Friends Disbanded

The Friends of Mirror Lake Library has disbanded as of summer 2022. Thanks for your support over the last ten years.

Jeff Klinkenberg – November 19, 2018

“By the time I was in high school, I joke I was the founder of the Boys Without Dates Club. I was certainly interested in girls, but perhaps it was the smell of fish on my hands from all the time I spent fishing. We would catch snakes, too, and then you’d have the smell of snake musk on your hands, as well.

“I can use Florida as a prism to write about anything.”
–Jeff Klinkenberg in Florida Trend

Join us for our author event, “An Evening with Jeff Klinkenberg” at the Mirror Lake Community Library next Monday, November 19.  The talk starts at 5:30 p.m., and you can talk to Jeff and eat cookies afterwards from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Meeting Minutes for September 5, 2018

Meeting Minutes
September 5, 2018
Approved November 7, 2018

Call to order and roll call: The meeting was called to order at 6:05 p.m. by President Linda Sagese. Present were Courtney Walker, treasurer/membership director; Diane Drutowski, secretary/communications director; Elizabeth Longden; and Lori Metzner, library staff.

Minutes: The minutes of the April 2018 meeting were distributed. Elizabeth Longden made a motion to approve the minutes. Courtney Walker seconded. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s report: Courtney Walker reported $3327.56 in our city fund and $765.83 in our Grow Financial account. Diane Drutowski made a motion to approve the minutes. Elizabeth Longden seconded. The motion passed.

Old Business / June Book Sale: Diane Drutowski reported sales of $1269.59—a very successful sale. Comments:
– Success is mostly due to better quality of books.
– We need more children’s books next time (request donations).
– Eliminate separate prices for mass market and trade paperbacks—all the same price.
– We need more paper bags for next time.
– Bring a bin for “well-loved books” for ten cents each or free.
– An additional volunteer is needed each shift to straighten and arrange books.

Old Business / April Author Event: The Lee Irby author event in April went well, with about 25 people in attendance. Lee donated the profits from selling his books to the friends. Diane Drutowski sent him a thank-you note.

New Business / Upcoming Author Events: Our next author event is Gale Massey, a local crime fiction writer, on September 10.   Matt will set up chairs and the banner. Linda Sagese will bring cookies and water.

After that, our author event is Jeff Klinkenberg on November 12.

New Business / January Book Sale:    Elizabeth Longden made a motion to hold a second book sale in January. Linda Sagese seconded. The motion passed. The date January 26, 2019, was set. Elizabeth will run the sale. Diane Drutowski will send Elizabeth all the information she has about previous book sales. We will decide later if Elizabeth will also run the June book sale or if Diane will do it.

New Business / New Board Positions and Officer Vacancies: Elizabeth Longden will take over the position of communication director, in charge of publicity and social media. Diane Drutowski will continue the position until after the Klinkenberg author event in November, and then send Elizabeth all her information and passwords.

New Business / Book Bags and Banners: The board discussed book bag ideas, color versus monochrome, and printing places. It was agreed the new banner should say the author event is “Monday,” so it can be set up the Tuesday before every event.

Open Discussion:
      –   Former FOMLL Treasurer Monika Finley died. Linda Sagese attended the service.
–   The board discussed a historical display for the library. Lori Metzner said the library might offer an information sheet on the history of the library.
–   Lori Metzner suggested local historian and author Ray Arsenault for a future author event. We will pass on the suggestion to Maureen McDole.

Next Meeting: The next meeting is Wednesday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m.

Submitted by
Diane Drutowski, Secretary

An Evening with Jeff Klinkenberg – November 19, 2018

***NEW DATE***
Monday, November 19, 2018 – 5:30 p.m.
Mirror Lake Community Library

Join us for our upcoming author event, An Evening with Jeff Klinkenberg, on the second floor of Mirror Lake Community Library, 280 5th Street North, St. Petersburg. This event is co-sponsored by our community partner Keep St. Pete Lit.  The date will be announced soon.

Seating is available at 5:00 p.m. Opening remarks begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the author’s talk. A reception with book signing and light refreshments follows at 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Jeff Klinkenberg, who wrote about Florida culture for the Tampa Bay Times for nearly four decades, is the author of a new book of essays, Son of Real Florida: Stories from my Life, published by the University Press. Previous books, including Alligators in B-Flat, Pilgrim in the Land of Alligator, Seasons of Real Florida and Dispatches from the Land of Flowers, have been best sellers.

 

 

 

Photos from Gale Massey author event

Gale Massey gave a wonderful reading, answered questions, and signed books at our author event on September 10. Be sure to read THE GIRL FROM BLIND RIVER.

Meeting Minutes for April 3, 2018

Meeting Minutes
April 3, 2018
Approved September 5, 2018

Call to order and roll call: The meeting was called to order at 6:01 p.m. by President Linda Sagese. Present were Courtney Walker, treasurr/membership director; Diane Drutowski, secretary/communications director; Mary Jane Fales; Orlando Acosta; Beth Lindsay; and Mandy Morris.

Minutes: The minutes of the February 2018 meeting were distributed. Courtney Walker made a motion to approve the minutes. Orlando Acosta seconded. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s report: We have $2341.03 in our city fund and $397.24 in our Grow Financial account. Since the last report, we had a $23 donation and paid a $50 fee to the state.

Old Business / Author Event: The Steph Post author event in February went well, with about 25 people in attendance.

New Business / Summer reading: Mandy Moore, Youth Services Coordinator, spoke about the library’s summer reading programs and asked for $200 for an interactive theater program, Timeless Tales Theater’s “Princess and the Pea.” Diane Drutowski made a motion to approve the $200 from our city fund. Courtney Walker seconded. The motion passed.

New Business / Author Events: Our next author event is Lee Irby on April 9. Staff will set up chairs and the banner. Linda will bring cookies. Orlando will bring water.

Following that is Gale Massey, a crime fiction writer, on September 10.

We may schedule for a children’s author after the new children’s area is completed.

New Business / Book Sale: Our next book sale is June 2, 2018. Beth Lindsay will confirm that there is no conflict with North Branch’s sale. Diane is signing up volunteers.

New Business / New Librarian: Beth Lindsay reported that one person has been recommended and is being reviewed by HR.

Next Meeting: The next meeting is Wednesday, September 5, at 6:00 p.m.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Submitted by
Diane Drutowski, Secretary

An Evening with Gale Massey – September 10, 2018

Join us for our upcoming author event, An Evening with Gale Massey, on Monday, September 10, 2018, on the second floor of Mirror Lake Library at 280 5th Street North, St. Petersburg. This event is co-sponsored by our community partner Keep St. Pete Lit.

Opening remarks begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by the author’s talk. A reception and book signing is from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Seating is available starting at 5:00 p.m.

Gale Massey’s stories have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times, Walking the Edge, Sabal, Seven Hills Press, and other journals. She has been the recipient of scholarships and fellowships at The Sewanee Writers’ Conference and Writers in Paradise, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her first novel, THE GIRL FROM BLIND RIVER, was released on July 10, 2018. It’s “a gritty tale of how far we’ll go to protect the ones we love.” Gale lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Visit GaleMasseyBooks.com for more information.

Book Sale – June 2, 2018

Join us for a book sale June 2 at Mirror Lake Community Library, 280 5th Street North, downtown St. Petersburg. The sale runs from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  We will have hardcovers, paperbacks, CDs and DVDs. Shop for children’s books, music, fiction, and non-fiction. The event is brought to you by Friends of Mirror Lake Library and Keep St. Pete Lit. All proceeds benefit the library and friends activities.

We would appreciate donations of your old books, videotapes, and CDs for the sale.  Drop them off at the library front desk between now and June 1.  The library is located at 280 Fifth Street North in St. Petersburg and is open Monday and Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Call (727) 893-7268 if you have any questions.  Thank you for helping the library and its programs with your donations.

Meeting Minutes for February 7, 2018

Meeting Minutes February 7, 2018
Approved April 4, 2018

Call to order and roll call: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by Vice President Maureen McDole. Present were Courtney Walker, treasurer/ membership director; Diane Drutowski, secretary/communications director; Mary Jane Fales, and Beth Lindsay.

Minutes: The minutes of the November 2017 meeting were distributed. Mary Jane Fales moved to approve the minutes. Diane Drutowski seconded. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s report: We have $2341.03 in our city fund and $429.24 in our Grow Financial account. Diane Drutowski moved to approve the report. Mary Jane Fales seconded. The motion passed.

Linda Sagese negotiated a Florida Non-profit Compliance (990) late fee of $50. We will all review the dates for 2018 and stay on track with our annual report and 990 renewal.

Book Sale: Our next book sale on June 2, 2018. Beth Lindsay confirmed that the library staff with collect and organize books as usual. We will request book donations.

Author Events: The Steph Post event (rescheduled due to Hurrican Irma) is February 12, 2018. Collette Bancroft from the Tampa Bay Times reviewed Steph’s new book. Thanks to Orlando Acosta for helping promote the event. Diane Drutowski will provide the printed introduction and email sign-up sheet. Courtney Walker will coordinate with Linda Sagese about refreshments. Someone will need to bring a donation jar if Linda doesn’t attend.

Lee Irby is scheduled for April 9 as a joint event for the 4th Annual Sunlit Festival.

National Library Week is April 8-14, 2018.

Library Staff Report: Beth Lindsay told us that the position of librarian has been advertised. The staff is going ahead with the new carpet and rearranging the first floor areas. They are also planning to expand the literacy program.

Next meeting: The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 28, 2018, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. It’s a week earlier than usual to avoid conflict with a SunLit Festival event.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Submitted by
Diane Drutowski
Secretary

Meeting Minutes for November 1, 2017

Meeting Minutes November 1, 2017
Approved February 7, 2018

Call to order and roll call: The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by President Linda Sagese. Present were Maureen McDole, vice president; Courtney Walker, treasurer/ membership director; Diane Drutowski, secretary/communications director; Mary Jane Fales, promotions; Frances Pitzer; Orlando Acosta; and Tatiana Alvarez, Librarian.

Minutes: The minutes of the April 2017 meeting were distributed. Maureen McDole moved to approve the minutes. Orlando Acosta seconded. The motion passed.

Treasurer’s report: We have $2341.03 in our city fund and $363.24 in our Grow Financial account. Maureen McDole moved to approve the report. Orlando Acosta seconded. The motion passed.

Old Business: Diane Drutowski reported briefly on the June book sale. We decided not to have a November book sale, mostly because we don’t have enough books. We will hold our next book sale on June 2, 2018.

Author Events: We will have Ben Montgomery on November 13. The Steph Post event has been rescheduled (due to Hurrican Irma) to February 12, 2018. Steph has a new book coming out in January. Lee Irby is scheduled for April 9 as the kick-off event for the Sunlit Festival. National Library Week is April 8-14, 2018. We reviewed what Tatiana needs to do for the author events. We discussed having a children’s author in 2018, to possibly tie in with the new children’s area. Suggestions were Sara Pennypacker and Erica Sirotich.

Librarian Report: Our new Librarian II Coordinator, Tatiana Alvarez, reported plans to redesign the layout of the first floor, moving the children’s area to the back and installing new carpet. She will be holding more children’s programs. She noted the need to renew our license with the Florida Department of Agriculture.

 First Night: The New Year’s Eve Event will have children’s activities at the library in the early evening.

Promotions: Mary Jane Fales suggested making and selling tote bags in 2018.

Next meeting: The next meeting will be Wednesday, February 7, 2018, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. We will discuss the upcoming book sale.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:01 p.m.

Submitted by
Diane Drutowski
Secretary