Friends/Foundation to host One Book One Coast streaming author event May 31

The Seaside Library Friends/Foundation told the board it will host a membership event on Sunday, May 31 that will include a streaming author talk connected to One Book One Coast.

Penny York, the new bookstore manager (introduced to the board by staff), has rearranged the bookstore and reported rising sales that support library activities. "Her name is Penny York, and she has, rearranged things and is doing some new things, and, that's increasing sales," a board member said during the Friends/Foundation report.

The event will tie into the regional One Book One Coast program; staff said the selected title will be George Takei’s memoir They Called Us Enemy and that the library will be one of the community viewing sites for the author’s streamed talk on May 31. Meeting discussion referenced plans for membership meeting timing, possible refreshments, and the streaming timeframe (roughly 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.).

Why it matters: The One Book One Coast event is a regional reading program that can draw members to the Friends/Foundation and raise visibility and fundraising for the library. Hosting the streamed author presentation offers a shared cultural program and a membership benefit.

What’s next: Friends/Foundation volunteers will finalize member meeting logistics, streaming access and refreshments, and staff will publicize the event through the library's calendar and membership channels.

Sources: Discussion and quotations are taken from the Friends/Foundation report in the Seaside Library Board meeting transcript; the transcript used a variant of the book title that staff clarified as They Called Us Enemy for public listings.