News

Here you'll find information on upcoming events, announcements, and breaking news.

New Outreach Storyteller Program Launched

The “Outreach Storyteller Program” is a new program of the Stayton Public Library that is funded by the Stayton Public Library Foundation and run by Crystal Neal, a library employee that was hired in October 2009 to be the "Storyteller."

Currently the Outreach Storyteller Program serves about 250 pre-kindergarten children in 17 classrooms at 10 preschools, daycares and Head Start programs in the Stayton, Sublimity, and Aumsville area of Oregon. The Storyteller talks to the children about the library, reads library books and uses songs, puppets, and other activities during the visit to engage the students in the stories. 

Crystal also delivers a rotating collection of books to each school classroom for teachers to keep and use in their classrooms for a month.  The program will also be giving away up to four books a year to each participating child to take home and begin their own personal library collection.  The first book give-away took place in January, 2010.

This project expands the reach of the Stayton Public Library, by taking services outside the library.Children who attend daycare or preschool are often unable to attend library activities, such as story time, due to the work schedule of their caregivers.  The goal of this program is to help families and caregivers improve children's reading skills by bringing the library and its services directly to them.  Hopefully, we will kindle a desire in these students to explore their community library and discover the world of reading. 

Grand Opening of Stayton Friends of the

Library Used Book Store

Please join us on Wednesday, September 3rd for a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the Stayton Friends of the Library Used Book Store.  The store will be located at 349 N 3rd Ave. in a space shared with Art Gone Wild Studio.  Store hours will be Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The book store will offer all tyes of used books - fiction, non-fiction, children's books and even some music.  All books, both hard cover and paperback, will be in good condition with fresh inventory arriving each week.  All proceeds will be used to benefit the Stayon Public Library. 

For questions about the store please call 503-769-8886 or visit their website at www.folstore.org

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Fundraising Update

Woman leaves $394,000 to library foundation

Vice president says it is largest gift the group has received

BY DANIELLE PETERSON
The Stayton Mail

June 4, 2008

The Stayton Library made a big impression on Marion Mossuto. So much so, that she left nearly $400,000 to the library foundation.

Mossuto, a former Friends of the Stayton Library president, died in December. Since then the details of her estate have been finalized and it was recently announced that she had bequeathed in excess of $394,000 to the foundation.

“Receiving a gift of that size isn’t something that happens everyday,” said Stayton Library Foundation President Dave Karr. “It’s extraordinary. We are very appreciative that Marion chose to make this gift to the foundation.”

Karr said Mossuto told him last year that she planned to donate a large portion of her estate to the foundation when she passed away, but he had no idea it would be that much.

Mossuto was a staunch supporter of the library since her arrival in Stayton in 2000. The foundation plans to honor her at the library’s birthday party July 12.

“(Her gift) is a fine example of a member of our community stepping up to meet the need,” Karr said. “I’m sure that Marion would want this contribution to encourage others to make a significant donation to support the ongoing needs of the library.”

Stayton Library Foundation Vice President Tass Morrison said Mossuto’s donation is the largest the foundation has received to date.

“She was a very self-directed woman and had these wonderful assets,” Morrison said. “She wanted to make a significant difference in this community and the library was her main focus. She had loved libraries since she was a child and was very involved over the years.”

With a donation the size of Mossuto’s comes the opportunity to name a portion of the library. Mossuto chose the new workroom and the adult reading center to bear her name.

“She will always be present in our library,” Morrison said. “The relationships she formed here will benefit our community in so many ways forever.”

Karr said the foundation plans to use the money to pay off the remaining construction costs of the new addition and to seed its endowment fund. Foundation members anticipate having about $75,000 left over for the endowment.

During the course of about three years the foundation raised $3 million to expand the library — doubling its square footage. The funds were raised without the help of tax dollars. Grants, donations and in-kind contributions paid for the project.

“The board set the goal of having a $1 million endowment,” Karr said.“But raising funds for an endowment is harder than raising funds to build a building. People aren’t as willing to donate to an endowment.”

He said the endowment is crucial to keep the library thriving. It will provide a continuing source of funding to help support library operations.

Before the expansion was built, city officials asked the foundation to assist with increased operating costs. The endowment will help offset those costs.

“In the beginning, our original budget was so large we only included what was absolutely necessary,” Karr said.

Now the foundation is working to raise funds to finish furnishing the building. Karr said $130,000 of the $160,000 needed to furnish the building has been raised.

“The furnishings has been our biggest project this year,” he said.

Copyright ©2007 Stayton Public Library Foundation