FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES 

CONTENTS

Pitch in Your Pennies for Public Libraries - our first national penny drive -

What started out as a session for Ontario Library Association delegates on Junior Friends Groups, ended in a challenge issued by Mississauga Library System's Ingrid Keuper-Dalton. Ingrid challenges all libraries to a penny drive. Mississauga's penny drive coincides with Ontario Public Library Week in October.

The Ontario Public Library (OPLW) Marketing Committee has endorsed the idea. "The committee agreed that it is a good idea and fits in nicely with OPLW," writes Marjatta Asu, Library Development Advisor, Promotion & Community Development, Ontario Library Service - North. " We think it's a great idea and look forward to promoting it with FOCAL"

Ingrid has shared her penny drive campaign ideas with us. The drive slogan is "Pitch in Your Pennies for Public Libraries". News releases, posters, a newsletter and the library website are all used to promote registration by schools. The key to the success of the penny drive is the enthusiastic involvement of school children. Donation jars are also located at library check out counters during the week, encouraging customers to drop in their change.

FOCAL will develop a promotional plan with a sample news release and poster to help Friends groups launch this campaign in their community. While the Ontario campaign will take place during the third week in October, Friends groups in other provinces may choose a week that best suits their particular calendar.

The FOCAL website will be used to register participating libraries and record the final tally. Promotional material will appear on the FOCAL website soon.

Friday, June 20 1:00-5:00 p.m.

Library Friends, volunteers, and staff are invited to come and share their best practices and hear from "experts" on such topics as re-energizing your Friends group, tips on maximizing books sales, and how libraries and Friends groups can work together effectively.

Saturday, June 21 Noon-2:00 p.m.

Internationally renowned authors Elinor Lipman, Michael McGarrity, Clyde Edgerton, Karin Slaughter, and Erica Jong will speak about their writing at this traditional FOLUSA event. Lunch will be served and a book signing will follow the event. Books will be available for purchase at a generous discount. Tickets available in advance by calling 1-800-936-5872 or online at www.folusa.org or on site for $45 (USD) at the FOLUSA booth in the exhibit hall or at the event.

Sunday, June 22 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Authors Peter Krass, Michael Hart, and Mathew Battle will discuss the evolution and revolution of libraries including who Andrew Carnegie really was and his motive for igniting the greatest library revolution in America’s history. A book signing will follow.

Monday, June 23 10:30 a.m.-noon

New authors will talk about their writing and publishing experience. Meet them before they are famous. Former authors from this program have gone on to win national and international book awards. A book signing will follow.

Monday, June 23 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Take an audio book trip with FOLUSA. Learn how an audio book comes to be from publishers, readers, and authors of audio books. Meet Ben Cheever, son of John Cheever, who audio collection has just been released.

Jocelyn MacNeil, FOCAL's Regional Director, and Past President of the Friends of the Vancouver Public Library, has initiated a regional workshop.

The agenda includes:

• Membership (finding new members, keeping current members)
• Raising the profile of Friends of Libraries in the community
• Fundraising
• Booksales
• New Ideas
• Volunteer Recognition
• Friends' Stores

Our next newsletter will feature some highlights from this session. FOCAL encourages other Friends to initiate this type of gathering. Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury Friends have each hosted a regional meeting in northeastern Ontario in 2001 and 2002.

FOCAL will assist by identifying Friends in your area, providing copies of our newsletters and brochures and offering other support as needed.

We had 36 attend our Friends Day at OLA luncheon this year. Those who attended, I am sure will agree, participated in a working luncheon. We were a busy and collegial group.

An e-mail list was created for the benefit of those who want to keep in touch. Everyone is encouraged to join FOCAL's listserv, which serves the same purpose of networking and communication.

Slips of paper were handed out at various times throughout the lunch, and on one occasion people were asked to write down their success stories. The results of that informal survey are included in this issue of FOCAL Point.(see page 4) In our next issue I will include a list of expertise the Friends bring to their library and their association.

Annual General Meeting 2003

Friday, June 20 10:00 a.m. - Noon
Toronto Public Library, Northern District
40 Orchard View Blvd. (Yonge and Eglington)

1. Welcome
2. Approval of Agenda
3. Minutes of 2002 Annual General Meeting
4. Business Arising from the Minutes
5. President’s Report
6. Treasurer’s Report - Financial statement
7. Directors’ reports
8. 2003-2004 Executive - Confirmation and

elections
9. By-law amendments
10. New Business

Light refreshments will be served.

Visit our website for AGM documents.

http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/annua.html

.

• Recruiting a wonderful Brazilian librarian to the TPL North Friends Board
• Opening our newly renovated branch (Hensall)
• Successful fundraising event - Scrabble with the stars (Love Your Library Week) usually has a theme. Community VIPs receive free tickets. Everyone else pays $10. There is an Art Raffle and door prizes. Prizes for highest score, highest table, most appropriate word etc. Appox. 25 tables, Raise $800 - $900 (Caledon)
• Doll house auction (Orillia)
• Silent auction (Orillia) - art auction raised $3,000 in one evening, from 7 - 9 p.m.
• Friends of Toronto Public Library - North Chapter - bookstore Book Ends was 9 years old in October. We're happy to report sales of $54,000 from library withdrawals and donated books. The Book Ends South store is over a year old, located in the Toronto Reference Library. They too are doing well.
• Ajax Friends completed their $1 million building campaign. The new main branch opened Dec. 16, 2002 to rave reviews and popular reactions of the local community. A five year dream come true!
• Our organization put on an art show and sale which was very successful in terms of visitor numbers and pieces sold.
• Penny Drive leading to Junior Friends (Mississauga)
• Fundraising through book sales, funds used to buy equipment and furniture for the library, mostly for the children's section (Dundas)
• Local authors series of talks to advertise both the Friends and the library itself (Dundas)
• Wiarton raised $37,000 to furnish new library. Had set a goal of $25,000 Well over the top in 4 months.
• Historical tour through Ramara Township and area. Sold out. Event was at no cost to us as bus driver volunteered and lunch was free.
• Friends of the St. Thomas Public Library have published two anthologies called "Memories of St. Thomas and Elgin". People sent their stories, which were edited ands published. Vol. I sold out; Vol. II selling out
• Cactus Festival Book Sale (2002)
• Teamwork
• Demonstrate the value of the Friends of the Dundas Public Library (Dundas)
• Reinvigorate our Homebound Book Delivery Service, doubling the number served.

Friends for Small Libraries

We heard from two rural Friends groups in this Ontario Library Association session, and received two unique pictures of how Friends groups form and accomplish their goals.

Janis Brisback told us about Hensall, population 600, the bean capital of Ontario, located 50 miles north of London. Her community created a Friends group to demonstrate to municipal council that it really mattered to have a local library. They advocated to renovate an empty municipal building to keep a branch library in their community.

Expertise from contractors, welders, electricians, an upholsterer and a graphic artist were part of the free labour devoted to the project. Janis estimates $150,000 - $200,000 worth of volunteer hours were served. Local Kinsmen provided 750 hours of volunteer labour, and roofing material valued at $9,000 was donated.

The library space grew from 360 square feet to 1200 square feet. They also made structural improvements to the municipal building, and added wheelchair accessibility. (http://www.huroncap.org/henlib/)

Stephen Whelan, CEO of the Uxbridge Library, described the formation of the Uxbridge Friends group. He was interested in library volunteers forming a Friends association, and polled his colleagues and FOCAL to learn the pros and cons of having a Fiends group (see FOCAL Point, Fall 2001).

They had to make some early decisions. A bank account was opened, and they had to decide who would have signing authority. They decided the process of incorporation and charitable status was a hassle for an association this small that did not yet have a full slate of officers. The library has a charitable donation number. So far their only executive member is a secretary. While Stephen agreed with those who commented his role with the Friends should be as liaison, for this first year he also acts as chair. He expressed concern that at the first Friends meeting Library Board members outnumbered Friends.

The Friends group was given some seed money from a recent booksale. Friends ran the next booksale, and have $1700 in proceeds from the two booksales. In their first year they held an Awards Night reception to recognize honourary Friends. They signed up 20 new Friends at that event and had some momentum heading into the summer.

Stephen hung a large banner at the back of the meeting room which read "Friends of the Library Big Event" The sign hung in the library too, at a time when the "big event" was not yet known. Eventually in the fall they had a "Big Event Week", during which more members were recruited.

Since then monthly meetings two booksales, an amnesty day where Friends paid for fines, a chocolate making program and a gardening talk have occurred. The events are based on interest of members, not on fundraising. Board members are no longer active in booksales and do not come to Friends’ meetings.

Visit their website - http://www.uxlib.com/friends.html

How and why do you motivate our libraries youngest users to become involved in their community's library. Our guest speaker at this Ontario Library Association session was Ingrid Keeper Dalton, Marketing and Community Development Specialist, Mississauga Library System

Mississauga's Junior Friends group nearly 1,000 strong, ranges in age from 3 years to 14 years. Reasons for the Junior Friends program include:

1. Public Relations - working with library staff
2. Fund raising - pennies and private sources
3. Increased volunteerism - setting annual goals and creating a meaningful volunteer experience
4. Community involvement
5. Focus group - they are a stakeholder
6. Promoting reading and reading development

Visit FOCAL's website to learn more about the program, and view colour copies of Ingrid's promotional material. Contents of her toolkit are provided in the web. (www.friendsoflibraries.ca/junior-friends.htm).

Susan Fawcett has once again issued "The Chesley Challenge". Register now and watch the FOCAL website as the challenge develops!

Our defending champion is from the community of Wolseley Saskatchewan.
http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads.htm and http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/

Chesley (Ontario)
Wolseley (Saskatchewan)
Cobourg (Ontario)
Perry Township Public Library (Ontario)
Belleville Public Library (Ontario)
Bruce County Library, Wiarton Branch, Friends (Ontario)
Windsor Public Library (Ontario)
Orillia Public Library (Ontario)
Tweed Public Library (Ontario)
Leader Chinook Regional Library (Saskatchewan)

Authors of a forthcoming book, Presenting Numbers, Tables and Charts, intend to use information from our Chesley Challenge web page in their text. We welcome this unexpected attention, and hope to benefit from the advice and expertise offered by the authors.

Our table of statistics is presented in an exercise and readers are asked:

"If you were a volunteer for the group what changes would you make to the table?"

Authors Melissa Ann Spore, Instructional Design Group, University of Saskatchewan and Sally Bigwood, Plain Figures, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, expect their book to be published by Oxford University Press in September, 2003.

Friends Notes - Hamilton - The fall newsletter discussed questions about books and book values (www.rbms.md.edu) and described the ABE network - Advanced Book Exchange. (www.abebooks.com). The winter newsletter also included a copy of a letter sent to Hamilton City Councilors during 2003 budget deliberations, stressing how strong accessible library service contribute to the quality of the community. (Website: http://www.hpl.ca/Friends/default.shtml)

Recent authors speaking in Lindsay included Rae Fleming, who discussed his latest books The General Stores of Canada and The Royal Tour of Canada in October and Ron Brown who has written Ghost Towns of Ontario, Ghost Railways of Ontario, Ontario's Vanished Villages and The Last Stop: Ontario's Heritage Railway Stations.

Other activities included meetings of the Book Club, The Reader's Corner service to residents of Extendicare, a Book Sale, with profits of an average $300 per month, a Home Book service to 15 clients, a raffle which raised over $600 and volunteering during Counting Week

Telling Your Own Story (and Getting it Published) - The Friends of Winnipeg Public Library will held their spring event in the Centennial Library Auditorium on March 18^th. Telling Your Own Story (and Getting it Published) ...features Marjorie Anderson, editor of Dropped Threads and James Kostelniuk, author of Sheep Among Wolves. http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/contact/friends.asp

Fundraising projects include selling book bags and Book Lover calendars, and operating the Friends Café. Projects include their Writer in Residence program and a Magazine Project to provide additional copies of popular magazines at library branches.

"What goes around comes around: Books, volunteers, hard, hard work and the true meaning of Friendship", by Kevin Burns, Vice President, Friends of the National Library of Canada. National Library Bulletin. Nov.-Dec. 2002. Vol. 34(6) pg. 10-11. This article details the history and operation of the book sale operated by the Friends of the National library of Canada. We can all relate to the work involved in this effort, and the description of dedicated, enthusiastic, and even fanatical book sale customers. Kevin reports over 26,000 volumes were in last fall's sale, and their sales force numbered 95 volunteers.

(http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/bulletin/p2-0602-06-e.html)

Brick Fundraiser - The Chesley Area Friends of the Library are now selling bricks salvaged from the former Krug Bros. furniture factory as a fundraiser for the Library. The limited edition bricks can be purchased for $5.00 each. Each brick bears the Krug Bros. Company Logo, a brief history of the Krug Brothers' factory and are signed by Bruce Krug.

Quotations found in Hamilton's Friends Notes Winter 2003 newsletter -

"Whatever the cost of our Libraries, the cost is cheap compared to the cost of an ignorant nation"
- Walter Cronkite.

Funding Development - Grant Opportunities - Look to the website of the Southern Ontario Library website - http://www.sols.org/fund-dev/FD/GrantOpportunities2.htm. SOLS Consultant Rob Lavery provides links to SOLS publications and a selection of useful links to outside sources

Rural Literacy Fund - SARAH BADGLEY LITERACY FUND FOR ONTARIO RURAL CHILDREN   A grant of up to $200 per year is available to a number of rural public libraries in Ontario, and to non-rural public libraries that serve a rural clientele. The grant can be used for a variety of purposes in aid of children’s literacy initiatives, including (but not restricted to the following):

1. Book Purchases

2. Literacy Programs (story hours, guest readers, etc.)

3. Equipment Purchases (furniture, bookshelves, computer software, etc.) 

4. Renovations to Children’s Areas in the Library

5. Seed Money to Obtain Matching Grants  

The application should be forwarded to the following address: The Rural Learning Association, P.O. Box 1588, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6R7  http://www.uoguelph.ca/~rcb/rural%20learning%20association.htm
(Source: OPLA Listserv, February 14, 2003)

Library Boards in communities of 20,000 or less are eligible to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation grants. Eligible Library Boards may each apply for a single, one-time grant between $5,000 - $15,000 for initiatives that fall under the following themes:

Library Capital: small equipment purchases (furniture, shelving, and renovations to increase accessibility)

Collections: one-time purchases to increase general collections and/or collections in any medium for specialized populations, including large-print, video, talking books, DVD, and culturally diverse materials

Enhancing Community Programming: new program initiatives for specialized groups, new outreach or access initiatives, initiatives that increase the range and extent of program availability

Training and Technology: hardware, software, automation; training to library patrons, staff and volunteers to develop skills to better use technology; literacy and skills development

Friends groups may help their Board identify funding needs, and support their grant application by demonstrating need and offering letters of support. However it must be the Board that applies for the grant.

http://www.trilliumfoundation.org/OTF-English/new/index.htm

Are you having a provincial or regional library association or Friends meeting in your area? Ask us for FOCAL material so that you can display our association material at your meeting. We can send some material, including:

• Copies of our current newsletter
• A colour copy of our website's home page
• Friends' buttons
• Friends' bookmarks
• Sample new member kit
• Sample bag and Packaging Alternatives order forms
• Reference copy of Initiating a Friends Group Kit (SOLS) and order form
• Reference copy of Amalgamating a Friends Group Kit (SOLS) and order form

Add you own Friends' material to make the display even more relevant to your local audience!

Books in Food Hampers - I am with the Retired Educational Administrators group which has taken on a Book Bank Project for Disadvantaged Kids. We have elicited the cooperation of book distributors to contribute books that would be donated to the disadvantaged. Is anyone doing anything in this area? Can you put me in touch with anyone who has done anything similar?

Nicholas Spillios

nikos@telusplanet.net

In the exhibit hall at OLA this year we enjoyed meeting and learning about Centre AlphaPlus Centre. Friends groups providing funding for literacy-related programs may find their website useful. Their goal is to help users find relevant resources and information to enrich the learning of adults in literacy programs.

http://alphaplus.windnetcs.com/index1.htm

A special general meeting is being held in Ottawa May 8^th, seeking approval of the merger of the two Friends associations, and to review amendments to the by-laws that will accommodate the union.

Friends of the Library - Cowichan Branch
New Westminster Public Library Board

Chesley Area Friends of the Library
Friends of the Cochrane Library Society
East Gwillimburg Friends of the Library
Friends of the Englehart Public Library
Friends of the Espanola Public Library
Friends of the Hanover Public Library
Friends of the Huntsville Library
Friends of the Kingston/Frontenac Public Library
Friends of the Manitouwadge Public Library
Friends of the Library Mississauga
Friends of the National Library of Canada
Friends of the New Liskeard Public Library
Friends of the Port Hope Public Library
Friends of the Ramara Public Library
Friends of Uxbridge Township Public Library
Friends of Wellington Public Library
Wiarton Friends of the Library

Friends of the Barrington Public Library
Friends of the Clarks Harbour Public Library
Friends of the Lockeport Public Library
Friends of the Pubnico Group
Friends of the Shelburne Public Library
Friends of the Westport Public Library
Friends of the Weymouth Public Library

Add FOCAL President Jami van Haaften to your newsletter mailing list.

Friends groups are interested in:

• Your plans for 2003
• Success stories from 2002
• Good ideas
• Fundraising tactics
• Marketing techniques
• Merchandise for sale
• Photographs

We’d like add resources to our website. We need your:

• Constitution / By-laws
• Newsletters
• Minutes of annual meetings
• Annual reports
• Financial statements
• Brochures

Please send paper copies or e-mail files.

A new page was recently added to the FOCAL website. It lists companies and associations offering promotional products to the library community. Many of you will recognize familiar suppliers and partner associations. Some will find new sources of merchandise.

Please let us know what needs to be added to this list! Do you have a gift shop or product you’d like listed? Help us to include your local, regional and provincial library suppliers and associations. Please share your retail information with us.

Make your library more user-friendly by offering guides to the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The posters are published in adult and children's versions, and bookmarks are also available. Products are available in English and French.

OCLC Forest Press
6565 Frantz Road, Dublin, OH 43017-3395, USA

800-848-5878 (Direct dial - 614-764-6346)

http://www.oclc.org/fp/products/index.htm

	Grolier Canada	http://www.edureference.com/gc.htm
Packaging Alternatives		Custom Printed canvas bags http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/bags.html
	Watters Marketing	Promotional products: http://www.wattersmarketing.ca/home.html

Strategic Plan 2002-2006

Friends of Libraries Australia Strategic Plan was outlined in their Summer 2003 newsletter. Each goal has a strategy and list of goals.

1. To be an acknowledged voice for Friends in public policy issues and to provide leadership for advocacy to FOL groups to become more proactive community voices.
2. To be less dependent on the present Executive Director
3. To establish a stronger financial base
4. To have representation on consultation committees concerned with library issues.
5. To have media space in relevant publications.
6. To designate events for awards and major "PR" opportunities.

1. To establish a section on "Friends" with Library School curricula.
2. To establish formal contacts with similar FOL organizations worldwide.

3. To be represented at key library and local government conferences.

LIBRARIES THAT BUILT CANADA 2004 Library History Calendar Pictures of 14 libraries in Canada selected from Atlantic to Pacific by EX LIBRIS Canada's National Association of Retired Librarians

Ex Libris is publishing a 2004 library history calendar that should be of interest to many Friends groups. They have generously offered to provide FOCAL with bulk copies, so that we may distribute or sell for a profit. Please support FOCAL and the Ex Libris initiative by ordering a copy now.

Photos include

Ottawa Room, Ottawa Public Library Provincial Legislative Library, Halifax

Chatham-Kent Carnegie Library Burin Memorial Library, Newfoundland

Bibliothèque nationale du Québec Fraser Valley Demonstration Library - bookmobile

Bookmobile Prince Edward Island Winnipeg, William Avenue Branch

Regina Public Library Newcastle, New Brunswick

Please enclose payment. Calendars are $12.95 each, including taxes and mailing.

Send prepaid orders to
Friends of Canadian Libraries, c/o Jami van Haaften,
1826 Marie Ave. Sudbury, Ontario

Name: ___________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

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E-mail contact: ______________________________________