Hello, Pam. I hope you and your wonderful readers are well.

We continue to be thrilled with the effects of the books drive. Today the Poway Library had a story time and children's craft hour using only books we had received from the "pamie.com family". It was a great program and a great turnout.

I wonder if I could bring the following branches to your attention. They have just managed to get their wish lists and profiles up.

Thanks for all your outstanding service to readers and libraries everywhere.

Betty Waznis
San Diego County Library


Casa de Oro Branch Library serves a diverse community in the shadow of Mt. Helix in eastern San Diego County. The library is a small neighborhood branch that has served the youth and adults of the community for more than 40 years.

Lincoln Acres Branch Library is unlike any other library you have seen before. Originally an old military barrack, Lincoln Acres first opened to the community on June 18, 1947. Only 800 square feet, this tiny and cozy library is the second smallest in the county. The Lincoln Acres Library has stood the test of time as in the late 90's the county's relocation project almost closed the library, but residents fought hard and successfully petitioned to keep it open. In the last 2 years, budget cutbacks have restricted the book budget. In spite of the economic hardships, the library staff has strived to provide adequate resources to its large Spanish speaking community living in an economically disadvantaged area.

Potrero Branch Library has existed since 1915 and recently moved into a new facility in this rural community. Located just miles from the Mexican border, the branch serves a 26 mile area with many bilingual residents. This branch has a small budget but many community needs.

San Marcos Branch Library. San Marcos is home to over 16,000 children and teens under 18 years old. We try to reach each and every one of these young people with books, videos, CDs and recorded books to help meet their homework and leisure reading needs. With your help, we can include items in our collection that we couldn't afford otherwise. Thanks for helping to create a community of successful readers!

I got the sweetest handwritten thank you card and gift-receipt-thingie from Vickie at the Campo branch (I wish I had it in front of me to quote, it was so lovely). That card and its warm contents made me all misty-eyed, and had me feeling like a million bucks for the rest of the day. 
 
I never would have known about the branch, let alone donated anything, if not for you and your book drive, so I wanted to pass along the gratitude to the woman who *really* made this possible. May you have warm-n-fuzzies today, because you certainly deserve them.

shmoop.

- Erica

Hi!
 
I wanted to let you know I donated two books to the Vista Branch:
 
Capyboppy
Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul : 101 Stories of Courage, Hope and Laughter (Chicken Soup for the Soul (Paperback Health Communications))
 
The order wasjust placed about five minutes ago.This is a wonderful idea. Thanks for doing it!
 
-- Mary B.

Hey Pamie - you've already posted a link to my original donation entry,  but I thought you'd enjoy this one too - I got a really nice handwritten note from the librarian at the the Spring Valley Branch, and scanned it onto my blog, here.

It made me happy.

sam

Hi Pam,
 
Just wanted to say that on their way the Rancho branch are:

Little Women (every library needs this!)
The Colonial Mosiac: American Women 1600-1760 (yay for acknowledging women's roles in our history!)

4 of the "Jake Drake" series:
Jake Drake, Teacher's Pet
Jake Drake, Class Clown
Jake Drake, Know-It-All #2
Jake Drake, Bully Buster : Ready-for-Chapters

1 2 3 Draw Cars, Trucks, and Other Vehicles: A Step-By-Step Guide (1-2-3 Draw)  (because even though I have a Ph.D., I cannot draw any sort of vehicle to save my life)
Animals (Easy to Read, Easy to Draw) (because kids + art = good stuff)
 
Thanks so much for organizing this again this year!
Hannah
Athens, GA

Just wanted to let you know that I donated a copy of The New Rules of High School, by Blake Nelson to the Young Adult (YA) collection at the Valley Center Branch.  Good luck with the book drive!   
-Lori

Letter From a Rancho Librarian

Pamie,

Words can not express the joy you have brought to our entire staff.  Whenever another package arrives we have a little party!  We are a new and growing branch that could use more books on many different subjects.  Your generous donations help us fill out our collection.  That makes our patrons very happy!  It has been amazing to watch donations pour in from all over the country.  Thank you for lifting our spirits with your generosity.

Sincerely,
Brenna Ring
Branch Librarian
San Diego County Library
Rancho San Diego Branch

Letter From a Lemon Grove Librarian

Dear Pamie and Friends of the Cool Kids:
 
The UPS guy is getting to know Lemon Grove Library really well;  every day we get more deliveries from Amazon!  It's exciting opening the boxes to find the treasures inside.  The most successful donations have been the Lemony Snicket books - they are nearly all checked out already!  Thanks for helping the children of Lemon Grove find some great books to read.
 
Janet Gastil,
Youth Services Librarian
San Diego County Library,
Lemon Grove Branch

This book drive is an awesome idea, Pamie!
 
Like many of your other readers seem to have done, I looked over the lists for books that struck a chord with me. As a result, the Rancho San Diego Branch Youth Services Division will be receiving: 

The Book of Dragons & Other Mythical Beasts by Joe Nigg (because I so would have read this when I was a kid) and
Cells, Genes, and Chromosomes (Invisible World) by Nuria Bosch Roca (because the Mr. is a geneticist)


Thanks for the opportunity to participate!
Chyna (aka Julie)

Hi Pamie. 
 
Just thought I'd let you know that the Vista Branch Library will be receiving another copy of Lord of the Flies, because I want countless generations of teens keeping the phrase "Sucks to your ass-mar!" alive andkicking. 
 
I also sent the DVD version of the 1972 classic Cabaret because I was Sally Bowles in college, and Liza Minnelli is crazy/awesome.  Thanks for being the best philanthropist-wrangler in the world!
 
-Emily

Hi Pamie,

My favorite memories are of going to the library with my mom andspending hours quietly reading books in the sculpture garden.

The Poway Branch should be receiving Richard Scarry's Biggest Word Book Ever in a few days.

I wish I had more money and could give more, but a small donation is better than no donation.

Cheers,
Amy

I’m so devastated about losing Paula Danziger that I hustled right on over to the book donation list and sent some young adult books to the Valley Center Branch (YA) library:
 
Alice, I Think (Susan Juby)
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl (Martha Brooks)
 
And, of course
 
Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice? 
 
It’s a good thing you have a website, because no one in my office would ever understand why I am so sad today!
 
Take care,
Carrie

Letter From a Del Mar Branch Librarian

Thank you so much for helping us with the amazon.com wish list for San Diego County Libraries. 

We are receiving so many of the titles we hoped for from book lovers all around the country.  I spoke with the President of The Friends of the Del Mar Library, and the board will publish an article in their next newsletter, challenging the local community to contribute as generously as your readers have done. 

I'll report back to you with the results later this year. 

Sincerely, 
Gretchen Schmidt,
Librarian, Del Mar
Branch

Want to see a photo of the branch that received your donation?

Hi Pamie!
 
San Diego was the city in which my awareness of the world outside of my little family unit began to really take root and that was due - in no small part - to the libraries of that lovely city.  So how could I not give back, even if it's in some small way?
 
I bought Head Games by Christopher Golden from the Jacumba Branch's wishlist.  As I become less broke due to my new job, I hope to get them, or another branch or two, a few more books.
 
In other news, because something has been going on with the AIDS Marathon Donation Page (I.E. no one can use it to actually donate), I was wondering if it was possible for you to post a new link, this time to my donor form.  I know it's a little more work to download, print, fill out and mail it, but it's still very much worth it.
 
As always, thank you for being the ultimate Cool Kid and for rocking so very hard.  (Hey, no one works the Truly Sincere Kiss-Up the way I do.  And you know I'm being truly sincere here.)
 
Take care,
Carol

Hi Pamie -
 
Love your site!  I decided to check out Campo-Morena's Amazon wish list and was incredibly excited to find All-Of-A-Kind Family requested.  I have loved those books since the first time I saw them at the library when I was 8 years old.  I was beyond excited then to find books for kids about Jewish families - I haven't found many since then, so these books are treasures to me.  So, Campo-Moreno is receiving 3 of the books on audio cassette.  I will send them the other books on audio when I can find them. 

All-of-a-Kind Family [unabridged]
All-of-a-Kind Family Downtown
More All-of-a-Kind Family

Thanks for doing such a great thing,
 
Jennifer

Hi Pamie!

Just wanted to let you know that I sent 2 books over to the Campo-Morena branch.  I ordered the scintillating Drip Irrigation for Every Landscape and All Climates because it was one of their higher priority books, and then I also ordered The Chocolate Sundae Mystery because it is a Boxcar Children book, which I remember loving as a little girl (and also to get free shipping).  It was actually shipped on Monday, but I have been lazy about e-mailing you so you can keep track.  I'm enjoying the warm fuzzy feeling from helping another library.  Thanks for the nudge!

Jennifer

Hi!  

Had our monthly Friends of the Library meeting this morning and they were so pleased and surprised at the response of your readers.  Today, I got an even bigger surprise as one of our benefactors lives in London, England!  Truly amazing, especially as my mother was English and raised in Birmingham.  I have friends as well as cousins who live in and around London, and I can't help but feel that 'me mum' somehow guided your follower to her daughter's branch library!  My dad and I returned my mother's ashes, to her beloved England, nine years ago this month, and I'd love to think of her 'talking' to someone over there now.  Even more of a coincidence, is one of the titles Miriam chose for us was Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep, and my mother spent her teenage years on a sheep station in Austraila!   Very small world indeed.  Anyway, Pam, can't thank you and your followers for all they've done to increase our small collection.  It has truly been an AWESOME experience.

Vickie Mulrean
Campo-Morena Village Branch Library

The first "exotic" Amazon shipment for our Adult collection arrived today from Louisville!  I couldn't wait to see where it was from as I was opening the box.

Thanks, thanks, thanks.

Sandy Housley
Reference Librarian
Vista Branch
San Diego County Library

Donation #300!

Pam, 
  
In yet another example of the power of the book drive karma,  I got another patent award at work this week.  As a result,  I sent the 4 highest priority available books to the Del Mar branch.  They all happen to be children's books, which should all get plenty of use as two of them were requested to replace existing worn-out copies: 
  
  I Love Trucks! by Philemon Sturges
  Walking Through the Jungle by Debbie Harter
  Maisy's First Clock by Lucy Cousins
  Hello Ocean by Pam Munoz Ryan 

Michael

pamie-
 
Love your book, love your blog, and I love the opportunity to donate to San Diego libraries (my first summer reading program was through the Chula Vista branch at age 4 or 5 - I got a Farrell's sundae!). 
 
I just donate to my local library through overdue fines. :-)
 
I donated:
Curious George and the Bunny
Eres Tu Mi Mama?/Are You My Mother (Yo Lo Puedo Leer Solo)
Miss Spider's Tea Party: The Counting Book
 
Meg

Letter From a Santee Branch Librarian

The Santee Branch Library thanks you posting the library's name.  Alison King of San Francisco found the library and sent two books.What a great service you are providing!!   
 
Jo Routhier
Santee Branch Librarian