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What We Do

The Library Foundation enriches lives in our community by advocating for a vital library, increasing awareness, raising funds and supporting key library programs.

The Stanislaus Library Foundation supports the Stanislaus County Library in a variety of ways. For instance, the Foundation fully funded the 2011 Summer Reading Program for Children and Teens reaching more than 11,000 people annually.  We are also supporting E-Books coming to the library in the next few months, Stanislaus Reads and the Third Thursday Artwalk at the downtown Modesto Library.  These programs further promote literacy and positively impact our community.

Additionally the Foundation presents

  • Community workshops on topics such as estate planning and home organization at branches throughout the county, and
  • Shining Star AwardsThe annual Shining Star Awards to recognize an individual, an organization and/or a business that support the Stanislaus County Library through volunteer efforts, advocacy, or monetary support. The 2012 Awards honored both Shining Star winners and Stanislaus County Library Volunteers The 2012 Shining Star Recipients are:
    • Mark Looker - Individual Category - As owner of Looker Communications Consulting, Mark provides communication services to agricultural associations in California's San Joaquin Valley.  He joined the Stanislaus County Library's Stanislaus Reads Committee last year and with great enthusiasm helped build the committee with other public relations professionals from the Ag community.  Mark introduced Stan Reads to many potential donors and was instrumental in helping to raise nearly $20,000 to support this program.  Lasting partnerships were formed between the library and Ag community. Mark's efforts were critical to the success of Stanislaus Reads.
    • Crescencia Maurer - Friends Category - A long-time Newman Friends supporter, Crescencia has been involved in all aspects of this group, energizing them by coordinating the Friends book sale and recent E-Waste drive. As President, she has partnered with the local newspaper to increase public awareness of library events.  Along with the Gustine-Newman Soroptimists and the City of Newman, she helped purchase and place library signs on the main highway directing people to the library. She is a strong literacy advocate and through the Friends has founded a book club and special annual book drive benefiting Toys for Tots.
    • Ellen Dambrosio - Friends Category - Ellen is consistently thoughtful, energetic and resourceful in furthering the mission of the Friends of the Modesto Library.  She helps wherever needed with book sales, coin washing and children's programs. Ellen has brought structure to membership recruitment by holding membership drives at the library.  She instituted a membership renewal and thank you process to acknowledge strong support for the Friends from the community.  The ingenuity of her fundraising has brought in thousands of dollars in coins from Vintage Faire Mall, increased FOML revenue by instituting grocery affinity cards at local stores and successfully pursued a grant opportunity from a local business.
    • Vintage Faire Mall - Business/Organization Category - Staff at Vintage Faire Mall selected Friends of Modesto Library to be the coin recipients from two large fountains at the mall receiving $4,345 in coins for 2010/2011. Modesto Friends received additional money as a result of their affiliation with Vintage Faire Mall for a year of $3,500.  Without Vintage Faire Mall's management and staff, Modesto Friends of the Library would not have received a total of $7,845 which was used to benefit the library and its patrons.

We are pleased to act as a as a fiscal agent for special projects, such Ryan’s Reading Tree or the Omega Nu sponsored Family Dinner Theater. The Foundation would consider it an honor to work with you on a library-related project to honor a loved one, a corporate sponsorship or a grant for a specific library program. Please contact the Foundation at info@stanislauslibraryfoundation.org. We are here to make your idea happen.

RyanRyan’s Reading Tree

Ryan’s Reading Tree is an extraordinary example of what a partnership can accomplish. The tree was inspired and is dedicated to the memory of the life of Ryan Hunter Dickerson, a Modestan who died suddenly in the summer of 2007 at the age of 18.

Ryan, the son of Ron and Lynn Dickerson and brother of Ross Dickerson, was an avid reader, library user and Children’s Department volunteer.

Family and friends who loved Ryan and wished for his memory to live on raised the funds. The Stanislaus Library Foundation acted as the project’s fiscal agent. The tree is the centerpiece of the Modesto Library’s Children’s Room. An existing column has been transformed into a beautiful monumental oak tree that is a lasting tribute to Ryan. It is also the focal point of an inviting and welcoming atmosphere that promotes the joy and magic of reading for generations of children.