CONTENTS

FRIENDS DAY AT THE ONTARIO LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
SUPER CONFERENCE – SAT. 5TH FEBRUARY, 2000
TORONTO CONVENTION CENTRE

ANOTHER GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR FRIENDS TO NETWORK,
SHARE IDEAS AND JUST HAVE FUN!!

SUGGESTED PROGRAM

9.a.m. – 10.15.a.m. – OPENING SESSION PANEL DISCUSSION: “AN UPDATE ON FUNDING AND GAMING” - with ROD LAVERY, SOUTHERN ONTARIO LIBRARY SERVICE, TINA TUCKER, FRIENDS OF THE THUNDER BAY PUBLIC LIBRARY – and representatives from the Ontario Gaming Commission and Trillium Foundation. The session will offer current status of provincial government policy and regulations relating to Foundations and Charities.  Convenor: Jami Van Haaften.

10.30.a.m. – 11.45.a.m. – Two Concurrent Sessions:
A) “RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BOOK SALE” – FRIENDS OF THE LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY – Presenters: Viola Poletes and Grand McKillop. Convenor: Hilary Bates Neary.
B) “FRIENDS AND RELATIONS” - featuring  “THE THREE CEO’S” - Caroline Hallsworth from Sudbury Public Library, Geoff Nie from Ajax Public Library and Robert Hubsher from Cornwall Public Library discussing their relationship with Friends Groups.

LUNCH – followed by “Round Table” discussions on such topics as membership, fundraising, challenges for rural libraries, definition of roles..you choose!!!.

PURCHASE ORDER FORM

PLEASE SHIP “THE 2000 BOOK LOVER’S CALENDAR”
“This Calendar recommends a different book each day”

 1 TO 10 COPIES OF CALENDAR       $6.50 EACH —————–
10 TO 25 COPIES OF CALENDAR      $6.25 EACH —————–
26 OR MORE COPIES                           $5.95 EACH —————–

Freight and taxes are extra.  Use your PST number if you plan to resell the calendars. THE CALENDARS HAVE A RETAIL
VALUE PRICE OF $12.95  GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFTS !!

Thos. Allen Publisher have given the Friends a special price.
.25 cents is donated to FOCAL on each calendar.

FAX YOUR ORDER TO 1-800-361-4416
OR CALL THE LIBRARY DEPOT AT 800-667-1252
Visit the web site for more information
And hundreds of products for your library
And gift shop
Www.lcsyourlibrarydepot.com
 

SHIP TO———————————————————————————————–

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Name:———————————————Phone:——————————————–

 
  WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

FRIENDS OF THE QUINTE WEST PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF THE LINDSAY PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF THE STRATFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF THE MADOC PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF THE LONDON PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF THE CENTRAL RESOURCE LIBRARY – WINDSOR
FRIENDS OF ST. CATHARINES PUBLIC LIBRARY

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

The Friends Day in Edmonton on Saturday, 24th June, 2000, will mark a change-over for a portion of the FOCAL EXECUTIVE.  Val Marshall will take the post of Past President, while Jami Van Haaften will succeed her as the next President.  Secretary, Ken Sparling,
although still keenly interested in Friends, has now moved to a new position at the Toronto Reference Library.  Ken was a member of our original Steering Committee and has worked hard with both FOCAL and the North York Friends to further the Friends movement. Treasurer, Tom Foulkes, has agreed to stay on for a further year.

Members in good standing, either as individuals or as a member of a Friends Group, are invited to put their name in nomination for the following positions:

VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY

Please make your applications by letter, fax or e-mail to President Val Marshall, FOCAL, 702 Harwood Ave. South, Ajax, Ont. L1S 3Y9. Fax: 905-428-8670
 email: vmtravel@baxter.net

DIRECTORS

WESTERN CANADA – Lea Teal – our great worker from B.C. is going on to new volunteer interests.  Our thanks to her for a job well done!  However, we do need a volunteer to represent Western Canada.

PRAIRIES  - Nicholas Spillios, now the past President of the Friends of the Edmonton Public
Library, is working hard on plans to host a Friends Day at CLA – 24th June, 2000.

CENTRAL CANADA:  Dianne Neitzel is bidding farewell to Friends in Nepean and moving to a smaller community.  Again, Dianne, has been very active in FOCAL since the first Friends Day in Ottawa.  Her last  great task before leaving the Executive was to initiate the “Friends of the Year Award”.
We welcome Margaret Main, who is joining Nancy Goodman, as our Representative.

ATLANTIC CANADA – Yvonne LeBlanc –

CLTA REP:  Gary Archibald      -   CAPL REP:  Sylvia Teasdale    CLA REP:  Michael Burris

WE WELCOME YOUR HELP….IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASSIST WITH
MEMBERSHIP, THE NEWS LETTER, PROGRAMS, EDUCATION, ETC…….
PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME FORWARD…...WE NEED HELP!!!!
 

FROM THE EDITOR  …..Friends are incredible!!  As I read the newsletters that arrive in the mail, I am continually amazed at the variety of fundraising ideas, advocacy  and programs that Friends initiate in their community.  From small towns to large cities, the Friends leadership is marching forward when it comes to the support of their libraries.

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. It certainly takes a lot of courage to be out there leading the community!  Oshawa Friends also worked hard and long with a flyer and phone blitz and succeeded in convincing their town council to up the budget by 20% !!!

One other great advance for Friends in Canada is that Friends Groups are gathering together...over 30 Friends gathered in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for a Friends of the Library Day in June, bringing seven active Friends groups together form Clare, Clark’s Harbour, Lockeport, Pubnico, Shelburne, Weymouth and Yarmouth with guests attending from Digby and Westport.  Out in Western Canada, the Fraser Valley Regional Friends are forming.  Not to be missed out, Bruce County Friends  in Ontario are holding their special day in September. Coping with amalgamation, Toronto Friends and Kingston and Frontenac Friends and striving to work out their most appropriate roles and relationships. This sharing and networking is creating not only energetic and more visible  friends groups, but also strengthening the library services across the country.

Todate, Friends of Canadian Libraries have organized Friends Days in conjunction with the Ontario Library Association Super Conference and with the Canadian Library Association’s Annual Conference.  In the future, it is hoped that we will be able to reach out across Canada.  Next June, when the CLA is held out West, Friends of The Edmonton Public Library will host a Canadian Friends Day.

Plan to attend Friends Day at the OLA in Toronto on 5th February, 2000.  Vice President, Jami and myself have been busy working on another exciting program helped as always by willing volunteers from the library field.  Registration forms will be in the next newsletter and also featured on our web page.

<www.friendsoflibraries.ca> is our amazing web site – Webmaster, Jami, is continually up-dating and adding information and links.  Our site is sponsored by SOUTHERN ONTARIO LIBRARY SERVICES and linked to all of our sponsors, plus many other great sites. Jim Mitchell of Packaging Alternatives has donated the great canvass book bags to FOCAL for all the past conferences.  Jim’s toll-free number is 1-800-807-7860.  George Watter of Watters Marketing donated the bookmarks – Fax George at 1-888-433-2237 or email him at <type@interlog.com> for prices on bookmarks or buttons.

Elaine Watkinson from Library Consulting Services – Your Library Depot continues to be a great  supporter of Canadian Friends.  She is donating over $400 to FOCAL, part of the proceeds of her booth at the Canadian Library Association.  By the way, the special award initiated by Elaine in memory of  her  father was presentred to Keith Sacre, who was a founding member of  the Friends of the Vancouver Library.

The support, help and comments are much appreciated both all the Executive of Friends.  Let’s keep
working to build a better library system in Canada…

Val Marshall, President

 FRIENDS NEWS FORUM.. A MILLENNIUM PROJECT FOR TORONTO FRIENDS – “A BOOK STORE IN THE TORONTO REFERENCE LIBRARY…The five Friends Groups in the amalgamated City of Toronto are meeting to explore their future relationship.  They all have similar goals but recognize that people prefer to support their own branches closer to home.

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 councillors 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.  (Read the whole story on the FOCAL WEB PAGE <friendsoflibraries.ca>)

YARMOUTH , NOVA SCOTIA, FRIENDS announce a “REGIONAL NEWSLETTER”.  Their June 99 First edition reported on their first ever Friends Day held at the Western Counties Headquarters in
Yarnmouth on 5th June.  25 Friends turned out to exchange ideas on future development, resources, expanding and revitalizing groups and the roles of the board, staff and friends.  Regional Library Director, Trudy Amirault gave the opening address.  Prior to a complimentary lunch, a panel discussion on promoting Friends was conducted with invited guests from the media and Paulette Sweeney-Goodwin, Public Relations Manager for Western Counties Regional Library.  Yes, they are going to repeat the day next year!!!  Send any contributions to Bryon Merrett <yarmouthfriends@goplay.com>

FRIENDS OF NEPEAN LIBRARY are eagerly anticipating their move into a much enlarged “Second Editions” Bookstore.  There will be more space for the merchandise and even a small corner for children to  play while their parents browse.. A special Friend, (also a member of the FOCAL Executive) Dianne
Neitzel was recognized at a special celebration of the Library Board, staff members and Friends.
 Dianne became a volunteer in January 1995 – she delivered books, worked in the book shop and
became a member of the Friends Board.  By 1996, Dianne was President.  She became a founding member of Friends of Canadian Libraries and helped set up a system of Awards for Friends Groups.  Thanks, Dianne, from all your Canadian Friends!!!

“FRIENDLY NOTES”, the newsletter of FRIENDS OF THE HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY included a letter to the Province of Ontario expressing great concern over the exclusion of Library Friends from funding through the Trillium Foundation……(We’ll get up-to-date news on this development at the Friends Day at OLA in February).  They also urge their Friends to write to their local Members of Parliament.
(This information will soon be on the Friends Website..or visit the Hamilton page <www.hpl.hamilton.on.ca/friends>

DUNDAS FRIENDS have printed up their own brochure – 1,000 copies – and are busy getting it into
Circulation…...For a copy email Jim Nicol at <NICOLJ@ch.etn.com>

ABBOTSFORD, BC. FRIENDS publish a very professional newsletter “The Book Binder”.  For the 7th Year in a row, they have sponsored a Bridge Tournament.  In May, eighty-eight Bridge Players competed for over four hundred dollars worth of prizes sponsored by local business.  Another of their traditions is a
“Pet Parade” at the town’s annual Berry Festival.  Children 12 years and under may enter with their pets and compete in such categories as “Trickiest pet”, “Fluffiest”, “Best Dressed” and “Most unusual”….Along with the usual book sales, these original events certainly put the “Fun into fundraising”...
 

“FRIENDS REGIONAL MEETING….Friends from Mission, Delta, Chilliwack and Abbotsford have started meeting together on a regular basis this year—first of all in February, then May and another meeting is planned for September.  “Friends” share ideas on fundraising and ways to promote their community
 libraries.  As well as exchanging newsletters they are also discussing bylaws and a mission statement for their new Regional Association. CONGRATULATIONS ON SUCH A GREAT INITIATIVE!!!!

According to the June issue of LibraryNet Monthly, the WINDSOR Friends and their partners in the
P.O.W.E.R SURFERS project won a “Best Practices ‘99” award.  The award recognizes Canadian public libraries for leadership in making innovative use of the Internet.  Their web site provides a directory of cancer information web sites developed in partnership with the Windsor Regional Cancer Society and Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital.  Friends provide Internet training for patients and their families. Visit the
LibraryNet website at <www.schoolnet.ca/ln-rb/e/Inmonth/index.html>

FRIENDS HELP KIDS “ROCK N’ READ” in a motivational reading program sponsored by OAKVILLE FRIENDS.  Last year, 3,800 children participated in the popular game and read a total of 30,000 books.  The 1999 reading game invited children to “Boogie on down to the Library., To rock and read with your family. We’ll hop and bop and jive and swing.  Come on down, do the reading thing”.   Their “Books for the Cottage” table at the end of June is part of the Oakville’s “Waterfront Festival”.

BETWEEN FRIENDS , the newsletter of the FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA, is made possible by sponsorship from BOWATER CORPORATION. 1999 marks the 5th Anniversary of the Friends.  Their main objectives are to support the activities of the National Archives of Canada to acquire, preserve and make available archival records of national significance and further to promote Canada’s archival heritage.  How have they done so far?  Well, they now have six hundred members!
(If you are in Ottawa, check out their “free” exhibitions at 395 Wellington Street.  “Treasured
Memories “is on view until 21st November, “Treaty 8:1988-1999 until December 31st, plus “Canada at Scale: Maps of our History” also on until the end of the year,,plus many more...Visit their web site at
<www.archives.ca/friends-amis>

ATIKOKAN IS CELEBRATING IT’S 100TH BIRTHDAY and ATIKOKAN FRIENDS are right there organizing Fund Raisers...Friends are also great advocates for their library service and on 26th May, they organized a march from the Library to the Township Office.  There was a need to show Town Council that Atikokanites feel very strongly that the library is a very important service for Atikokans to maintain.  Their Library CEO, Doris B. Brown says “it is difficult to see the benefits or dividends a public library provides for the community.  You can see and touch a town vehicle or a newly paved street.  Library service is less tangible.  Try to visualize a community without a library where freedom of information is not
accessible to all its citizens...The Friends March is laced in history and based on the civilized idea that all people are important.  Marching for public library services in a community, is a march for a healthy
community….”

FRIENDS OF THE WESTPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY raised $800 for last summer’s “YARD SALE” and the incredible amount of $2400 from a successful “HOUSE TOUR”….More fundraising events are in the offing.  (Ask Secretary/Treasurer., Virginia Campbell, about the events – RR#2, Westport, Ont. KOG 1XO.  Sounds as though it would be a good program topic!!!  Friends are always looking for new ideas!!!

 ORDER FORM FOR TRIVIA
(SEE ENCLOSED FLYER FOR DETAILS)
McCLELLAND & STEWART
HAS GIVEN FOCAL SUPPLIES AT A GREAT PRICE
THE RETAIL PRICE IS $39.95 PLUS TAX
FOR FRIENDS A 50% DISCOUNT
BUY THEM FOR YOUR LIBRARY PROGRAMS !!!
SELL THEM IN YOUR GIFT SHOPS !!
OR AT YOUR BOOK SALES!!
GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!
BUY FOR THE FRIENDS TRIVIA FUND-RAISING NIGHTS !!

PLEASE SHIP THE ALL CANADIAN TRIVIA BOARD GAME

ADULT GAME:  NUMBER OF GAMES ——————– AT $21.00

JUNIOR EDITION: NUMBER OF GAMES —————–  AT $21.00
PLUS SHIPPING

SHIP TO————————————————————————————————

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Name:———————————————–  Phone:——————————————

FAX YOUR ORDER TO VAL MARSHALL – 905-428-8670

 GREAT WEB SITES…..AND MORE
THE DISSEMINATOR – an Electronic newsletter from the Nova Scotia provincial Library is well worth the “free subscription”.  Send a message to listserv@nshpl.library.ns.ca and enter the following text in the body of the message: subscribe dissem-list yourfirstname yourlstname.  Comments or suggestions for THE DISSEMINATOR should be directed to Sara Underwood at underwsa@gov.ns.ca  The newsletter is also available on the Web <http://rs6000.nshpl.library.ns/probliv/disseminator/>  The May issue featured the new Nova Scotia Library Advocacy Video, the tulip Festival at Colchester-East Hants and much more great reading, Hot tips and Updates.

The Findlaw Guide <http:..www.findlaw.com> is a comprehensive guide to legal information that includes over 25,000 listings in 30 practice areas.

From Heather Graham in Winnipeg….Excerpts from The Canonical Librarian Web Page…<http://www.visi.com/~nathan/humor/canon/librarian.html> Few of the one-liners from this page are humorous, but most are thoughtful and would make good text or bookmarks or bulletin boards. (e.g. “You can’t remember what you never read”, “Books are silent teachers”)

 FRIENDS RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS

FRIENDS OF CANADIAN LIBRARIES NOW HAS RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP WITH

FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES USA – <http://www.folusa.com>
FRIENDS OF LIBRARIES AUSTRALIA – <http://home.vicnet.net.au/~fola>

WE’RE ALSO EXCHANGING NEWSLETTERS WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE
BRITISH LIBRARY – Visit their wenb site at <http://www.bl.uk>

FRIENDS OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The FRIENDS OF THE YEAR AWARD will be given at the Annual General Meeting, 24th June, 2000, in Edmonton, Alberta, to a Friends of the Library group for outstanding community and volunteer involvement.  All Friends’ groups who are members in good standing of FOCAL are eligible to enter.  The name of the sponsor and the amount of the prize will be announced to the membership through the newsletter and listserv, as soon as possible.

ENTRY RULES:

1) Applicants must be a Friend’s Group in good standing in FOCAL for the year 1999.
2) Entries will be judged on the Friends group’s initiative.  Consideration will be given to endeavours with library and library board joint activity but will not receive the maximum credits for the activity.  Applications will be judged on a number of items, such as: Community involvement, membership involvement, creative involvement of people, impact on membership, impact on services and innovation.
3) Applicants must submit a short, typed narrative (two pages or less) of activities completed during the calendar year.  The activity could be one specific project or a number of activities.
4) Provide any supporting materials such as press releases, media coverage and promotional material.
5) No material will be returned.  Entries and supporting materials become the property of FOCAL and may be used in FOCAL publications.
6) The Director of the library represented by the chosen Friends’ group must agree to use the sponsor’s prize money exclusively for book purchase from the sponsoring publisher. Book selection will be left to the discretion of the library.
7) Applications must be received no later than February 28, 2000.
Please sent entries to President of  FOCAL,  702 Harwood Ave. South, Ajax, Ont. L1S 3Y9.

FOCAL  AWARD APPLICATION
(please type)

Name of Friend’s Group———————————————————————————————

Contact Person———————————————————————————————————

Mailing Address——————————————————————————————————–

E-mail Address—————————————Telephone #—————————————————

Library Contact———————————————————————————————————

Mailing Address———————————————————————————————————

E-mail Address—————————————Telephone #—————————————————

Describe the activity or activities that you feel exemplify outstanding community or volunteer involvement and deserve the award.  Attach any pertinent supporting material. (.e. newspaper article, newsletter coverage, etc.)