NEWSLETTER - Vinalhaven Public Library

NEWSLETTER
Volume 9 FRIENDS of the VINALHAVEN PUBLIC LIBRARY Fall 2008
The summer was filled with stimulating programming for Library patrons of all ages. These images bring to
mind some of what we learned about bugs of all sorts, Mediterranean cooking, China, Sweden, producing
documentaries, and mystery writing among other things. A limited number of books, all “signed” copies by
our summer 2008 authors, are available for purchase. Books available for holiday or special event giving
include mysteries: You Should Have Died On Monday by Frankie Y Bailey; I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer
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Fleming; The Body in The Gallery by Katherine Hall Page; and three cook books: Cucina del Sole,
Mediterranean Diet, and Essential Mediterranean all authored by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. Contact Pam Alley
at (207) 863-2530 or [email protected] if you are interested in obtaining one or more of these books.
The Friends of the Library Annual Meeting held mid-June was very well attended and among many
items was the election of new officers: Doug Hall as Chair and Cynthia Dyer as Vice-Chair, June
MacDonald as Treasurer, Heather Brunn as Assistant Treasurer, and Erin Creelman as Secretary. Erin
Creelman is also the new committee chair for membership. Along with past officers and other committee
members, these Friends help your organization meet the needs of the library and its patrons and have fun
in the process. Do think of joining the Friends at one or more of the monthly meetings or on a project
dear to your heart.
For those of you who do not know Doug Hall and Cynthia Dyer, let us introduce them.
Doug Hall has been a friend of the Vinalhaven Public Library since he was a youngster in 1934. At that
time Emma Winslow was the librarian. In fact Emma Winslow was the first librarian when the library
was opened in 1907. Doug remembers walking over from Brighton Avenue where his family was living
then. As one entered the library, on the right there was a low table and little chairs where young readers
assembled. He was an early and avid reader and every night ended with Doug’s mother reading aloud to
the children. Books came along on picnics to Smith’s Point. Hans Christian Anderson and Longfellow
were among his favorite early authors.
Cynthia Conway Dyer has always enjoyed books and the worlds opened by reading books. She has
enjoyed the library and what it had to offer her and others. Alice Gould was the first librarian she knew
there and Miss Gould ran a tight ship. Cynthia’s grandfather, Wendell Smith was a trustee of the library.
The library has been important to her and her family and now Cynthia sees an opportunity to serve the
Vinalhaven Public Library and the community it serves.
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Join us in the Friends Reading Room at the Library
on the 3rd Thursday of each month at 9 a. m.
WHAT ARE FRIENDS?
• The Friends of the Vinalhaven Public Library (FOL) is a non-profit group that provides
support for the Library. Through dues, gifts, fundraising, and special projects, we support
programming, resources, and services for Library patrons: children, young adults, and adults.
• We purchase books, magazines, media and meet special equipment needs—providing
assistance when identified by the Library staff.
• We pay for all the costs of Inter-Library Loan services.
• We support the “Books for Babies” project that encourages being read to and reading at the
earliest of ages.
• We promote public awareness of the Library and stimulate use of its resources and services
including the publication of a newsletter twice a year.
• We assist the Library Staff where needed and we staff our used bookstore on Main Street,
called Second Hand Prose.
• We work at keeping our Library looking great including the outside plantings.
Please consider end of the year giving as well as renewing your membership for 2009. Those
who are life members will have that indicated on the mailing label on the last page.
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There can be “lite” moments as the library’s staff service library patrons as seen here with librarian
Valerie Morton behind her assistant, Linda Whittington. You thought you were busy in July and
August with family and friends, visitors from near and far, well statistics illustrate what a busy time
it was at our library’s service desk. As reported by librarian Valerie Morton:
“It has been a busy summer for us, with the circulation for July and August coming in at just
under 5,000. While we have no way of knowing how many wireless users we’ve had during that
time our Public Access Computers have accommodated approximately 50 patrons per day, which
adds up to approximately 2,150 users in two months.” That figure does not include those people
using their personal laptop computers.
The library staff sincerely thanks the faithful volunteers whose hard work helped our library run
so smoothly during this time: Deb Azrael, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Marcia Davis, Bunny Sheppard,
Hannah Moody, Caroline Jordan, Hayden Woodyatt, Adrian Deschamps, Carly Giffin, Dave
Paterson, Courtney Oxton, and La Donna Readmond.
We also extend our thanks to Linnell Mather for providing the outside of the building with her
lovely potted arrangements. They nicely complement our perennial plantings.”
What programs and new acquisitions would you like to see at the library? Please let us know.
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Second Hand Prose by Ginny Fitts
We entered our 8th year in January, celebrating with an Open House for the community: muffins,
coffee, and good talk as wind and rain made walking Main Street a challenge! It was a slow
spring but we stayed open as always — six days a week. It was time to read, chat with friends and
make sure all books were unpacked, sorted, and priced. In a burst of enthusiasm, we ordered
three sets of metal shelves. As Memorial Day approached there was a “who knows” feeling
about summer sales. Gas prices were up. Vinalhaven made the Portland News with our
$4.50/gallon being the highest price in the state. Ferry tickets cost more — who knows!
Second Hand Prose answered with a banner summer. Was it due to our summer of fog where if
your business had a roof, you did well or were customers buying to sell on E-Bay? One thing we
were sure of was that we had good books. How do we thank everyone who dropped off books —
our summer friends who, after loading the car with children, bicycles, kayaks, and the pets still
had room to pack that box of current books for Prose or the Friends who mail us books before
Memorial Day so that we have new stock? Our sales are only as good as the books we have and
our customers say repeatedly that we have an excellent selection.
We also have an excellent group of volunteers. They are super sales persons! When not selling,
they are sorting and pricing in a space 19 inches wide on a counter only 6 feet long. When you
have upward of 200 books waiting to be priced things can get chaotic, but no — all is orderly and
fast. We know the book you can’t see is the one you can’t see. In the summer we try to change
our window display every day after we close out. It pays off. We hear so often: “I always look at
your window!” We also hear, “What don’t you sell on E-Bay?” For prose, no phone and no
computer works. We like dealing with each and every customer.
It is Fall now and again we are hearing, “Who knows.” At Second Hand Prose we finally had
time to pick up our new shelves on Labor Day. They are already filled and the lights are on from
10-3. Stop by and say “hello” and, BUY A BOOK!
Friends are Part of Collaborative Efforts by Sue Dempster
The Vinalhaven Public Library and the School have worked together in the past for events like
National Library Week, summer reading lists, and more recently the Maine Student Book Award
and the Chickadee Picture Book Award programs. The Friends of the Library have supported
these two statewide reading incentive programs by covering the cost of both sets of books for our
students. Without that continued support, Vinalhaven School Library would not be able to
participate in these wonderful programs.
This year, the Friends are also sponsoring the Bug Zoo, from the Maine Children’s Discovery
Museum in Bangor, to come to the school and present to our students this spring. The plan had
been for them to come in the fall, but due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control this has been
postponed until spring. The teachers and students are really looking forward to it!
Both libraries are working on an author/illustrator program that will have writers presenting their
work to both students and the community. The school received a grant from the Maine
Humanities Council to bring writers and illustrators with Maine connections to our school to do
workshops with students, and also do a community presentation. Linda Greenlaw is one of the
writers that we have invited to come and speak with both groups.
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Along with the Vinalhaven Historical Society, both libraries will be applying for a grant to the
Maine Historical Society for the Maine Community Heritage program. This will provide money
for the groups to inventory local historical and cultural resources, digitize historical documents,
photos and artifacts, and create a website within the Maine Memory Network site detailing our
local history. The goal is that students will learn more about their community’s history as well as
work collaboratively with the town library and the historical society and come to appreciate the
roles these vital organizations play in our town.
Coming Events Not to be missed!
Coming soon will be classic movie nights at the Vinalhaven Public
Library. Watch The Wind for details about these and other
winter/early spring Friends’ programming
An Update on the Friends by June McDonald
At the June 2008 business meeting, not only were new officers
elected and the 08/09 budget approved, but two changes where
made to our by-laws. First the group voted to add an Assistant
Treasurer to the Executive Committee with responsibilities to
work with the Treasurer and when the Treasurer was not
available to act in that role. The Executive Committee consists
of the FOL officers and chairs of all standing committees. The
second change to the by-laws was the establishment of a Finance
Committee.
The Finance Committee consists of FOL Treasurer as Chair, the
FOL Secretary to take minutes of all actions, the President of
FOL, the FOL Assistant Treasurer, and the FOL liaison to the
Board of Trustees. It will have general oversight of FOL funds
and the FOL endowment. FOL has been discussing the establishment of an endowment for
several years as income from special bequests and donations has been received requesting that the
monies be used for an endowment — to be available for future unforeseen Library needs.
The Finance Committee has since met to discuss its duties and procedures to be presented to the
October FOL meeting for approval. It has been proposed that the Committee shall meet a
minimum of one time a year in person. Additional meetings may be in person or via other means
of communication, e.g. video conferencing. Duties shall include: 1) preparation of an annual
budget to be present at the FOL annual business meeting for approval; 2) administration of the
endowment with an annual review of the past year’s interest income with a recommendation to
the Executive Committee on whether or not to spend it in any given year; 3) development of an
investment strategy for the endowment and 4) administration of bequests and major special
donations to the Endowment. The recommendation of expenditure of either the principal or the
interest of the Endowment requires a majority vote of the Finance Committee. The hope is that
once all work is completed on the Library, future fund raising can be for the Endowment.
New Friends of the Library Finance Committee includes: Treasurer, June MacDonald; Assistant
Treasurer Heather Bruns; Liason to the Library Trustees, Pam Alley; FOL Chair Doug Hall; and
Secretary Erin Creelman.
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Friends of the Vinalhaven Public Library
P.O. Box 223
Vinalhaven, ME 04863
www.vinalhavenpubliclibrary.org
e-mail address: [email protected]
Return Service Requested
Line drawings by Rhoda Boughton
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Be A Friend !
Friends of the Library
Officers/Committee Chairs
Chair
Doug Hall
Vice Chair
Cynthia Dyer
Treasurer
June MacDonald
Assistant Treasurerr
Heather Bruns
Secretary
Erin Creelman
NAME ________________________________________
ADDRESS____________________________________________________________
ZIP_________________
E-MAIL___________________
Second-Hand Prose
Ginny Fitts
Books for Babies:
Magaret Olson
Newsletter Editor
Jeannette Lasansky
Programs
Pam Alley & Barbara Kinder
Membership
Erin Creelman
Individual $10
Family $25
TELEPHONE_______________
Patron $50
Sponsor $100
Checks should be made payable to: Friends of the Vinalhaven Public Library and, along
with this form, sent to FOL P.O. Box 223, Vinalhaven, ME 04863
THANKS!
FOL is a 501(c)3 organization and gifts to it are tax deductible to the extent allowed by the law.
Also, I want to learn more about or volunteer for (please check off):
Ex Officio
Valerie Morton, Librarian
Linda Whittington, Assistant
LIASON
SAD 8 — Sue Dempster
Chamber of Commerce — Betsy Bates
CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING
SECOND-HAND PROSE
LIBRARY WEB SITE
BOOKS ON WHEELS
YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMMING
FUNDRAISING
MEND BOOKS
ADULT PROGRAMMING
LIBRARY VOLUNTEERING
NEWSLETTER MAILING
GARDENING AT LIBRARY
PUBLICITY
MEMBERSHIP
SHELVE BOOKS
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