FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES
Volume 1, Issue 2: February 1997
OLA - time to get going
Pencil Club
Friend's Day at CLA
Changes to the Library Act in Ontario
The interest and excitement are growing. More and more Friends Groups in Ontario are being identified or asking for help to get started. Looking forward to joining the FRIENDS OF THE NORTH YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY on Thursday, 6th February, 6:30pm at the North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St. (416) 395-5428. A great time to exchange ideas, mingle, and chat with many other Friends groups.
THE ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONVENTION in Toronto at the Metro Convention Centre will also give Friends Groups the oppurtunity to get together. Watch for a bulletin on the notice board regarding the FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ONTARIO meeting on Saturday, 8th February, 12 noon - 1:30pm. All Friends groups - or would be groups - are invited to participate. Help is needed to start our Provincial Organization and prepare the way for the exchange of ideas, help with the formation of groups, by-laws, constitutions, programs, fundraising, education, and advocacy information.
THE SOUTHERN ONTARIO LIBRARY SERVICES and ONTARIO LIBRARY SERVICE-NORTH are attempting to compile a Directory of Friends of the library organizations which will be mounted ont he SOLS/OLS-N Web site. For further information call Terry Sarazen at SOLS - 1-800-267-2758 X 830 or Fax: (613) 742-0712 or email tsarazen@sols.on.ca. 1900 City Park Drive, Suite 210, Gloucester, ON. K1J 1A3.
AJAX PUBLIC LIBRARY is also listing Friends Groups in Ontario on the Friends web site at http://home.ican.net/~ajaxlib/friends.htm.
Pencil Club Writes off 'Soulless' Computer World
There are major potholes on the information highway. That's the message from members of the Lead Pencil Club, a 1,200-strong group who believe the computer is either on the way out, or it should be.
Henderson founded the Lead Pencil club in 1994 with his tongue in his cheek. After an item appeared about the club in his local newspaper, he immediately received eight long letters written in lead pencil from would-be members.
He's even written a book, "Minutes of the Lead Pencil Club"> (Pushcart Press, $30.95) [Toronto Star; 13 Aug, 1996]
Friday, 20th June, 1997 will be a special FRIENDS Day at the Canadian Library Association Conference to be held in Ottawa. The Canadian Library Trustees Association and the Canadian Association of Public Libraries are co-sponsoring a series of four sessions devoted exclusively to "Friends of the Library" issues. This is a first for a CLA conference. The themes of fundraising and community network building are all very relevant.
Speakers will include Don Mills, CEO, Mississauga Public Library, Judy Taylor, Vice Chair, Vancouver Public Library Board, Leah Moore, Pas President, Friends of Nepean Public Library, Sandy Dolnick, Executive Director, FOLUSA, John Good, Parks Canada, Jocelyne Daw, Executive Director, Canadian Parks Partnership, John Baird, MPP Nepean, Senator Raynell Andreychuk and Tom Foulkes, Trustee, Nepean Library Board.
The all-day sessions will address such topics as fundraising and advocacy and the speakers will share their experiences with respect to roles and responsibilities as well as structures, activities, and goals.
The "working lunch" will feature a brainstorming session to examine the options for Friends' organizations in Canada, while the final session will look at the political landscape, a vision of the future and propose an action plan.
A Hospitality suite, sponsored by the Nepean Public Library Board and the Ottawa Public Library board will be available on Thursday and Friday so that Trustees and Friends can have a chance to discuss issues in a more informal manner.
Mailings will go out shortly to public libraries across Canada encouraging financial support of Friends to attend the Conference.
The proposed changes to the Library Act with the transfer of both funding and control to the local municipality will have great implications to library supporters.
It is both an oppurtunity and a challenge to friends groups to make sure that their elected Municipal Politicians realise both the benefit and the potential of their local library service. 1997 IS ELECTION YEAR!