Children in the Santa Maria and Orcutt areas will soon be given more access to books and other materials, thanks to a recent $55,000 donation to the Santa Maria Public Library from Altrusa International Inc. of the Central Coast.
“This is a wonderful gift,” city librarian Jack Buchanan said in a press release. “It fills a real need. There are about 25,000 children in the Santa Maria and Orcutt school districts, and the Santa Maria Public Library serves them all.”
The Altrusa grant will go toward purchasing an estimated 3,000 children’s books to help fill the library’s children’s area, which is triple the size of its former space in the old library.
“We’re very pleased to receive this donation, especially during these hard economic times when everyone’s budgets are under pressure,” Buchanan said in the release. “This is another example of the strong community support for its public library.”
In recognition of this generosity, the library lobby will be named the Altrusa Lobby.
The organization’s support will enhance the library’s objectives to encourage reading, develop reading as a lifelong pleasure, and help children in their educational endeavors, according to city staff.
For more information about the Santa Maria Public Library, located at 421 S. McClelland St., call 925-0951, Ext. 322, or visit ci.santa-maria.ca.us/210.shtml.
This article appears in May 7-14, 2009.
