Library's Wish List
Although the City of Santa Clara provides funding for basic library services to the community, the library seeks private contributions for special projects. If you would like to help fund any of the projects listed below, please contact Maria Daane at 615-2987.
Note: Thanks to our generous donors, some items already have been donated. But there are plenty of other opportunities.
Your $20 donation adds one new DVD to the library's collection - we would like to add 500 new titles this year!
The demand for educational and popular movie DVDs continues to increase, so we need your help to expand the library's collection. A $10,000 donation will purchase all 500 DVDs. 500 donations of $20 each will work, too. This is a great chance to give your library a lot of help without giving up a lot of your money.
Multicultural art for the children's area: Mola Textiles from Panama
Folk art in the Youth Pavilion has been a huge hit with families! Four beautiful Mola textiles would make a wonderful addition to the collection, at a cost of $300.
Multicultural art for the children's area: Ceramic toy vehicles from Peru
Fascinate the imagination of the children who visit the library - with the addition of four original ceramic toy vehicles from Peru, at a cost of $300.
Screen-recorder software - Camtasia Studio 5.1
Camtasia Studio lets you record, edit and then share the work you produce on your computer. Convert PowerPoint to video, record podcasts, or create a video blog from a webcam recording. This software also produces user-friendly web tutorials and will make it easier for patrons to use the library's website. The software costs $325.
Performance by Opera San Jose
Wouldn't it be wonderful to see a free performance by Opera San Jose here at the Central Park Library? The Opera performed to a full house in 2001 and 2004, we would like to do this again. The performance costs $600.
New laptops for the "Read Santa Clara" tutoring program
Add laptops for the adult literacy program to improve both reading and computer skills. Laptops are checked out, like books, so those in use since 2003 are worn out and need replacing. Each laptop costs $1,100 and the library is seeking 10 of them.
Book bags filled with books and learning materials - and crafts materials for literacy events - for both Homesafe and the Bill Wilson Center
Many families at these centers for domestic violence victims and homeless young people with children are unable to get to the library. Therefore, book bags and craft materials mean a lot to these children. For $1,150 the library can buy 20 book bags filled with books and learning materials that families can check out and borrow for a month. And a gift of $880 provides craft supplies for 16 family literacy events during the coming year.
Text-magnification software
The library currently offers text-reading software to make it easier for patrons with limited vision to read books, magazines and other text materials. Now, a new program increases magnification of texts to make limited-vision reading even easier. The software costs $1,950.
Publication of In Our Own Words (The "Read Santa Clara" program)
In Our Own Words is an annual publication that gives literacy students the opportunity to improve their writing, see it published in book format, and share their writing with family, friends and the community. The program will cost a total of $4,600 to publish 4,000 copies in 2008.
Lifetime license for the San Jose Mercury News Historical Archive (1886-1922)
Help us keep this popular online database feature - more than 2,200 searches were run in the first month - available year after year. See the related article on page 2 for more information about this program. The cost of a lifetime license is $8,000.
Purchase state-of-the-art microfilm view-scanner
This scanner will let Central Park Library patrons transfer file images by email or store them on a CD. Users will save time, as well as printer and paper costs. A huge asset for library patrons, the total cost is $10,000 to buy the scanner, pay for installation and receive professional training.