FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES 

CONTENTS

A timetable has been established to implement a strategic planning process for Friends of Canadian Libraries. By this time next year we will have a new strategic direction and annual operational plans. Those attending our Annual General Meeting in Victoria will provide the final approval to complete this ambitious planning cycle.

The work begins this summer as the Association’s mission statement and values will be drafted. Watch our website for documents to be posted and updated as the process unfolds. There will be ample opportunity to contribute either through regional meetings, e-mail feedback, submissions through the website, or at Friends’ Day programs. Friends groups are asked to put this topic on their association’s meeting agenda, and gather feedback for us.

The first opportunity for feedback will be in September, when the draft mission and vision statement will be available. At the same time we will be doing a SWOT analysis – Strengths, Opportunities and Threats. Later in the fall, after our Strategic Planning Workshop Nov. 9^th in Ajax, we will be looking for additional feedback.

See also page 10 for the planning timeline. Visit our website at http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/reg-planning.htm for further information.

The Wiarton Branch of the Bruce County Library is now housed in a 3,000 square foot facility opened in November of 2002. The Friends of the Wiarton Library accepted responsibility for furnishing the new library, setting a goal of $25,000.

Flyers to the community and personal letters to business and well-known citizens started in May 2002. Funds were raised through a variety of projects.

• Raffle – gift basket
• T-Shirt sales
• Memorial receipts distributed to local funeral homes
• Donation boxes at circulation desk – voluntary tax
• Book Bag sales
• Used Book sale
• Slide show
• Dollar donation per year for your birthday
• Trivia night hosted by the Rotary Club

The Friends exceeded their fundraising goal while at the same time generating goodwill and publicity for the library. Over two dozen press releases were issued during the campaign to keep the community informed of the project.

In a symbolic gesture, a book brigade was staged to move books from the old to the new location. Three hundred volunteers made up the three block brigade, and 35 books were transferred, one for each year the library had been housed in the town hall.

Tom Wood, Wiarton FOL Vice-Chair, credits the fundraising committee strategy for their success. The committee included 6 FOL, 2 members from the local Rotary Club, and the Library Supervisor.

The committee held over a dozen meetings, staged events and developed a six page public relations program which defined the objective, time period, target audience, methodology and budget.

Friends are precious. Friends are kind. Friends are committed.

On behalf of the Friends of Canadian Libraries, it is indeed an honor and privilege to present the FOCAL Award in recognition of outstanding
work by a Friends group. Criteria taken into account included the extent that the community and volunteers are involved in projects and
creativeness of projects undertaken.

This year we are pleased to present the award, again with the generous support of Random House, to Wiarton Friends for $500.00 for books and to present to the Wiarton Friends a plaque recording their award. We sincerely hope that by offering this award, we can encourage all Friends to continue in their support of improving quality library services.

Our congratulations. We also thank the other Friends who made submissions. We encourage them to submit again in 2004.

Nicholas Spillios

The Penny Challenge – get ready, get set . . . .

Library users across Canada will be asked to "Pitch in Your Pennies for Public Libraries" in a national promotional campaign for public libraries. The campaign in Ontario will take place during the third week in October. Friends groups in other provinces may choose a week that best suits their particular calendar.

Organized by Friends of Canadian Libraries (FOCAL), the campaign is in response to a challenge issued by Mississauga Library System. Over the years, penny drives conducted in Mississauga have raised almost $100,000.

The key to the success of the penny drive in Mississauga has been 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.

The Ontario Public Library Week (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"

The FOCAL website will be used to register participating libraries and record the final tally. http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/penny.htm

Coin design courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint

FOCAL & FOLUSA

It is rare indeed to have the opportunity to participate in a bi-national library conference and in addition to that share in a networking session for Friends from south of the border.

Friends of Libraries U.S.A. Executive Director Sally Reed made us welcome at the FOLUSA booth in the exhibits, and made sure we had access to all the sessions.

FOCAL President Jami van Haaften thanked Sally during the Authors’ Luncheon for her efforts in making us Canucks feel so included in the FOLUSA/ ALA program.

"When I returned from Halifax, Nova Scotia last June, fresh from the CLA and news of this upcoming conference I had a piece of e-mail from Sally," said Jami. "Right from that moment it was clear we were in for an experience!"

Sally, as an honourary member of FOCAL, was presented with a FOCAL canvas bag, filled with some of our newsletters, a copy of Friends for Small Libraries, a Canadian-made pewter bookmark and a Canadian maple leaf plaque.

The Nuts & Bolts Workshop was well attended Friday afternoon, with Canadian delegates from Toronto, Hamilton, Wiarton, Ajax, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Haliburton. Topics for the networking groups included strategic planning, marketing and publicity and fundraising

Nuts and Bolts Workshops

REPORT TO FOCAL - PRAIRIES AND TERRITORIES

Activities of the Friends in the Prairies and Territories continues with the possibility of new groups being organized. In Alberta, Friends are operating as organized entities in Edmonton, St. Albert, Red Deer and Lethbridge. While in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, groups are organized, although it would appear not as extensively.

In Edmonton, Friends are restructuring their operations as some activities such as advocacy and general fundraising, formerly handled by the group, are now undertaken by the Board and staff. Consequently, the new direction for the Board has been directed towards the support of programming events. In the past year, the Friends contributed $50,000 to the new Young Adult section of the Centre for Reading and the Arts in the new renovations made in the main library, supported the celebration of the city's Centennial in 2004 on the "A City Called Home" project through the purchase of equipment to record stories on the history of Edmonton; and sponsored a memorial service honoring the memory of the noted Alberta author, Monica Hughes, with an evening of reminiscences and readings.

In Red Deer, a well organized group exists with two book sales taking place in the Spring and Fall. These sales provide about $12,000 to the Library annually and support collections, furnishings and program support. The group has a page on the Library website, http:www.rdpl.org/friends.html. In Lethbridge, the Friends operate a casino, operate two book sales, one for children and one for adults and sell books in conjunction with visiting authors, sponsor Friday Night showings, Children's Saturday film matinees, and the Fish Pond in the children's section. No Friends group operates out of the Calgary Public Library.

In Saskatchewan, the main activities of Friends appear to operate in Saskatoon. A Friends Shop operates in the central branch. The major fundraiser for the group has been hosting Forkfest for several years and will continue to do so this year as well. This year a major fundraiser was the Old Tyme Dance Party held at Saskatchewan Place to assist in the purchase of an interior wheelchair lift for a branch library. No group operates in the Regina Public Library.

The Winnipeg Public Library has been active with a number of projects. Its major focus has been in the establishment of a gift shop in the Millennium library, a renovation planned for 2004. Other support included the Writer-in-Residence Program; offering book bags and Book Lovers' desk calendars; and sponsoring a 'Telling Your Own Story" event.

Yellowknife Public Library reports that while no group is organized, plans are being made to form such a group as the Administration sees the value for establishing a group.

An invitation has been received to include a report on FOCAL in the Alberta Library Trustees Newsletter. An attempt will be made to make contact with trustees associations in other Prairie provinces to bring the feasibility of forming Friends a more viable option in promoting and supporting library services.

Nicholas Spillios, Director
June 2003

BC Regional Director’s Report
By Jocelyn MacNiel

Friends of Canadian Libraries and Friends of the Vancouver Public Library co-sponsored a "Sharing of Ideas" Workshop on April 26, 10.00 – 12.00 in the Board Room of the Central Library. The library provided the room, Friends of VPL the coffee, and FOCAL the copying, postage and muffins.

Twenty-one people joined in a very lively discussion in Membership Recruiting and Retention, Volunteer Recognition, Fund Raising (Book Sales) and other topics which Friends groups have in common. It was a good exchange of ideas and a start in compiling addresses for Friends of Libraries in BC. I recommend this kind of workshop be held every two years.

FOCAL brochures and copies of newsletters were handed out at the workshop, providing a means of making people aware of the national Friends of Libraries organization.

In talking with librarians, while organizing the workshop, I found several who were interested in establishing a Friends support group. Calls to the libraries also helped identify Friend’s groups within a two-hour drive from downtown Vancouver.

A new Friends organization was founded this winter at the Coquitlam Library. The following libraries have Friends:

Agassiz
Abbotsford/Clearbrook
Aldergrove
Bowen Island
Chilliwack
Coquitlam
Delta
Gibsons and District
Langley
Maple Ridge
Mission
North Vancouver
Port Coquitlam
Richmond
Sechelt
Squamish
West Vancouver
Whistler
White Rock

There are Friends of the Library in Vanderhoof and Victoria, and more across BC of which I am not yet aware.

I look forward to helping with the Friends at the CLA Meeting in June 2004.

The Chesley Challenge & Canada Reads

The Chesley Challenge 2003

This year’s book Next Episode (Prochain Épisode) by Hubert Aquin
Translated by Sheila Fischman Published by McClelland & Stewart

Our defending champion is the community of Wolseley, Saskatchewan.

http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/canadareads.htm and http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/

2003 Challengers

Date: Saturday, April 26/03, 10:15 a.m.
Place: Board Room at VPL’s Central Library, Vancouver
Friends Of Libraries Attending:
Mission: Mel Hundert, Ted Sawasy
North Van. District: Brian Casidy, Wayne MacCallum, David Potter
Richmond: Alison Cormack, Margaret Ikegami, Debby Newton
Sechelt: Al Livsey, Sue Thomson, Bob Tween, Chris Tween
Squamish: Marjorie Buchanan, Morgan
Vancouver: Howard Greaves, Lucca Hallex, Donna Hossack, Jocelyn MacNiel, Sonja Marchlewitz, Cherry Sullivan
West Van. Memorial: Sophia Weremchuk

• West Vancouver Friends founded the Library but it is now operated by a Foundation, the Friends now involved with fund raising and library events.
• At Vancouver Public Library (VPL), Friends is a registered society and operates under a Letter of Understanding with the Library;
• One Friends organization is a community formed group that fund raises and helps with services at the library

• Friends shelve books in libraries without unionized staff
• In some libraries, all Friends are volunteers; in other ‘Silent Supporters’ (non-volunteers) are welcome.
• A discussion about fees showed varying rates from $3 (single) to $20 (Family), with discounts for seniors and students.
• Membership fees – are they necessary? Do they need to cover the cost of benefits such as newsletters and mailings?
• emailing to members is worth trying.

• Most groups have a solid core of faithful members.
• Try to get new members to be active because active members seem more likely to stay.
• Some enjoy volunteering at particular activities such as author readings.
• Benefits for Friends’ members may help:
  1. Members have the chance to preview the annual/major book sale (huge in the U.S.A.)
  2. In some libraries people join just to get into the preview book sale
  3. One library charges $5 to get into the book sale preview
• A newsletter can bridge the gap between members, both active and silent. It is often an untapped resource. Articles should talk about what is coming up, not just what has been done. Use photographs.
• Sometimes the Library has a newsletter but the Friends don’t. Can a Friends’ column be added to the library newsletter?

• 68.2% had between 2,000 & 50, 000 service population
• 71.8% has less than 51 members
• 51% of members are active
• 39% support single library
• 20% support one branch
• 24% of those surveyed received grants
• 74% raised less than $5,000 annually
• 77% reported members were motivated or highly motivated

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!

The Partnership Fund - Federal funding opportunity – October deadline

The Partnerships Fund, the Canadian Culture Online Program (CCOP) seeks to fund the highest quality and most innovative projects undertaken by institutional and organizational networks, or "Partners" from across the cultural heritage sector.

The anticipated output is an Internet product or website that presents a digitized collection of existing cultural resources, that is well explained, engagingly interpreted and easy to explore. Complementary learning resources that facilitate the use of the digitized collection by teachers and their students, such as curriculum-based lesson plans, student activities and quizzes or games, are strongly encouraged.

http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/pcce-ccop/pubs/partguide_e.cfm

Friends’ Forum . . .

Friends of the Library and Archives Canada have two booksales scheduled for the fall. Their Ninth Annual Giant Used Book Sale is October 3, 4, and 5, 2003 in the Carlingwood Shopping Centre, Ottawa. Later, on October 24^th, their Antiquarian Book Auction will be held in Auditorium Foyer, Library and Archives, Canada

In Friendly Notes, the newsletter of the Friends of the Hamilton Public Library, they ask for donations of "oldies" What is an "oldie" you may ask? An oldie is "good old hard cover book" which the Friends sell on the www.abebook.com web site.

Recent speakers at the Dundas Public Library Friends Local Author Series included Anne Marie Van Nest, author of Niagara in Bloom. Her April slide show featured large and small gardens, design concepts and ideas for best use of plant colour. In June Norma Bidwell, popular local food columnist, was the guest author.

Fundraising activities reported by Friends of the Winnipeg Public Library Susan Fraser, in her annual report, included the sale of adult’s and children’s book bags, revenue from the Friends Café and sale of calendars. This year the Friends will be selling copies of the Ex Libris calendar Libraries that built Canada, which features a historical photo of the Winnipeg library.

Telling your own story (and getting it published) presented in March 2003 was a resounding success. The Winnipeg Friends are running two reading groups, supported the Winnipeg Library Foundation’s Gala by donating items for the silent auction, and have developed a shop concept for the new gift shop to be included in the new Millenium Library facility. Revenues for 2002 were reported at $8,784, and expenses at $5,753.

The new library in Ajax opened in January 2003. A donor wall recognizes those members of the community who donated at least $100,000 to the library. Names of other donors may be found in a bookcase of donors. The Friends of the Ajax Public Library held a women’s golf clinic held on a snowy day in February and raised $6,450 for the Million Dollar campaign for the new library.

The Ajax Friends support Silver Linings Inc., a group of students from Centennial College, by providing good quality used children’s books to be housed in newly a renovated emergency room at the local hospital.

The Friends of the Uxbridge Township Public Library launched a logo contest. Volunteers of this new Friends association work in a shut in service, fundraising, newsletter, special events and project, book sales, community awareness and publicity.

A free copy of Multicultural resources: an annotated bibliography of video resources, prepared by the Alberta Association of Multicultural Education, is available from the author Nicholas Spillios (nikos@telusplanet.net)

Friends of the Lindsay Branch, City of Kawartha Lakes Public Library plan "An Evening with Paul Arculus" in October during Public Library Week. Arculus, a local author from Port Perry, will be speaking about his new book The Markham Gang: organized crime in Ontario in the 1840s. Two outdoor book sales were planned, weather permitting, in June and July.

A "non-event" raised proceeds of $13,708 for the Friends of the Vancouver Public Library. Supporters were asked on November 22^nd to stay at home, read a book and have a ball – and send the entertainment dollars they saved to the Friends. Revenues of $33,947,400 and expenditures of $33,731,400 were reported for 2001 by the Vancouver Friends.

Vancouver Friends support the Great Canadian Book Camp, allowing children between 9 and 12 years of age to meet their favourite authors, and discuss the writing process. Afternoon workshops scheduled Aug. 18^th –22^nd will include 100 children creating non-fiction, poetry, book reviews and comedy writing.

Introducing our new Vice President Gillian Keir

Our new Vice President Gillian Keir joins us from St. Albert, Alberta. Gillian attended our Friends Day at CLA in Winnipeg in 2001, and will attend the Ontario Library Association Superconference in January 2004, prior to stepping into the President’s position at CLA in Victoria, June 2004.

Gillian spent 5 years on the St. Albert Public Library Board (1997-2002), serving as Board Chairman from 2000/01-2002. She was the Board's representative on the St. Albert Association of Friends of the Public Library for 4 of the 5 years. In 2002, after finishing with the Library Board, Gillian became President of the Friends for this past year.

As a housewife, mother and volunteer Gillian’s activities ranged from soccer, softball, Brownies, school libraries, and local hospital auxiliary. Later she became active in the Library Board, Library Friends, Community Garden Association, and politics at the constituency level.

Policy development

At our Annual General meeting it was felt FOCAL needed to develop polices for a number of issues. These include

• Copyright statement – newsletter and website
• Advertising – FOCAL Market, newsletter and website
• Listserv – forwarding messages
• Website – links policy
• Sales
• Association membership

A number of policies will be drafted for discussion, and approval at our 2004 Annual General Meeting in Victoria, BC.

VACANCY

Director - Central Canada

Share your enthusiasm for

Friends of Libraries by taking on a

prominent role in your region, networking with Friends organizations, contributing

to our FOCAL Point newsletter, and

participating in conference

or workshop programming

Share your news!

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 to 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.

Lahring Tribe presents FOCAL President Jami van Haaften with our CLA conference cheque. Generous financial support from Random House of Canada enables FOCAL to provide Friends Day programming at major library conferences, and to send exhibit material to other provincial and regional events.

Librarian Action Doll

A new gift idea for the librarian who has everything – including a sense of humour! Accoutrements of Seattle has created an action figure modeled after a real librarian from the Seattle Public Library. Her weapon of choice is the Dewey Decimal System, and her ‘action" is a shushing gesture.

http://www.accoutrements.com

Can you answer this question posed by the
Friends of the River John Library Society:

Are we the only Friends group in Canada who owns the local library?

FOCAL MARKET

www.friendsoflibraries.ca/market.html.

In My Book

Greeting cards that convert into bookmarks. U.S. publisher offers wholesale prices for Canadian Friends groups and has been told by Canada Customs and Revenue that stationary products are not subject to duty. Visit their website at www.inmybook.com.

 

The Friends of the State Library of South Australia earned recognition for seven decades of cultural philanthropy. Gifts to the library have included manuscripts through six centuries of printed books down to fine productions of modern private presses. They are the oldest Friends group in the country.

Volunteer Guides conduct weekly tours of the State Library. Friends have seven standing subcommittees: Acquisitions, Printing and Publications, Program, Special project, Volunteer Guides, Facsimiles and new Accommodation.

At the Wollongong City Library the Friends participated in Seniors Week. Six local seniors spoke about their involvement with producing books. The audience was able to browse through the books featured, chat with the author and enjoy afternoon tea.

Friends of the Library in Altona produce a bookmark promoting the dates of their forthcoming booksales. The verso of the bookmark carries the quote "Each day is a memory. Make it a good one."

Friends of the Library in Barossa collaborate with The Langrneil Winery for a poetry competition. Individual students win prizes, and the first-prize winner’s school receives $100 from the Winery to purchase books.

FOCAL's Executive

PRESIDENT – Jami Van Haaften
Friends of the Greater Sudbury Public Library
1826 Marie Ave., Sudbury, Ont. P3E 2X8.
Telephone: (705) 523-3415
E-mail focal@accessola.com

VICE-PRESIDENT – Gillian Keir
Friends of the St. Albert Library

TREASURER – Val Marshall
Ajax Friends of the Library

SECRETARY – Dorothy Macnaughton
Friends of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library

PAST-PRESIDENT – Val Marshall

DIRECTORS

BRITISH COLUMBIA – Jocelyn MacNiel
Friends of the Vancouver Public Library

PRAIRIES/TERRITORIES - Nicholas Spillios
Friends of the Edmonton Public Library

CENTRAL CANADA – Jim Nicol
Friends of the Dundas Branch Library

ATLANTIC CANADA - Peggy Hiscock,
Pictou-Antigonish County Library

Canadian Library Trustees Association

Canadian Association of Public Libraries –
Rick Walker, Winnipeg Public Library

Canadian Library Association -
Pat Jobb, Edmonton Public Library

Consultant - Terry Sarazen
E-mail: tsarazen@sols.org

LIBRARIES THAT BUILT CANADA 2004 Library History Calendar

Please enclose payment. Calendars are $12.95 each, including taxes and mailing. Prices for multiple copes: 2-10 $10 plus shipping 11- 49 $8 plus shipping Send prepaid orders to Friends of Canadian Libraries, c/o Jami van Haaften, 1826 Marie Ave. Sudbury, Ontario P3E 2X8 Name: Address: E-mail contact:

A fundraising project of Friends of Canadian Libraries.