Sherwood Bookstore, Library Foundation collaborate on fundraiser

Get your holiday gifts professionally wrapped on time — and support the Sherwood Library Foundation at the same time.

The Sherwood Library Foundation (SHELF) is planning a fundraising event in collaboration with the Sherwood Bookstore. The fundraiser entails gift-wrapping during weekend afternoons, starting on Black Friday.

The gift-wrapping fundraiser is scheduled to be held from Nov. 28-Dec. 21 on Saturdays from noon-6 p.m., Sundays from noon-4 p.m., and Black Friday from noon-6 p.m. The money will go toward building a private meeting room in the Sherwood Library.

Adam Bienvenu is the owner of the Sherwood Bookstore where the fundraiser is slated to take place, at 16771 S.W. 12th St., Ste. D.

“Black Friday and weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas, volunteers from the Library Foundation will be at our bookstore wrapping presents,” Bienvenu said. “The goal is the wrapping will also encourage a suggested donation to the foundation.”

Tracey Enright is the events chair of SHELF.

"We quickly agreed that Sherwood Bookstore would be a perfect partner (for the fundraiser) because Adam is extremely supportive of and enthusiastic about the Sherwood Library," Enright said.

Enright said the open plan of the library building is beautiful, but does not provide any locations for private meetings.

"There will be no charge for the gift wrapping, but we hope that some customers might voluntarily make a donation to SHELF," Enright said. "All of the funds raised by SHELF support Sherwood Library."

Deb Diers is the president of SHELF.

“We, a small band of library-lovers, were formed a little over two years ago to help fund the nice-to-have — versus the need-to-have — things for the library,” Diers said. “Our first project is a free-standing study pod.”

Diers said the Sherwood Library is one of only a few in Washington County that does not have small meeting spaces for patrons to conduct job interviews, student study sessions, or tele-medicine calls.

“Because space is limited in the building, which we share with the City and Municipal Court, our only option to offer a small space is to purchase a four-person pod which will be installed in the area where the reference desk is located, next to the children's section,” Diers said. “It will be enclosed with glass on three sides and a solid wall on the fourth, and will be ADA compliant.”

Diers said the project is estimated to cost a total of $30,000, including a special needs laptop for people who are hearing or visually impaired. Next, the foundation hopes to raise money for a small book-mobile van.

“We have received several grants and have some lovely donations from the public, so we are getting close, (but still) need around $6,000,” Diers said. “We are hoping to make a little money … and doing so at a book store seemed logical — we all love books.”