PPT Slide
Phone Campaign – Oshawa Friends Advocacy Committee successfully launched a “flyer and phone campaign” to ask Council to restore the library funding to the 1991 level. The goal was that each councillor receive 30 phone calls. Well, they got at least 100 phone calls and some received 150. The councilors were impressed because the callers identified themselves as constituents, were courteous, informed and had a simple message, “We want you to restore the library’s funding.” When the vote came it was 10 – 0 in favour of a nearly 20% increase in the library’s budget. (FOCAL Point Sept. 1999) Oshawa Friends who took the time to call their City Councilor seeking support of the library budget in 2000 were given the credit, as the grant to the library system was increased by $457,400. (FOCAL Point, Spring 2001)
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Brief 109 – Friends of the London Public Library presented a Brief to the Legislature on Bill 109, defending the principles of free access to information for all of the citizens of Ontario. (London)
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Political Action Committee - Friends of the Edmonton Public Library had a Political Action Committee that became involved in Edmonton’s provincial election campaign in 1993. Candidates were provided with a package of information, which was followed up by a visit during which the candidate was asked about party affiliation, if they were a library user, and if they were supportive of public libraries. Friends also attended civic election meetings, and used the opportunity to ask a library-related question and record the candidate’s answer and the audience’s reaction. (Edmonton)
MAKING A DIFFERENCE - Advocacy
In "A Mississauga Fairy Tale" the Mississauga Library System describes their Friends and Junior Friends groups as a non-profit citizen volunteer group that helps promote literacy and the library within the community. Funding from the Friends, in partnership with Laidlaw, provides subsidies for bus rides for all Mississauga classes, Grade 4 and 8, to visit their local library. Canadian Living April 2002
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From the West Kootenay region of British Columbia "The Library Family " is described at The Castlegar and District Public Library. Forty-five volunteers help library staff form a strong network of "library family" throughout the area. The article described an annual fundraising event, Chocolate Jazz, now in its seventh year, an elegant affair, combining luscious chocolate creations by local chefs and chocolateers with cool jazz played as background to silent auction tables. A team of library "Friends" decorates the rooms to create an exciting ambiance for the evening. Canadian Living April 2002
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March to the town hall - Talking about “marching”, Atikokan Friends showed their public support by actually organizing their own march from the library to the town hall to show the council just how important their library services were to the community. (FOCAL Point, Sept. 1999)
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Get acquainted with the Library – Brockville/Caledon. If you leave your name and phone number at the Friends' Corner in the Library in Brockville and Caledon, a Friend will call you to book an appointment for your "Get Acquainted with the Library" personal tour. (FOCAL Point, Sept. 1998)