FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES 

CONTENTS

Friends of Canadian Libraries is embarking on strategic planning in order to:

• Effectively serve the current and future needs of member Friends groups
• Effectively use the budget to match resources to needs
• Identify future tasks and set priorities
• Understand possible future trends and how they will affect FOCAL

http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/reg-planning.htm

Val Marshall – Ajax
Jami van Haaften - Sudbury
Heather Graham – Winnipeg
Nicholas Spillios - Edmonton
Lois Magahay - Lindsay
Jim Nicol - Dundas/Hamilton
Rick Walker - Winnipeg
Pat Jobb – Edmonton Public Library
Peggy Hiscock - Pictou-Antigonish
Dorothy Macnaughton - Sault Ste. Marie
Jocelyn MacNiel - Vancouver
Gillian Keir - St. Albert
 

Dec. 2003 - complete SWOT Winter 2004 - complete mission
Winter 2004 - complete vision Jan. 31, 2004 – OLA session
Spring 2004 – draft document June 2004 – ClA - final approval

SWOT, short for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, is a systematic means of conducting an assessment of the environment or situation in which FOCAL finds itself.

Strengths and weaknesses measure internal successes and gaps in meeting the service demands of FOCAL members and the community. Opportunities and threats name the external social, economic and technological trends exerting influence on FOCAL. These have been submitted and collated and Steering Committee members voted on the top three in each category.

Preliminary results are reported in the chart below. A full and dynamically changing list can be found online at http://www.friendsoflibraries.ca/SWOT-feedback.htm.

Our undefeated champion remains Wolseley Saskatchewan. Congratulations readers in Wolseley, and all those readers in other communities who completed their assigned reading!

By all reports the 2003 book was a "challenge", and a number of groups quietly withdrew from the Chesley Challenge as the 2003 tally was due to be reported.

Wolseley serves a population of 850, and 31 readers reported reading Next Episode, by Hubert Aquin.

Wolseley (Saskatchewan)                                         31             1^st             1^st                       850
Leader Chinook Regional Library  (Saskatchewan)     9              2^nd                                       914
Chesley (Ontario)                                                     24             3^rd             2^nd                    2800
Tisdale Community Library  (Saskatchewan)             14             4^th                                      3,063
Tweed Public Library (Ontario)                                 17             5^th                                     5,600
Belleville Public Library (Ontario)                               11             6^th                                   47,000
Windsor Public Library (Ontario)                                25             7^th                                 208,402 
Orillia Public Library (Ontario)                                     7              8^th                                   30,000

Register now for the 2004 Challenge

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

Results from the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP) offer some interesting information about charitable giving and volunteering.

The top three categories of organizations receiving charitable contributions included religious (49%), health care (20%) and social service organizations (10%). Friends groups would fall within the 7% of philanthropy and voluntarism organizations receiving donations. This category includes organizations such as foundations, support and service organizations, as well as fundraising organizations.

Direct financial contributions in Canada were 11% higher than the figures reported in 1997. While 78% of Canadians made financial donations, it was reported 3% made donations in the form of bequests, 52% of the population donated food, and 63% donated clothing or goods.

Regional variances:

• Highest donor rate: Nova Scotia (87%)
• Highest average annual donation: Manitoba ($383)
• Highest volunteering rate: Saskatchewan (47%)
• Highest average volunteer hours: British Columbia (169 hours).
• Lowest donor rate: Québec and British Columbia, 74%
• Lowest average annual donation: Québec, $117
• Lowest volunteering rate: Québec, 22%,
• Lowest average volunteer hours: Prince Edward Island, 127 hours

The national survey also demonstrated that much in terms of charitable giving and volunteerism comes from a smaller number of people. In reporting the number of donations and the size of the donation, it was found close to half (47%) of the total dollar value of all donations comes from just 5% of donors. Similarly close to one-third (32%) of all volunteer hours were contributed by five percent of volunteers.

For a full report on the survey results visit http://www.givingandvolunteering.ca/

Friends groups maintaining membership lists and databases should be aware of Canada’s federal privacy law that, as of January 1, 2004 will apply to all personal information collected, used and disclosed by organizations.

Ten principles in the code for the protection of personal information are: accountability, identifying purposes, consent, limiting collection, limiting use, disclosure; and retention, accuracy, safeguards,

openness, individual access and challenging compliance.

Friends groups collecting personal information such as addresses and phone numbers for the purpose of a membership list must ensure the security of those records, and develop and implement personal information policies and practices. For more details see http://www.privcom.gc.ca/fs-fi/index_e.asp

Education/work experience

• Newly retired TPL librarian
• Former accounting experience put to use as treasurer and Book sale co-ordinator
• Librarian (retired) with background working and volunteering in libraries
• Engineer (retired) signed book store; now stock room manager
• Fund-raising capabilities (i.e. professional fund-raising management)
• Business background in retail sector taught me Administrative expertise (in healthcare field)
• Librarian from Brazil living in Canada for past two years ex-teacher librarian has familiarity with children's books
• Building relationship with board and community
• Voluntary sign in for a networking list where we can put our names, location and e-mail

Skills/Talents

• Learned computer skills to be able to publish newsletter and posters
• Information technology/web
• Editing skills - we publish books as fund-raisers and also hold creative writing workshops
• Promotion skills
• Technology for newsletter, designs etc.
• Computer skills; word-processing
• Getting publicity
• Marketing
• Retail - how to approach, motivate and involve those needed to assist with our campaign
• Expertise from membership on many board and sub-committees over many years
• Photography
• Writing
• Graphic Arts

• Committed to public libraries and free access
• A commitment to ensure our group moves forward
• Know people who might be a speaker or who might donate $
• Community contacts
• Government: provincial & local expertise
• Contacts, resources

Other

• Energy

• Enthusiastic creativity
• Leads on ideas for fund-raising
• Prefer behind-the-scenes contributor
• CEO brings to the Friends assistance and support - office, computer, space, publicity
• Positive attitude
• Younger member- fresh approach and new energy
• Do physical jobs - cleaning - book sale
• energy

Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor James Bartleman is launching the Lieutenant Governor's Book Program to supply the 52 schools serving First Nations in Ontario's far north with much needed books. Any used book in good condition will be accepted until 6 February at any OPP detachment, 24 hours a day. The first phase of this program will deliver books to those communities served by ice-roads. Contact: Geoffrey Little, Office of the Lieutenant Governor (www.lt.gov.on.ca website; ltgov@gov.on.ca email)

Québec
Friends of the Westmount Public Library

Saskatchewan
Friends of the Saskatoon Public Library

Southern Ontario Library Services (SOLS) website has been redesigned to include a new page on Friends of the Library.

To access this page, go to SOLS web site, http://www.sols.org/, and click on Librarians' Library of Links and then on Friends of the Library or go directly to the page itself: http://www.sols.org/Friends/index.htm.

Highlights on the new Friends page include links to a summary of the results from SOLS 2002 online survey, Survey of Library Friends Groups in Ontario and a PowerPoint presentation, Friends of the Future: Strategic Planning for Friends Groups, presented by SOLS at the 2003 Ontario Library Association
Super conference.

Ontario Library Service - North is planning a Friends session as part of their annual meeting in Sudbury, May 5-6, 2004.

More details will be forthcoming, and a special notice will be mailed by FOCAL to members in Northeastern Ontario. FOCAL President Jami van Haaften will be a member of the panel of presenters during a 90 minute session.

As a lover of libraries, volunteering is its own reward. Altruism is surely the greatest motivator. However, it is important that the library, as well as the Friends organization, recognizes the effort of the volunteers. Recognition shouldn’t have to cost a lot, after all, volunteers are raising money for the library, not a party. However, with a little ingenuity, a little recognition goes a long way.

• Annual (high) tea or potluck dinner to honour volunteers. May be put on by the Friends group or the Library
• Column in local newspaper saying thanks to volunteers
• Personal ‘thank you’s’ to helpers at events are important
• Friends at VPL has volunteer award program: two years (leather bookmarks), three years (bookplate in new library books), five years (pins), volunteer of the year (pin), given out annually at its AGM and a special lifetime membership (scroll).

• Link on website.
• Wine and cheese event.
• Luncheon at the AGM. Used to be a dinner but time changed to suit group.
• One group uses napkins at library and Friends’ events printed with Friends of the Library logo.
• Sign board in the library for posting Friends’ notices.
• Plates to newborns in the community
• Kindergarten evening at Squamish.
• One Friends’ group applied to Starbucks’ literacy program and received $10,000 toward the local program.
• ‘Riot of Reading’ event in Mission – put out bookmark
• Coverage in local newspaper.
• Decorating a Christmas tree in a local contest – theme was ‘reading through the ages’.
• Display a plaque in library recognizing the Friends.
• Richmond Friends gives a portion of money raised to the Vancouver Foundation.

• Large amount of money raised to spend on specific projects e.g. renovation to or building of new libraries. Campaign managed by Friends or Library Board.

• Organizations formed to raise a set amount of capital, usually a significant sum. Only the interest from the capital is used.

Meeting adjourned at 12.30.

What are the features of the perfect project for Friends groups? It is not possible to include all the factors when choosing a project, but the following should be taken into consideration:

• Does this project actually help the library? Does the library staff want us to do it?
• Does this project make sense for the available volunteers (i.e. car rally might raise funds for the VPL. But would our members be interested in such an event?)
• Would this project increase awareness of Friends/the library and/or result in new members?

Do we have volunteers ready and willing to take on this project?

• Important to dispose of surplus in a sensitive manner. Possible donation to third world countries, local groups such as Care Homes, Seamen’s Club, or at least to recycling.
• Storage space is a big issue for book sales.
• Cloth book bag sale – at book sale, bags sell for $15 (normally priced a $10 and can be filled in the last hour of the sale.
• Pre Sale events – books are selected for good quality. Sold for $2. Sign on display advertising upcoming book sale.

• Gift Store – some Friends groups have shelves in the library for displaying bags, cards, coffee mugs for sale. Other gift merchandise are sold by the library itself. Friends of VPL operates a gift store at the Central library.
• Home Baking Sales – usually have a pretty good return.
• Short story contest – Friends puts up the money and collects a fee from the children participating.
• Festival of the Arts
• Food for the Soul – samples
• Dessert auction
• Mystery Night Event at the library
• Xmas tree- lease to companies to decorate, draw for best
• Antique Road show – entry fee covers appraisal by expert
• Quilt raffle – check with BC Gaming Office re: licence
• Retired Employee Grant – can apply for match
• Matching Grants
• Travelling puppet show
• Book Ball at VPL – invitations are sent out inviting recipients to ‘Stay at Home and Read a Book’ on a particular evening and send what they would have spent to go to a ball to the Friends as a tax free donation.
• One library ‘sold’ library shelves – in this case money was raised toward purchasing specific hardware for the library.

Planning is well underway for our annual Friend’s Day and Annual General Meeting. This year there are some new features

• Poster – contribute your stories and pictures to help us showcase our accomplishments as a valued partner in the library community Friends on a Mission @ Your Library
• Sharing of Ideas workshop – plan to join us

• Annual General Meeting – Members unable to join us in Victoria will be able to dial in and participate via teleconference

The Canadian Library Association conference theme this year is Celebrating Our Community: Sharing Our Values and Sharing our Value. Friends of Libraries are a recognized and valued partner in the library community, sharing the vision, values and strategic directions of the library they serve. This poster will provide an opportunity to showcase particular accomplishments and reveal our new Strategic Plan.

Send us your stories and pictures which reflect our roles as advocates, volunteers and fundraisers. We aim to demonstrate the role of Friends in the library community, how our mission, values and strategic goals and objectives blend which those of the libraries we support, and how Friends locally and nationally can make a difference.