Friends of Canadian Libraries congratulates the Chesley and Area Friends group for their outstanding achievements in 2007.

The Chesley and Area Friends were declared the winners of the 2007 Gabriele Schreiber Friends of the Year Award for the following reasons: 

• In a community of 1900 people, this Friends group has a large number of Friends (over 100) and they accomplished a great deal over the course of the year

• These volunteers donated 950 hours of volunteer time on ongoing projects – the judges felt this was impressive for such a small community

• They provided a glowing letter of support from the Library Supervisor, Ellen Kerr, as well as from the Mayor of the Town of Chesley 

The judges were impressed by the variety of activities undertaken by the Friends, their dedication, the number of volunteers, and how they rose to the challenge of defending the need for a new library, as well as raising significant funds for furniture and equipment.  The Chesley and Area Friends demonstrated excellence in several areas: 

Advocacy:

• The Friends lobbied the municipal government regarding the need for a new library and attended community meetings in support of the new library

• They wrote letters to local politicians and informed the public by means of newsletters 

Fundraising:

• Chesley and Area Friends solicited the support of service clubs, local businesses and individuals in the community

• They raised $55,000 for furnishings and equipment for the new library, including a microfilm reader  

Service and Assistance to the Library:

• Assisted with the library Open House

• Sponsored a volunteer appreciation night for those involved in advocating for and funding the new library 

• Community Outreach and Involvement:

• Assisted with community programs, such as donations of books to nursing homes

• Participated in the Santa Claus parade

• Held an Art Show

• Organized a family movie night

• Hosted writing workshops

• Hosted travelogues and book signings by local authors

• Friends volunteers read stories for a Children’s Christmas Story Hour

• Provided food for a Cancer fundraising event