December busy time for Rocky Bluff Library

By CARL MARIO NUDI

carl@observernews.net

The December activity schedule at the Rocky Bluff Library, 6750 U.S. 301 N., was packed with special holiday programs as well as the numerous regular monthly events.

To get everyone in the holiday spirit, performers from the Parrish Playworks community theater company will do a reading of the The Christmas Train, a one-act play, at noon, Dec. 10.

As part of the monthly Lunch, Listen, and Learn series, “A Celtic Christmas” will be at 1 p.m., Dec. 15.

Visitors to the community asset located in a former restaurant will hear seasonal music and learn about Christmas traditions from the Emerald Isle while enjoying lunch. They can bring their own sandwich or purchase food from the Storybook Café, located in the library.

This event will highlight a May community trip to Ireland the friends group at the Central Library in downtown Bradenton is organizing.

And for the children, puppeteer Jerry Bickel, of the Bits ’N Pieces Puppet Theatre, will present a holiday performance at 6 p.m., Dec. 15.

These are just a few of more than 40 activities planned at the library during December in the former Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes restaurant at 6750 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., in Ellenton.

With a large meeting room that can hold up to 70 people, the library staff of three librarians and three librarian aides have organized regular programs for adults, such as informational sessions on Medicare, Mah Jongg and chess games, computer classes and more.

Rocky Bluff Library Supervisor Kate Lippincott said they would be very busy during December, not only because the northern winter visitors are returning, but also because of the change in the growth pattern in northern Manatee County.

Since the end of the Great Recession, there have been a number of new housing developments constructed in the Parrish area.

“We have a huge influx of young families,” Lippincott said. “It’s almost like a baby boom.

“This areas is no longer empty in summer,” she said.

When the Rocky Bluff branch of the Manatee County Library Services system was established in a 4,700-square-foot storefront in the Ridgewood Shopping Center in 1994, most of its patrons were residents of the mobile home parks, such as Colony Cove, that line U.S. 301.

Rocky Bluff grew from the smallest branch in size and in use to the fourth busiest, outstripping the Anna Maria Island and Palmetto facilities in the intervening years, according to information from Kevin Beach, operations manager of the Manatee County Library Services division.

Ten years ago 5,000 to 7,000 patrons were using the Rocky Bluff facility per month, checking out 7,000 to 8,000 items. In comparison last month there were over 17,000 patrons visiting the facility, according to Beach.

Lippincott also provided some statistics: Over the past year, 160,000 books were circulated from the library collection of 40,000 volumes, staff has answered about 30,000 questions, about 40,000 users logged on to the computers and about 130,000 visitors came through the doors.

Because of the growth in families in the area, Youth Librarian Kimberly Barbour has offered more youth and children’s programing.

There has been an increase in the number of children coming to story time, so it had to expand to twice a week, Lippincott said.

“Also, we’ve just redone our children’s area, although we’re not quite finished,” she said.

The renovation was possible because the library received a significant gift from one of its volunteers, Thea Zeh. She will be 95 on Dec. 13.

“She comes to volunteer twice a week, organizing the children’s books,” said Assistant Supervisor Mary Lysaght.

The renovations include new furniture, new carpeting and freshly painted walls.

“There used to be a hodge-podge of furniture, so we thought that would be a good place to put the money,” Lippincott said.

Some of the funds from Thea Zeh were used to purchase two large photographs of outdoor scenes by two local photographers.

“This room (the meeting room) doesn’t have any windows,” Lippincott said, “so we thought the photos would help.”

Volunteers are a big help to making the library run, said Lippincott, who has been at Rocky Bluff for two years.

“We rely heavily on volunteers,” she said. “There are about 47 volunteers of all ages,” from teens to some in their 90s, like Thea Zeh.

The Friends of Rocky Bluff Library group also has provided funds to improve the facility.

The organization purchased the furniture in the library lobby and raised almost $40,000 during the 24-hour Giving Challenge this fall to go toward expansion of the library building.

“They do a great job in raising funds and promoting the library,” Lippincott said.

A giving tree plaque in the lobby has recognized other significant donors.

Also in the lobby, a gallery wall has provided space for local artists to show their work, and a huge glass display case where residents can exhibit their unique collections.

Another exclusive feature at the library was the Storybook Café, a food bar left from when the building housed the Roaring 20s restaurant.

This has made Rocky Bluff the only library in the county system that offers sandwiches and refreshments during lunch hours.

The library moved into the 10,000-square-foot building in November 2011.

The Roaring 20s Pizza and Pipes restaurant offered patrons a chance to listen to music from a large pipe organ while enjoying their meals.

Lippincott said the library has become more of a community center for the Ellenton and Parrish areas.

A bank of about 15 computers is provided for patrons to use, two of which are reserved solely for job search use.

And for busy residents who have limited time to read, there are shelves of audio books.

“These are very popular with the library users,” said Lysaght, who has been at the library for eight years.

The Art Club was another program where community partnership has been successful

“The Harrison Ranch Art Guild worked with the library staff to come up with the program to teach art.” Lippincott said.

The Art Club has provided art lessons once a month for children 8 to 12.

“There are about 22 children enrolled,” Lippincott said, “but it’s so popular there’s a waiting list.”

Another community partnership that proved to be successful has been the Manatee Genealogical Society-sponsored workshops. This month the workshop will be on how to begin your genealogy research.

And with the recent upsurge of interest in the Pokémon Go phenomenon, the Pokémon Club has become very popular at the library.

“There’s fun things and there’s educational things to do at the library,” said Lippincott, “and sometimes you can do both.”