San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donates $40,000 to SB Public Library

The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library (SBPL) has received a $40,000 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, the Library Board of Trustees and the City of San Bernardino, we would like to thank the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for their generosity to help us provide more literary resources to the public. The donations go a long way to promote education and early literacy to San Bernardino youth and their families,” said Library Director Edward Erjavek. “This longstanding partnership with San Manuel is a noteworthy example of community organizations coming together to help San Bernardino thrive.”

The library plans to purchase an estimated 2,000 books for readers of all ages in various genres and subjects, including some in Spanish. Books purchased with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donation can be identified by the name of the tribe stamped on the blank page when you open a book as well as in the library’s public access catalog where it will read “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.

“San Manuel is proud to have an ongoing relationship with the San Bernardino Public Library. Our goal is to support the community through a variety of non-profit partnerships that reflect our core values including the importance of education. Therefore, we are proud of our ongoing efforts with the library to provide access to books and information to all those who seek it in this region,” said San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena.

In 2015, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians donated $40,000 for library books and donated $45,000 in 2017.