Celebrate tradition and friendship

I don’t like the dark and cold of winter very much, but there are aspects of this season that do make me very happy.  The designs made by the lights on the bare branch trees downtown that my son and I decipher into forms as we drive or walk through town in the early darkness.  The tree that will soon be lit on Pine Street Plaza in a gathering of community children.  The chance to celebrate friendships and family ties.

For many of us, celebrating the traditions of this time of year involves gift-giving for those special in our lives, a practice that can come with its own challenges.  Sometimes those challenges are financial.  Sometimes those challenges involve coming up with the right gift for someone.  Sometimes the challenge is that the person you wish to honor is at a point in life where he or she desires and needs no more possessions.

The Friends of Neill Public Library would like to offer some possible solutions to celebrate the people in your life in ways that honor them, enrich our community, and are ecologically friendly. 

One way is to give an alternative gift by purchasing an item for Neill Public Library in honor of your special person.  These Celebration gifts may be made in any amount, and can be directed toward a particular part of the collection.  The item will be nameplated with the honoree’s name, and you will receive a lovely card explaining the gift to give your honoree.  My own family has used this program to mark the birthday of a dear English-major friend whose own love of books was nurtured in her hometown’s public library, to honor a beloved teacher with the purchase of books to fuel the reading interest of children, and to celebrate the life of someone whose later years were enriched with the library’s audio books.  

Another way to give a very affordable gift and also to support the library is to purchase books from the Friends Book Sale, an ongoing sale of gently used books, cds, and dvds that is located near the Hecht Meeting Room entrance.  Many of these items, donated by patrons, are in near-new condition, and all are under $1.  All the proceeds go back to the library to support programs like Summer Reading and the purchase of books and other materials for the library collection.  In addition to being reasonably priced and supporting our library, purchases from the Book Sale are a great way to enact the sustainability practice of finding new lives for existing products.  A triple benefit!

The Friends will have a table in the library on December 3 from 1-5 as part of Pullman’s day-long Holiday Fest.  Stop by and browse the featured holiday-themed books, near-new gift ideas, and anime comics from our Book Sale.  Purchase a Celebration gift to honor someone on your gift list.  These are gifts that will bring pleasure not only to their recipients this holiday season but also to our community for years to come.

 by Karen Weathermon

President, Friends of Neill Public Library

published 11/26/11 in Moscow-Pullman Daily News