Gil Clifton
The Robson Ranch Library has been in existence for ten years and serves many functions in the community. Needless to say from its name “library” it provides residents with a convenient location just minutes from home to continue their reading habits. In addition to traditional library activities the library provides space for other activities including access to computers, reading local and national newspapers delivered daily, work on puzzles or simply a comfortable space to sit and read. Also, it is important to note that the library is a bright, quiet space where residents can go to be out of their homes for various personal reasons such as construction in their home, spousal health issues, a pleasant place to carry on work activities or simply a quiet space to relax and meditate.
The library is staffed by a group of volunteer residents who donate their time to maintain the integrity of the library space. In terms of use approximately 25-30 residents a day visit the library. Visiting residents are requested to sign the library sign in sheet at each visit and it is interesting to note that 7,929 signatures were recorded in 2018, an increase of 43% over the previous year. That significant increase is a sign of the growth of the community and also underscores the importance of the library in the lives of many of our residents. It also is important to mention the association of the recent growth of the library with the formation in 2018 of the Friends of the Library, a 501(c)(3) organization with members who are independent of library volunteers and board members.
The Friends of the Library organizes special activities relating to the library for all residents, such as interactive presentations of popular novels and other books. Current membership in Friends of the Library numbers 175 and membership is open to all interested residents. As a note Friends of the Library has provided the newspapers mentioned earlier for everyone to enjoy. We offer a special thanks to Klaus Dannenberg and Linda Bono for forming the Friends of the Library and organizing their presentations.
In closing we would like to thank all the residents of Robson Ranch for their support of the library. Our library is a special place where any resident can come in to read, check out materials or just relax and have fun. We will look forward to seeing you on your next visit!