BLFF Lifetime Members Club

…about BLFF Lifetime Members Club

Lifetime Members exist because each lifetime member of the Bandon Library Friends and Foundation (BLFF) has a strong and lifelong commitment to the important role of the Bandon Public Library in our thriving community.

Bandon Library Friends and Foundation would like to give its lifetime members the opportunity to get together as a group and choose a special library project to sponsor. Just a few members donating $50 or $100 each could easily fund small but important “extras” in the $1,000 to $3,000 range that is beyond the library’s annual budget.

We will meet annually to select a Bandon Library project to fund.  Projects will be proposed by the library director for our entertainment and consideration. This is also a chance to give direct community input to selecting library improvements!

If you want to be part of this effort, let us know. If you’d like to help with organizing it, that would be even better! Of course, just writing that check would be a wonderful contribution.

 

2025  Fundraising Project: Replace Fluorescent Lights with LEDs

This year LMC will be tackling another important library improvement. The City of Bandon has been changing out the lights in the room fondly referred to as “the stacks”, where we all search for books or DVD movies we want to check out. They only change the lights as they burn out, from fluorescent to new LED lights. There are 32 remaining lights waiting to be replaced. LED lights are more efficient and has a brighter light than the current lighting. Soon, this area will not have any outside light to help us see as we enter rainy winter months.

This job has to be done by a licensed electrician, city rules. Our director, Christine Kingsbury picked the estimate from M4 Electric in Coquille. Replacing the 32 lights will be $6,805.00. This includes parts and labor. It averages out to $214.00 per light. Depending on the money raised will depend on how many lights get replaced. If we raise $3,400, then half of the job will be completed. Christine is also checking out a possible rebate for updating to LED lighting.

2024  Fundraising Project: Children’s Area Improvements

Many of the library’s new programs are youth centered and they have recently been able to add a new part-time children’s librarian due to a grant. With all this new activity and the number of attendees, it has become apparent that the children’s library can become stuffy. This is due in part to the fact that the windows in that section of the library do not open. Christine Kingsbury, Library Director, has received a quote of just over $2000 for two replacement windows with a section that opens to allow airflow. This is a smaller ask than in some previous years. Any additional funds raised would go towards new materials for teens and adults.

2023 Fundraising Project:  Cover Bandon Library Utility Bills for FY2024

The LMC donated $12,950 towards the Bandon Library’s utility costs. The donation was a welcome surprise to library staff who have had to do more with less in the past few years to meet the needs of library patrons. The funds will be used to defray the library’s utility costs this fiscal year.

 

2020/21/22 Lifetime Members Club Projects

We raised $3,690 from October 2021-Feb 2022. With the extra that rolled over from 2020-2021, that total is $4,681. There wasn’t a project until our new director, Christine Kingsbury, decided to reinvent the dismantled YA or Young Adult area. We also recovered some comfortable reading chairs.
Christine has moved the YA books back to the new location – the area to the right when you enter the stacks of books in the far room of the library. There is space for the old cafe-style tables and chairs that the teens like and use. An L shape 42″ high wall of black book shelves to partition the area off is planned.  The total remodel including the shelving is $5,473.11.

Note that donations to the children’s room or for children’s books/media do not include YA/Young Adult items. If you wish to donate to the YA area, be sure to so indicate that on your check.

2020 Lifetime Members Club Projects

The 2020-2021 gathering brought in a few new lifetime members in addition to the group of core members. Thank you all for making the Lifetime Members Club meaningful with a dash of fun. We have made the middle area of the library so colorful, serene and patron friendly.
A special “thank you” to Sara Michaels and Stephen Robb for their extra funding of the banners, hard work, and great ideas for the first two gatherings.
Total donations for 2020-2021 were $2,175.00, expenses $1860.10 leaving a surplus of $314.90. The three tier display table won with 14 votes. The free standing waterfall received 7 votes. Both of these were purchased and are in use. The surfboard shelf received 2 votes. The $314.90 surplus will be carried over to the next gathering in October 2021. The surplus from 2019 wasn’t needed and will once again be used to purchase audiobooks for adults and young adults.
Included are two photos. One shows the two new items, the three tier display table with some great new to the library books and the waterfall (not on). The second photo shows where they are placed; under the banners and behind the fish mobil.

2019 Lifetime Members Club Projects

The second annual gathering:  Sunday October 6, 2019 from 2-4 PM at Bandon Library Sprague Community Room. Please join us.

Click here for more information on the 2019 Gathering,

2018 Lifetime Members Club Projects

The first annual gathering in 2018. 

The 2018 projects and gathering  – pictures of gathering and outline of projects and results

LMC 2018 results – pictures of completed projects