CRESTVIEW — When the library’s book acquisition fund was cut from this year’s budget, library staff and Friends of the Crestview Library started finding creative ways to keep popular new titles in local readers’ hands. A book-fund donation tree, erected Monday in the library lobby, is their latest effort.
Library clerk Audrey Milcarek, who heads the Friends-sponsored project, said three distinct ornaments are available, representing three tiers of donation levels.
“It’ll be a lime green book-shaped ornament for $1, and a bright pink candy cane for $5 or more, because donors are sweet to do it,” Milcarek said. “And we have a bright yellow star for anybody giving $10 or more. If it’s your business and you give $10, we’ll staple your business card to the star.”
Milcarek said she hopes ornaments will soon cover the tree.
“We don’t want a Charlie Brown tree,” she said, referencing the scrawny sapling Charlie selects in the a holiday TV special. “We want it full and decorated.”
Library staff members asked library patrons to stop by during the holidays, offer donations, and see the number of ornaments grow on the book fund tree.
“We want to challenge our patrons to come in and purchase at least a $1 ornament,” library Director Jean Lewis said. “We actually have more than 20,000 patrons, so even if half of them came in, that’s $10,000 to purchase books for the library.”
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Patron donations earn ornaments for library book fund tree