By Anne Gibson
It is coming at last! On Saturday, May 14th, the Friends of the Esmond Station Library will hold its first book sale in the front patio and community room at the Gibson- Esmond Station Library. The sale of gently used books will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is a perfect time to stock up on reading materials during the heat of the summer months. Paperbacks are $2 and hardbacks are $4, or “Fill a paper grocery bag” for $15. The library is located at 10931 East Mary Ann Cleveland Way, on property owned by Pima County and dedicated to Esmond Station Regional Park. Money raised by the book sale is used to purchase items or programs selected from a wish list provided by Esmond Station Library Managing Librarian Mary McKinney.
In March the Library offered an art showing by students from Civano Middle School students. Prior to the art showing from Civano, students from Esmond Station K-8 school displayed a variety of art projects. The library works with the Vail School District to showcase student art projects.
“Friends of Western Art” supports all of the schools in Southern AZ, and any art teacher may apply for a grant. To qualify, the grant does have to be for Western art. Our organization’s mission is “Friends of Western Art promotes awareness of the art of the American West by providing sponsorship and support to Western artists, artisans, educational programs, and art-related organizations in Tucson and Southern Arizona,” said Treasurer Pam Kelty.
The Pima County Public Library has added Community Science Kits. The link to the collection is You can be a scientist! Pima County Library (https://www.library.pima.gov/blogs/post/you-can-be-a-scientist/). All supplies needed are provided in the kits including a step-by-step guide on how to report your data. The three kit themes are: Exploring Biodiversity, a kit to identify plants, cactus, and wildlife around you in your own backyard and community; Measuring Lights in the Night, a kit to locate various constellations in the night sky and measure light pollution; and Observing Pollinators; a kit to observe various Arizona pollinators and share which pollinators you see.
Deputy Director of Support Staff for Pima County Public Library, Michele Simon, attended the Wednesday, March 23, Friends of the Esmond Station Library board meeting. She shared that the Pima County Library was getting bids to add 36 parking spaces to the Gibson – Esmond Station Library parking area to accommodate the needs of the library. From the parking lot will be walking paths. One path will go from the front door of the library to the front patio. Another path will go from the parking lot to the back of the library staff entrance. A third path will go from the back of the library to the back porch to allow staff a private area to eat lunch. According to Deputy Simon, the cost of the project will be around $72,000. Construction will be in September of 2022.
Whittley “Anne” Gibson is a third generation Tucsonan and alumni of the University of Arizona. She has been an active community member in the greater Vail area since the late 1970s.
