From Strength to Strength: Friends Make it Happen!

2019 – 2020: Friends Focused on Our Mission,
Then Adapted in the Wake of COVID-19

The 2019 – 2020 year of Friends of the Stirling Road Library began strong with a full house at our annual meeting featuring Jeff Weinsier, Journalists and Dirty Dining Reporter for WPLG-TV.

From there, we hosted many interesting and stimulating programs and activities, including:

SPECIAL PROGRAMMING

· Presentation by our Community’s Self-Published Authors
· Author Talk with historian Susan Neiman, co-hosted with the JCC
· Presentation on the 100th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment by Adam Levinson of StatutesandStories.com
· Art Lecture Series by Dr. Batia Cohen
· Folk Music Series with Matthew Sabatella, including a Mountain Music Jam
· College Prep Initiative Series with International College Counselors
· Collaborative Partnerships with the JCC, Music Club of Hollywood, Hollywood Historical Society, and Cinema Paradiso
· Special Concert by Belle and the Band
· Series of free Classical Music Concerts thanks to our new relationship with Broward College Performing Arts Center
ONGOING PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
· Short Story Discussion Group with Miriam Kalett
· Book Discussion with Lynda Levin
· Chair Yoga with Noemi Reis
· Art Classes with Sandi Levy
· Movie Discussion with Kandi
· Ageless Grace with Lana Gelb
· Purchased supplies and subsidized youth and kids’ programs
· Advocated with elected officials about public libraries
And then COVID-19 changed everything. The library closed and we canceled all of our programs in early March and didn’t know when we would begin to offer programs again. We decided to learn our way around ZOOM by first offering a series with Dr. Batia Cohen and then expanded to partnering with the JCC to offer our Book Discussion with Lynda Levin. We saw that our Zoom programs attracted a vibrant audience and quickly expanded to Chair Yoga. We then hosted a Virtual Happy Hour book conversation with BCL Director Kelvin Watson on The Nickel Boys and prepared for Hamilton: the Movie with Adam Levinson. We held a drive-thru free book giveaway for kids which attracted hundreds of families, and a weekly book sale to offer great reads to the community and raise funds for the library.
And all of the above is thanks to you!

2020 – 2021: EXPLORING OUR NEW REALITY

Our plans for the coming year including the following:

· EXPLORE ways to continue to serve adults during the pandemic as well as focusing on the needs of children and teens.
· BUILD upon our community partnerships
· DEVELOP our library’s presence in the lives of all who live in Broward County.
· CREATE INITIATIVES to retain and attract members and to raise funds
· EXAMINE what it means to be inclusive
· BE INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE AND SUPPORTIVE, to help transform our library to become the library of the future while facing the specific issues caused by the pandemic, including the loss of revenue due to the cancellation of book fairs and our book room
Even if it means being with each other virtually, we trust that we can maintain our sense of community with all 450 Friends. We know you are there and that you care deeply about Stirling Road Library. Together we will address our new reality and continue to be here for our community!

Celebrate at Our Virtual Annual Meeting,
Featuring Guest Speaker Chef Allen Susser

Join us for our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd at 6:45 PM, followed at 7 PM with renowned Chef Allen Susser on Chocolates and Paradise. Chef Allen is a James Beard Award-winning Chef who has been named “One of the Best 10 Chefs in America.” He will do a demonstration just for us and will share a few of his chocolate recipes from his latest cookbook Green Fig & Lionfish, Sustainable Caribbean Cooking.

To register for this special event, CLICK HERE.