@ your library (R) ......by Paige Turner January 27, 2005 A New Year, A New Library A new library for Mammoth Lakes! That's the dream we're working to make a reality and we're well on our way. Grants and other funding have been pledged by various agencies and organizations for a majority of costs for the new library. However, the balance of funding will have to come from individual donors. The Mammoth Lakes Friends of the Library Building Committee has already received many generous donations from individuals and organizations, as well as pledges from several others, and is committed to raising the balance of nearly $3 million needed to fund the new library. Ryan Group Architects of Truckee, California, has designed a beautiful building and we hope to break ground this spring or summer. The new library will be over 16,000 square feet, provide computer equipment, meeting space, a conference room for one-on-one meetings and consultations, a "teen" area, and staff workspace in which to receive and process donated and purchased books. With reductions in school budgets, it is imperative for the new public library to provide educational resources. To that end, a homework center will house school textbooks and reserve materials, and a career center will allow access to vocational information through databases and print materials. The Mammoth Lakes Library is, and will continue to be, an integral part of the community. Its mission is to provide lifelong learning opportunities, social interaction, cultural enrichment, information and recreational reading in affordable and accessible formats to all residents and visitors of Mammoth Lakes. Its vision is to create a place that is always welcoming and available, that is a safe haven for people of all economic groups, backgrounds and ethnicities, and that is a vital part of the community. Please help make the dream of a new library in Mammoth Lakes a reality by making a donation to the Building Fund. Call the Library at 934-4777 for more information. Thanks again to those who have already made donations. We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and support. Don't forget Bill Altaffer's Mediterranean slideshow on February 2, 2005, at 7 PM at the Mammoth Lakes Library. This show will highlight stops in Gibraltar, Morocco and Tangiers. There will also be pictures of ancient ruins in Tunis and King Fauruk's palace in Alexandria. The grand finale includes images of Cyprus, Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo. Bill is one of the world's most traveled people, so don't miss this chance to see and hear about some of the exotic places around the Mediterranean. Again, the date is Wednesday, February 2, at 7PM. We'll see you @ your library! TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How many visits did the Mammoth Lakes Library have last year? How many computer users does the library have each month? ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S QUESTION: The word "tip" is an acronym for "to insure promptness" and once upon a time was given in advance.