Newsletter Update August 2020
Friends of the Anacortes Public Library
Special update: August, 2020
A Message from the President: Greetings to our members! The Board has decided to provide these special updates as a way of keeping in frequent touch with our members beyond our quarterly newsletters. You will notice that we are sending updates by email to many of our members, which reduces the considerable expense of snail mail. You also will find our updates on our website at https://www.friendsoftheanacorteslibrary.org/ If you are currently receiving a hard copy of the updates, please consider sharing your email with us as a way for the FOL to contain costs so we will have more money to give to the Library.
Linda Falken, President, FOL
A New Appointment: Congratulations to Jeff Vogel on his appointment as the new Anacortes Public Library Director! Jeff has been with the APL for 13 years, and during that time he has demonstrated a strong collaborative approach to working with the FOL. We look forward to continuing this strong relationship under his competent leadership.
Many Thanks: The FOL Board is pleased to report that recent donations plus responses to the fund-raising letter sent to FOL members have netted over $10,000! These funds will help to make up over a third of our usual FriendShop revenues, which have been lost because of the book store’s closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A big thank you to all our generous donor-members! Your help supports the Library’s purchase of new books and the many online programs created by Library staff.
Library Director Jeff Vogel reports, “The library’s book budget has been suspended due to the current situation, so the Friends support is more crucial than ever. Normally, income from the Friends accounts for about 30% of the library’s overall book budget, but right now it is a 100%. We would not be able to buy any new books without the Friends, but it is a finite resource because the bookshop isn’t bringing in new revenue. We really appreciate your ongoing support of the Friends!”
Can You Help? A second fund-raising letter is in the works to be sent to Anacortes community members. Like the letter that was sent to FOL members, this one also will contain a color-your-own bookmark thanks to Board member Megan Taylor. On the back of the bookmark, find out how valuable your local library is to you by using the calculator, developed by the Massachusetts Library Association. If you know of someone you think would like to donate, please contact Megan at megantaylor200@gmail.com
Fund-raising Ideas: The Board also is looking for ways to raise additional funds for the library as the City has had to cut budgets across all departments. Do you, our FOL members, have suggestions for how we might raise additional funds? What would you like the FOL to try? For example, should we try to hold an outdoor book sale where we could wear masks and have social distancing? What about on online auction? We welcome your ideas! Contact Linda at lfalken@whidbey.com or at 360 293 7213.
Special update: August, 2020
A Message from the President: Greetings to our members! The Board has decided to provide these special updates as a way of keeping in frequent touch with our members beyond our quarterly newsletters. You will notice that we are sending updates by email to many of our members, which reduces the considerable expense of snail mail. You also will find our updates on our website at https://www.friendsoftheanacorteslibrary.org/ If you are currently receiving a hard copy of the updates, please consider sharing your email with us as a way for the FOL to contain costs so we will have more money to give to the Library.
Linda Falken, President, FOL
A New Appointment: Congratulations to Jeff Vogel on his appointment as the new Anacortes Public Library Director! Jeff has been with the APL for 13 years, and during that time he has demonstrated a strong collaborative approach to working with the FOL. We look forward to continuing this strong relationship under his competent leadership.
Many Thanks: The FOL Board is pleased to report that recent donations plus responses to the fund-raising letter sent to FOL members have netted over $10,000! These funds will help to make up over a third of our usual FriendShop revenues, which have been lost because of the book store’s closure as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A big thank you to all our generous donor-members! Your help supports the Library’s purchase of new books and the many online programs created by Library staff.
Library Director Jeff Vogel reports, “The library’s book budget has been suspended due to the current situation, so the Friends support is more crucial than ever. Normally, income from the Friends accounts for about 30% of the library’s overall book budget, but right now it is a 100%. We would not be able to buy any new books without the Friends, but it is a finite resource because the bookshop isn’t bringing in new revenue. We really appreciate your ongoing support of the Friends!”
Can You Help? A second fund-raising letter is in the works to be sent to Anacortes community members. Like the letter that was sent to FOL members, this one also will contain a color-your-own bookmark thanks to Board member Megan Taylor. On the back of the bookmark, find out how valuable your local library is to you by using the calculator, developed by the Massachusetts Library Association. If you know of someone you think would like to donate, please contact Megan at megantaylor200@gmail.com
Fund-raising Ideas: The Board also is looking for ways to raise additional funds for the library as the City has had to cut budgets across all departments. Do you, our FOL members, have suggestions for how we might raise additional funds? What would you like the FOL to try? For example, should we try to hold an outdoor book sale where we could wear masks and have social distancing? What about on online auction? We welcome your ideas! Contact Linda at lfalken@whidbey.com or at 360 293 7213.