Subscribe to the Tuttle Times today and help the Tuttle Library
The Tuttle Times and the Tuttle Library are teaming up to help the library retain its current part-time librarian Vivian Sloan. Subscribing or renewing a subscription to The Tuttle Times will net the library $12, thanks to an anonymous donor. An annual subscription costs $26.
With this mutually beneficial effort, we have decided to donate $6 from each subscription this month to go to the library’s fundraiser.
Sloan has been a dedicated employee of the library, according to Jane Bryant with the Friends of the Tuttle Library group.
“It will go towards the fund drive for our librarian’s salary,” Bryant said. “Any money that’s raised will go directly to that. We’re trying to raise enough to add a few more years to her time here in Tuttle. It’s amazing what a big difference she has made in just a little over a year. She is a true professional, she has training, and she really understands what the job is. She has so many skills to bring to the job. Anonymous people from the community will match every dollar we raise in any way. This fundraiser will be a huge help. It’s a wonderful thing.”
To donate to the library’s fund drive while subscribing, or renewing your subscription, visit this link.
The Friends of the Tuttle Public Library launched a fund drive earlier this year to support the salary of the librarian, the library’s only paid employee. Sloan has been working at the Tuttle Library for over a year and her salary was donated by an anonymous library supporter.
In order to continue providing a salary for the librarian, the anonymous donor has offered to match all contributions to the librarian salary fund drive up to $50,000. The Friends group hopes to raise $50,000 for a total of $100,000 toward the librarian’s salary and be able to retain Ms. Sloan as an employee for four years.
The Tuttle Library originated in 2009 when a group of Tuttle citizens banded together to establish a library for their community. In 2014, volunteers set up the Tuttle Library in a downtown storefront and the library has been maintained by volunteers who catalog materials, run the front desk, host story times for children, shelve books, and much more. In 2018, an anonymous supporter donated the necessary funding for a professional librarian’s salary so that the library could grow and provide more services for the community. That enabled the library to hire Vivian Sloan.
Since she started working at the library in April 2018, Sloan has optimized the library’s collection and advised the library on purchasing new books that were relevant to the community’s needs and interests. She also developed programs and policies for the library and supported new community partnerships. Her presence also allowed the library to expand its operating hours and provide more opportunities for people to visit the library and receive assistance with finding materials and using technology.
Aside from Ms. Sloan, the Tuttle Library is operated by volunteers. It is also supported by the community through financial contributions and donated materials. Donations to the library’s general fund cover utilities, acquisitions, supplies, and other expenses of the library. Although the library is in a building owned by the City of Tuttle, the only expense of the library paid by the City is a trial subscription to Lynda.com.
“Without Vivian, we would have to reduce operating hours, programming, and library services,” says Lori Dennis, President of the Friends of the Tuttle Public Library, emphasizing the importance of retaining the librarian. “We have come so far thanks to our amazing volunteers, but we need a professional librarian to maintain our quality of service and availability of resources for the community.”
“We are so happy to have Vivian and she has done so much for the library,” adds Jane Bryant, one of the founding members of the Friends of the Tuttle Public Library. “We are lucky to have someone with her level of skills, education, and experience here in our library.”
Donors can contribute to the librarian salary fund drive by bringing monetary donations to the library at 305 West Main or mailing them to the Tuttle Library, PO Box 383, Tuttle OK, 73089. Donations may also be sent via Paypal by visiting the library’s website at www.tuttlelibrary.org and clicking on the “Donate” button near the bottom of the page. Donations should be designated as contributions to the librarian salary fund drive. All donations are tax-deductible.
For more information, contact the Tuttle Library by calling (405) 381-8586, by emailing info@tuttlelibrary.org, or by visiting the library at 305 West Main.
