Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library receives a $45,000 grant from San Manuel Band of Mission Indians

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 or Twitter