Sunday, May 18, 2014.  Sarasota. Florida.  A dedication of the new library was held and attended by approximately 50 people.  The Reverend Dr. Glen Bell opened the ceremony with a few comments of brief history from Annabelle Cowden to Natalie Smith (Librarian). Portraits of each woman were unvailed by Bruce Maxian.  Pastor Glen presented a Certificate of appreciation to Jim Smith in recognition to both Natalie and Jim for their time and talent to the church.  Finally, Glen offered a closing prayer followed by those present hugging Jim and giving their personal reminiscences for Natalie.  The Smith family was present in honor of Natalie and Jim.  Photos showing the empty library and a number of those who attended will appear in the photo section of this network.

The First Presbyterian church (USA) of Sarasota, Florida has a new library.  Over the past two years planing, design and relocation of the church library from a small, overgrown, humid and poorly located facility was accomplished.  By combining and gutting two former classrooms and providing a proper environment for library materials the church now has a comfortable, working library.  There is temperature/humidity control and wireless internet access. Shelving encircles most of the room (one wall not yet completed) and comfortable chairs have been donated.  A significant section of the library serves the needs of the state certified pre-school program and the children and young adult classes.  A plan is in progress to develop an Hispanic component of the collection to serve a growing part of the church congregation.

Just as the new library was completed for use our Librarian suffered an untimely death at an early age.  With her loss we have established a Library Ministry Team to develop policies that were lost with the passing of Natalie Smith, MLS from Vanderbilt.  We are in the process of providing a set of operational manuals that we will have to utilize for a number of volunteer church members who will each be on hand to "run"the library, each person for a few hours one different day of the week.  The church treasury cannot support a full time professional librarian.

The above news is "tip of the ice berg"  in terms of what work still needs to be done.  In future I will hope to post a few photos of the library along with a progress report.  My apology for the disjointed and incomplete report above.  Time constraints only allowed me to use this as a beginning post.