Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library Receive Grant

 San Bernardino>>The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library (SBPL) has received a $45,000 donation from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to purchase library books for the four city libraries of the San Bernardino Public Library.   “On behalf of the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library, SBPL Library Board of Trustees and the City of San Bernardino, I would like to thank the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their great generosity in providing funding for the second time for library books for all ages to promote education and early literacy for children in our city through this grant,” said Library Director Edward Erjavek. “This is a great example of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians contributing to the library and the residents of our city in its time of need and we’re grateful to the Tribe for the donation.”   The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians had previously provided a $40,000 donation for library books in November, 2015 to the Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library, Erjavek said.   The library plans to purchase books for readers of all ages in various genres and subjects including some in Spanish. Children’s books highlighting contributions of Native Americans will also be purchased.   Erjavek says books purchased with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donation can be identified by the name of the tribe being stamped on the blank page when you open a book as well as in the library’s public access catalog of its book holdings as when the record for book titles purchased with the donation displays in the catalog it says “Purchased by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians” along with the first letter of the respective library’s name receiving that copy. The catalog can be accessed at the library’s website at www.sbpl.org.   The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library also donated $15,000 to supplement the library’s book budget, according to Erjavek.   Information about SBPL including directions to its four locations, hours and resources available electronically including Overdrive eBooks and audiobooks is available at www.sbpl.org  or at 909-381-8201. You can also follow the library including its various programs such as its Summer Reading Program for all ages that begins May 22nd on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sbcitylib  or Twitter at https://twitter.com/SBCityLibrary .   The San Bernardino Public Library is governed by an autonomous administrative Library Board of Trustees as provided by Article XII of the Charter of the City of San Bernardino. Library services are provided at four sites: Norman F. Feldheym Central Library, Paul Villaseñor Library, Dorothy Inghram Library, and Howard Rowe Library.   The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located near the city of Highland, Calif. The Serrano Indians are the indigenous people of the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys and mountains who share a common language and culture. The San Manuel reservation was established in 1891 and recognized as a sovereign nation with the right of self-government. Since time immemorial, the San Manuel tribal community has endured change and hardship. Amidst these challenges the tribe continued to maintain its unique form of governance. Like other governments it seeks to provide a better quality of life for its citizens by building infrastructure, maintaining civil services and promoting social, economic and cultural development. Today San Manuel tribal government oversees many governmental units including the departments of fire, public safety, education and environment.   The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library is a support group which aids library service through fund-raising activities such as periodic book sales for the purchase of equipment and funding of programs. It is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation and is an independent fund-raising entity.