By Gayle Harrington, Director of Library Services

I think it is true what they say about the month of March. It does indeed seem to coming in like a lion...a roaring and gnashing lion giving us wind and rain and unsettled weather. But all too soon we will see the gentle signs of spring popping up in our yards and surrounding fields. It is truly a time for rebirth and new beginnings. While we are waiting for that new beginning, let's look back and see what the old year brought us. For those of you who like statistics, here they are - with my pleasure!

Did you know that in the year 2010, the Cottonwood Community Library......

• had 2919 children come to the library
• had 7287 adults come to the library
• read to 729 children, accompanied by 442 adults at our storytimes
• issued 136 new library cards to children
• issued 411 new library cards to adults/family as a group
• We currently maintain 4367 patrons in our data base.
• AND FINALLY...we checked out 19,710 books during the year.

Please take a moment to really study those numbers. If you had any doubt at all about the demand and feasibility of a library in Cottonwood, those numbers should confirm it. We are busy, we are active, we are growing, and we need your help and support to continue to offer these services to our patrons and future new patrons. Pick a time during our business hours to visit the library, and you will see the computer room filled with people using our high speed computers, others with their own laptops taking advantage of our Wi-Fi while sitting at the round table, youngsters with their parents in the kid's section, and high school aged visitors checking out the latest new books in our Young Adult section. If you were to walk down the hall, you may encounter tutoring going on in the meeting room as someone is being helped with their English, or you would perhaps see an Art Class being conducted. All this is happening in YOUR library, the one that we all worked so hard to make possible.

Let's be good stewards and continue to support the very thing that we fought for and worked so hard for all these many years. The very thing that continues to grow and evolve and mature and become a true and necessary presence here in the south Shasta County area. We told everyone we needed a library, and the statistics above only prove that point. Thank you for your help and support in the past, and please, continue to help us keep that vision alive and growing by supporting us in the future.

If you are looking for a fun evening out while supporting the library, please consider attending our "Springtime in the Vineyard" event being held on April 30th out at Burnsini Vineyards. More information can be found in this newsletter. It will be a fun night of good food, good fruit of the vine, and some outstanding auction prizes. Hope to see you there!

Happy Reading!

Gayle