Friends group reports $3,000 book sale, summer reading draws 414 registrants

The Friends of the Pflugerville City Library reported a record June book sale that raised more than $3,000 and significant volunteer needs as the organization prepares its next sale and a planned name plaque installation for the library's original wing.

Kim Reist, treasurer of the Friends of the Library, told the board the group surpassed the $3,000 mark at a June sale, added 35 new members and the Friends have selected a vendor for a sign and plaque for the original wing to honor Audrey T. Dearing. Reist said the city council voted unanimously to approve the Friends' request and the group is targeting a late-September to early-October installation after securing family approval.

Staff and program leads also reviewed summer programming results. Miss Grabowski reported 414 guests registered for the all-ages summer reading challenge and 258 people logged minutes. "The total minutes read across all teams was 410,912 minutes or 6,848 hours and 53 minutes, averaging about 26.54 hours per reader," Miss Grabowski said; she added the blue team won with about 30 average hours per reader.

Staff noted a slight dip in checkouts and program numbers compared with last year, partly attributable to being down one youth services librarian over the summer. Outreach highlights included Maker Fest kickoff for the reading challenge and staff participation at Greater Austin Comic Con; marketing staff reported internship support for social media and photo coverage and solicited feedback on promotional prototypes.

Friends of the Library asked for additional volunteers for upcoming sales (set for August 21) and invited board members to assist with setup the evening before the sale. The Friends also will continue coordinating with staff on sign content and installation timing.