FFrriieennddss TTrreennddssA PUBLICATION OF THE FRIENDS OF THE JEFFERSON PUBLIC LIBRARY

NO. 40 September 2013

We find good homes for used books.

See Improvements page 6

Life just got easier for both book donors and sorters at the Friends of the Jefferson Public Library. Two improvements have been added over the summer: more and better drop boxes for donations, and a new doorbell.

The drop boxes are castoffs from the East Bank Regional and other branches; they replace two old boxes, also castoffs, which had been in use since well before the Friends’ move to the main library. When library director Marylyn Haddican decided to use grant money to purchase better bins for those libraries in need of them, the Friends’ board asked if the Friends could have the old ones. (New bins can cost $3,000 and up—a big expense for a nonprofit.)

The result was a win for everyone: the libraries got upgraded drop boxes (stainless steel in the case of EBR), and the Friends now have six bins with roll out carts anchored into concrete. Since they are replacing two leaky bins that had no carts and were not anchored, the change has been phenomenal. Ted Blohm, who, with Diane Davey, regularly

unloads the bins, says because the six bins hold more books than before, they don’t fill up quite as fast as the old ones did. There are also no wet books on rainy days. Moreover, because they each have a roll out cart, no one has to sweat for hours (literally!) in the hot sun unpacking the books from the drop boxes and packing them into boxes on a cart. And finally, the anchors mean the bins won’t blow all over the parking lot, as happened to one of the old ones during a windstorm!

Don’t Miss OurBig Book Sale

Thursday - SundayOctober 17-20, 2013Daily 10 AM - 8 PM

Sunday Noon - 5 PM Pontchartrain Center in Kenner

Sorting center improvements are welcomed by allby Anna Campos

Front view of the Friends' upgraded drop boxes.

Friends of theJefferson Public Library

(a member of United for Libraries: the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates,

Friends, and Foundations)

Officers

Chris deVillasana, PresidentKathy Pennington, Vice President

Peg Phelps, TreasurerSue Hellwig, Recording SecretaryAnnette Centanni, Corresponding

Secretary

Board of Directors

Blanid Sunseri, Robert Campos,Patricia Cox, Judy Zawislak,Sandra Blount, Lisa Conescu,Joan Demers, Ailleen Janney,Jan DeVidts, Maria Tujague,

Anna Campos

Mission

The Friends of the Jefferson Public Library is an independent, nonprofit organization of

civic-minded volunteers. We support the Jefferson Parish Library by promoting library awareness, providing needed unbudgeted items for all its branches

through fund raising, and participating in literacy programs.

Address and PhoneP. O. Box 9391

Metairie, LA 70055504-455-BOOK (2665)

Web Sitehttp://www.friendsofjeffersonlibrary.org/

Friends TrendsEditors: Anna Campos, Annette

CentanniContributing Editor: Peg Phelps

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 2

We find good homes for used books.

Cuppa Cappuccino, anyone? by Peg Phelps

Our cup runneth over since March, 2013, with the opening of the Cup and Chaucer coffee shop at the East Bank Regional Library. Owned by Karen Vinet, the shop was a long time in coming. It has been three years and three months since the previous shop closed at the same location.

Karen is a New Orleans native who graduated from Ben Franklin High School and UNO. She lives in Metairie with her husband and three children, and had never owned a business of her own before. With the help of many friends, including restaurant owner Koz, Karen developed her business plan and submitted her bid. After several setbacks, she finally won the approval of the Jefferson Parish Council. In December of 2012 she began to reset the floor plan in preparation for a March, 2013, opening. Karen's mantra is to go local. She lives locally, she purchases her food locally, she bought her equipment locally, and she hires locally.

The shop has been successful so far, catering to groups who meet at EBR, as well as serving the library's many patrons. Employees from surrounding businesses also frequent the coffee shop, so much so that Karen offers one free sandwich for every five purchased to reward the driver who picks them up. There is even someone who works on See Cuppa page 6

Stephanie Durel, left, and owner Karen Vinet are behind the counter of Cup and Chaucer.

We find good homes for used books.

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 3

Friends' Favoritesby Annette Centanni

(An ongoing feature highlighting our volunteers and the books that influenced their lives.)Sandra Blount. The series that launched Sandra’s lifelong career as an inveterate reader was the Louisa Mae Alcott Little Women series. She discovered the books when she was still in grade school and devoured every one except Eight Cousins, which she would like to read now if she can find a copy. Sandra says she loved the characters and Louisa Mae Alcott’s way of portraying them. She states that Alcott depicted life as it was then, with all of its sadness, joys, and the pains of growing up. Sandra has seen all three versions of the movie, Little Women, as well.

True to the pattern of sticking with one author until she has read everything by that author, Sandra next tackled the works of Frances Parkinson Keyes, beginning in high school. She checked most of these out from her local library, but then began to look for less well-known titles at stores and at sales. She has re-read some of her particular favorites, Dinner at Antoine’s and The Blue Camellia.

Sandra also loves mysteries, however, and has read the entire Elizabeth Peters’ collection in order, featuring the character Amelia Peabody. The series is set in Egypt, and takes the reader through a gamut of emotions as said heroine pursues adventures which include pyramids, mummies, romance, murder, and thievery. Sandra has read another series by Peters, under the pseudonym Mertz Peters Michaels or MPM, featuring character Vicky Bliss. Sandra describes this series as “darker and spookier,” but nowhere near as violent as many modern day novels.

She is presently reading everything by author Earlene Fowler. She and a sorority friend are currently exchanging notes about their finds and their reads!

Paulette Mauterer. Paulette loves The Cat Who…murder mystery novels by Lilian Jackson

Braun. During a lull at the October, 2012 Big Book Sale while Paulette was volunteering “on the floor,” she spied five books grouped together, all with CAT titles. Paulette, an avid cat lover, had to pick them up and inspect them. She bought the lot and soon became hooked! “They hold my interest,” avers Paulette, who describes the series as “light murder,” with no gore and always some humor. Each book, which you should read in order from 1 to 29, features protagonist Jim Qwilleran (Quill) and his two Siamese friends, Koko and Yum –Yum. Jim, a once dirt poor reporter who has since been left a fortune, spends his time palling around with his cats and human friends solving murder mysteries. Koko, the top cat, usually alerts Jim to the clues he has failed to recognize.

Paulette has now read the first eleven books, and plans to collect and read the whole series. “Lilian Jackson Braun,” says Paulette, “died while writing the 30th Cat Who… book in 2011 at age 97.” It remains unfinished. Paulette thinks the books should appeal to all cat lovers. Her own cat, Lacey, a Maine Coon, always sits right next to her while she’s enjoying her mysteries!

Angelle Stuart. Angelle's choice is Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. This is a debut novel for Helen Simonson, states Angelle, very well-done indeed for a first offering. It has been getting good reviews. The story is a sweet, gentle romance, which masks contemporary class issues, and is reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It is set in the English countryside in the village of Edgecombe St. Mary, and boasts a plot that is character-driven. Major

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See Favorites page 6

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 4

We find good homes for used books.

End of summer greetings to all you faithful readers who appreciate a good scoop about fellow Friends! You might think that with so many volunteers out of town here and there, news would be slow, but not so! The Shadow has a talent for dredging stories out of long-forgotten little incidents and is always so willing to share.

Who went where? First of all, three long time Friends have retired from service and moved out of the area. Marilyn and Ed Fuselier have moved to Houston to be near a son. Mary Ann Landry has moved to Chateau de Notre Dame; she promises to visit at Sale time. Other Friends departed in an effort to keep cool. Monie and C.J. Mouton again spent the summer in Denali National Park, Alaska, while Judy and Lou Zawislak escaped the heat in Maine. Ailleen Janney and friend Lucille Lee visited them there while on their cruise to Canada. Mary Ellis Hasseltine first visited her grandbaby in California, then, escaped to the Northeast with husband, George. Peg Phelps visited her sister in upstate New York. The Tujagues, Maria and Rodney, took a dream vacation to Italy. Ouida Prieur was herself visited by a houseful of cousins, all over 80! She cooked for a week in preparation for their descent. Anna Campos spent an extended stay in Atlanta taking care of grandbaby Rose while her daughter attempted to ride out a bout of morning sickness. Diane Davey and Ted Blohm relaxed in Michigan. Ted, did you get in some good bike riding up there? Around town, Diane Schleifstein and Jackie Kosche kept cool by spending many an afternoon playing Mah–Jongg at Clearview Mall.

Back at the Center, some days were really slow, with only a skeleton crew in attendance.

Anna Campos reported to me that June 27 was actually a red-letter day for being slow. Peg, Judy Z., Maria and Rodney were all missing, as were empty packing boxes. When the few packers began grousing about their plight, Anna offered to teach them how to list books on Amazon. Surprise! There were no takers. Sue Hellwig eventually appeared, but with no Maria to go head-to-head with, she had an uneventful day as well! On another slow day in early August, the Amazon website was shut down for several hours. Paulette Mauterer went home since she couldn’t print out packing slips. I, The Shadow, the only lister present, was forced to either remain idle or to pack a box for the first time in centuries. I had forgotten how! Diane Davey patiently refreshed my memory on how to fold a box for taping, and Ann Buchel gave me a nifty lesson in pricing and packing. Pricers and packers surely have to be sharp, let me tell you, in order to get their job done efficiently!

Madeleine and Nicholas, the Tujagues’ beautiful and brilliant grandchildren, were back at Sorting the minute school was out. Every time Rodney boasted they take after him, Maria gave him her patented eye roll. As the summer wore on, that whole family scoured Metairie businesses for Sandra Blount’s 4,000 needed Raise a Reader folders. Many other Friends took part in the raid for $.15 or less folder purchases; but Sandra is still on the lookout for as many as can be secured.

In other Center happenings, Sorting rejoiced when the old, leaky drop boxes in the parking lot were replaced with 6 beautiful, waterproof bins. Thanks go to Buddy Huggins and crew of Library Maintenance for concreting the area and setting up the new bins. Mega thanks go to Marylyn Haddican, Library Director, for facilitating the enterprise. The day after they were installed, no one who was anyone was present at the center except Ted B., who made the executive decision to haul the old ones away before they could be

See The Shadow page 7

The Shadow Knows(and TELLS) All

Volunteer of the year Jan DeVidts

Left: Ted Blohm moved A LOT of boxes. Right: At one point, there was only one box of library weeds left in the hall.

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 5

We find good homes for used books.

Surge of books handled by Sortersby Peg Phelps

The 2013 volunteer luncheon, held in June at Heritage Grill, may have been the first time many Friends volunteers ever saw Jan DeVidts’ face. While she may not be known to most of the Friends, all have seen the results of her work—our improved book sale bookmarks, meeting notice postcards, and book sale posters.

It seems like the summer is always the time we get behind in processing donated books. This summer, a combination of things created an overabundance of books. One is that many people clean out their book collection during the summer and generously donate their used books to us. We guess that this is because people are not distracted by football, holidays, and school activities. Another is that the library weeded many books this summer, filling the hallway outside our door with books to be processed. And the third is that many of our sorters take their vacations during the summer months, leaving us with a smaller staff. At times, there are so many books in the book drop boxes that I secretly wonder if the books are reproducing themselves out there!

To address this situation, many of the sorters worked longer hours on regular sorting days. They also added an extra sorting day, coming in on Mondays during the month of August. These exertions apparently were successful, as by the end of August, we were able to finish off the pile of incoming books and bring in all the boxes from the library. Now that everyone has returned from vacation, school has started, and the Saints are playing football, things should be back to normal.

by Anna Campos and Annette Centanni

Jan’s first responsibility as a Friends volunteer was to photograph the covers of books being listed on Amazon that had no picture. Her talents as a graphic artist and IT expert enabled her to

From left: Chris de Villasana and Annette Centanni with honoree Jan DeVidts.

create professional looking photos. When Kuniko Izumi, the main Amazon packer, moved away, Jan took over that operation and has supervised it ever since, overseeing the inventory, taking pictures of the books as they are added to the listings, and mailing the packages to customers in a timely manner. She answers customer inquiries and fields customer complaints. Her packaging of the books mailed out is always of the highest quality; our 99 to 100% rating with Amazon is a direct function of her attention to detail. She has been the instrument of thousands of dollars of profit made by the group in this capacity.

She trains new packers, helps organize the listing and packing areas, and stands in for Joan Demers when she is absent for Friends board meetings, and is the listing area’s “point person” in case of a hurricane evacuation. If you never see Jan working, it’s because she goes in to the center when the majority of workers is not around, on Mondays and Wednesdays. This year she donated more than 450 hours of her time to the Friends.

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 6

We find good homes for used books.

Improvementscontinued from page 1

Favoritescontinued from page 3

If you are reading a print copy of this newsletter and would like to receive it online, send an e-mail to friendsjpl@yahoo.com. In the subject line, write "Subscribe Newsletter."

Cuppacontinued from page 2

Those who have donated books since the move to the East Bank Regional Library may remember the problems the Friends have had with our wireless doorbell, which did not work whenever it got wet in the rain. Director Marylyn Haddican has made it possible for us to have a wired in doorbell, so donors no longer have to call the Sorting Center on their cell phones from outside when they want to make a donation. Both the new doorbell and the improved book bins will make dropping off materials easier for our generous donors.

Want AdsThe Online Sales Department is looking for a small, sturdy table (maximum size 54" x 36"), at least 30" wide, to use as an additional packing station. The same department is also in need of packing supplies including bubble wrap, peanuts, plastic newspaper sleeves, egg cartons and THIN boxes.

the other side of the interstate who picks up ten breakfast sandwiches twice a week for his fellow employees.

The shop serves espresso coffee, which Karen explained is a concentrated coffee made by forcing nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans. From this they make latte, which is espresso and steamed milk, and cappuccino, made with hot milk and steamed milk foam.

The food menu includes pastries, soup, salads, wraps, quesadillas, and breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Customers can either purchase a sandwich from the menu or build their own, choosing from bread types, meats, and cheeses.

Food is available for take-out, or customers can sit at a table in the lobby of the library, enjoying delicious refreshments and watching the bibliophiles come and go.

The Cup and Chaucer Coffee Shop is open in the lobby of the East Bank Regional Library every Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 8 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. Take out orders may be placed by calling 504 455-5556.

Pettigrew is a widower in his mid -60s, a typical, proper Englishman with a sense of duty and tradition. He is a funny, likable character, however, with astute observations and a dry wit. His lady friend is Mrs. Jasmina Ali, of Pakistani descent, a widow in her late 50s; they come together because of their shared love of literature. As the story and romance progress, they face disapproval from both their families and from their acquaintances in the village. Like Pettigrew, Mrs. Ali is a dignified, but very sympathetic character who takes the criticism and disapproval to heart. Some of the class issues involved include race, social class, and the plight of immigrants aspiring to a better way of life and acceptance.

Angelle said that she enjoyed the novel mainly because it is set in England, but also because of its strong characters who resolve the class issues in which they find themselves involved while following their hearts.

F R I E N D S T R E N D S 7

We find good homes for used books.

The Shadowcontinued from page 4commandeered for another purpose.

Over 100 boxes of fiction were left over from the Fiction Mini Sale. In between answering the constantly ringing doorbell, and sweating and hauling in donations from the new bins, President Chris deVillasana has been repurposing these leftovers in an effort to give them another chance to find good homes. This will be an ongoing project for quite some time. Ann Buchel has been working with Peg P. to roughly alphabetize all hardback fiction, as suggested by many customers. It remains to be seen if that can be accomplished. Ann is also often utilized to either reach or to shelve books on top shelves. She was most gracious when The Shadow recently asked her to search for a top-shelf missing Amazon book she couldn’t locate looking up with her bifocals.

The Shadow has noticed a disturbing trend that has cropped up during the hot summer months. Coffee breaks have been starting earlier and have been lasting longer than they have in the past. The participating parties seem to be the same people: Ouida P., Harris Jenson, Maureen and Judy Howat, Mary Lou Spanja, and Mary Anna Lightner. Oh, and of course, Maria T.! If the little coffee klatch isn’t swapping health stories, they are sharing cooking tips. Recently, Maria was overheard suggesting the best way to cook artichokes! Peg P. doesn’t take coffee breaks, but when she sits down to lunch, she shares her tea bags! Amazingly, there’s always a taker!

Two notable parties took place over the summer. The first was a going away party for Terry Prashak who left New Orleans to go back home to Iowa. Terry was really surprised, but admitted she was a little puzzled when she saw Ann B. staying for lunch, which she never does. The second party was held in July in

honor of Kuniko and Tadahide Izumi, who were visiting. The Friends provided a feast for lunch, and filled three tables for the occasion.

Amazon sales showed a profit of $2012 recently, for two weeks’ sales! Books have been selling, but DVDs have become increasingly popular sale items. Janice Paine has been responsible for most of the recent DVD listings that have sold. Paulette Mauterer has taken over the Tuesday packing, thus helping to relieve the burden of the Monday and Wednesday crews. Thanks to all of the listers and packers, the Friends have a 99% to 100% customer rating with Amazon. A recent listing recruit who comes only on Wednesdays is Cynthia (Cindy) Elsensohn.

Store news. Thanks to Patricia Cox, The Shadow has kept up with Store happenings, as well. The Friends Store welcomed two new volunteers this summer, Cheryl Smith and Naomi Saul. They will be working as substitutes. Cheryl’s first day on the job was a huge success—she sold almost $200 worth of books and merchandise. The book signing team of Arlene Manguno and Milly Spear added two new substitutes as well—Cheryl Ledet and Paulette Mauterer. Hats off to author Peter Wolf (My New Orleans, Gone Away) who donated all of the proceeds from his book signing to the Friends--$247. It was Lights, Camera, Action for Leah Chase’s book signing! The event was filmed for the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Mrs. Chase sold and signed 30 books that evening. The Friends’ profit on that evening was $160.

Soon Judy Zawislak will be home from her restful Maine summer to prod all of us, her trusty accomplices, into full speed ahead, readying for the next Big Book Sale. At that point, we will all be wondering if we ever HAD a summer, much less a slow one!

Until next time,Your friendly Shadow