolina inside out and describes its fast-changing landscape with wit and affection.

Celia’s fifth and latest book bears the tongue-in-cheek title You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning. It includes some classic Southern recipes as well as Celia’s riffs on family, television, and life in the South today. Copies will be on sale after she speaks, and she’ll be happy to autograph copies while Friends mingle and enjoy refreshments.

The Friends of the Library is a membership organization that supports the public library through dues, fundraising, and volunteering. “Community support is always vital to a thriving public library,” says Harry Tuchmayer, Library Director, “but in an economy like this year’s where we’ve absorbed deep budget cuts it’s absolutely essential. One of the most important things you can do to keep our doors open and new materials hitting the shelves is to join the Friends of the Library.”

Friends membership dues and the proceeds of the used book sales the Friends manage currently pay for almost 20% of the new books and audiovisual materials the Library buys for the public to use and enjoy, as well as all the Library’s free public programs, printing and mailing the quarterly newsletter Scuttlebutt, and other special needs not budgeted by New Hanover County. In addition, Library volunteers donate over 1200 hours of work each month, the equivalent of 7.6 full-time employees. Like each one of us, the Library and the community that uses it depend on its Friends!

The brief business meeting will include election of officers and board members for the upcoming year. Nominees to lead the Friends are Anne Langan for President; Joan Bar-Zeev, VP; Richard Salwitz, Secretary; and Janet Bailey, Treasurer. Larry Ankrom, Kimberley Baggett, Ruth Brown, Marjorie George, Marilyn McConnell, Daryl Rosebaum, and Sandy Secore are candidates for board members. Web page design and database management are skills the board particularly needs. If you’re interested in volunteering to assist any board committees, please call and leave your name and number at 910.798.6395.