Yard Sale Day in Strasburg will be held on Saturday, June 27, so to serve the crowds that will be out and about, the Strasburg-Heisler Library will host its annual chicken barbecue fundraiser at the Strasburg Jaycee Park, 218-B Miller St., that day. Freshly grilled chicken and accompanying sides will be available as early as 8 a.m.
The sale will continue until 2 p.m. or until sold out. Tickets will not be presold. Chicken and meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Library executive director Kristin Fernitz noted that the sale was moved from the lawn in front of the library, 143 Precision Ave., Strasburg, and to a different weekend several years ago, to great success. Whereas prior to the move, the sale always had leftovers, the new date and location has changed that. Selling out is especially important this year.
"We are doubling the amount we usually sell at barbecues because we have much more to make up for," Fernitz said.
Although the library has been closed for three months due to the stay-at-home orders, it still has to pay rent and utility bills. Most of the library's budget for book purchases is typically spent by this point, but books that had been preordered still need to be paid for. Those shipments are waiting at the wholesaler's, Fernitz said.
Additionally, because of the closure, the library did not collect fine money or sell any books from the ongoing sale in the library. "We lost about $3,500 in fines that we didn't collect," Fernitz said.
The sales of modestly priced candy at the front desk have also halted. "We make a killing on peppermint patties," Fernitz related, estimating that the sweets bring in about $350 a year. "That's like six months of phone bills."
Donations are down, and the shutdown prevented the Breakfast With Clifford event from taking place. Fernitz shared that the library is about $10,000 behind where it needs to be.
"Everything we do really adds up for us because we're a small library, but when we lose money, it's a big deal," Fernitz commented. "Those spring fundraisers are what pays for the Summer Reading Program."
The Summer Reading Program has been modified due to reopening guidelines for the state, but it will take place. An online system has been created for participants to record their reading progress to earn virtual badges and collect real prizes. Paper logs are available at the library for readers without internet access. Presentations will be held via Zoom, with Ryan the Bug Man, Hank the Health Hero, musician Phredd, reptile guy Jesse Rothacker, and magician Ran D'Shine slated to appear.
Fernitz noted that the library typically hosts 70 to 80 programs each summer, which includes special events for Sunshine Corners, the day care that shares a lobby with the library. This summer, nine special events and eight story times are posted on the calendar at http://www.strasburglibrary.org.
The website also has a link to the online catalog, where library cardholders may choose titles in the Strasburg-Heisler Library's collection to borrow, up to five books or audiobooks per cardholder and three movies per household. Readers may call the library at 717-687-8969 or its new phone lines at 717-682-9348 and 717-682-9624 to place their orders and learn when they will be available for curbside pickup. Fernitz noted that the pickup times have been scheduled around day care operations to limit the possibility of contact between Sunshine Corners' clients and staff members and library patrons and personnel, per state guidelines for child care centers.
While interlibrary loan services are unavailable, the Library System of Lancaster County and its 14 member libraries have spent an additional $35,000 on the Overdrive digital collection. Readers may borrow e-books and e-audiobooks from OverDrive via the Libby app on their digital devices.
For more information about the library's programs, readers may visit http://www.strasburglibrary.org or call any of the aforementioned phone numbers.
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