FRIENDS of the ANACORTES LIBRARY
1210 10th Street Anacortes, WA 98221 360-293-1910
SUMMER 2019 NEWSLETTER
Friends of the Library (FoL) will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, and plans are underway to mark this milestone with a series of events at the library. Among the events scheduled for the week of October 20-26 are a historical exhibit, a quilt raffle; a performance by the Harmonaires, a women’s barbershop group; and a children’s skit by ACT theater students. (See Schedule of events below.)
The Friends is a not-for-profit, community-based organization that is dedicated to enhancing and improving the services offered to the public by the library. Its goal is to promote, raise funds, and advocate for the Anacortes Public Library as a key local institution. The Friends also provides a forum for discussion of library’s programs and needs and, importantly, supports the freedom to read as expressed in the American Library Association Bill of Rights.
Whenever you purchase a book from The Friends’ bookstore—or donate one—you are helping to support the many free library programs sponsored by the Friends and to improve library’s holdings. Since its founding in 1969, the FoL’s volunteers have raised close to a $1,000,000 through its bookstore, The Friendshop, (located in the lobby of the library) and through membership dues; bequests and memorial donations.
These monies supplement the City’s library budget by funding the purchase of books, magazines, equipment, and sponsoring adult and youth programs. A major beneficiary of the FoL’s support are the children’s library services and events. “The Friends of the Library are an important and essential partner in the library’s efforts to deliver quality service to the people in our community. Without the FoL’s consistent support we would not be able to offer the variety of resources to our adults and youth, but especially we would not be the leader we are in serving youth in our community, which includes many services to teens,” states Library Director Ruth Barefoot.
Events for 50th Anniversary Celebration for the Friends of the Anacortes Public Library:
Balloon Fun at the Library - Enjoy an afternoon of family fun with Bill “The Clown” Testerman and his balloons on Saturday September 7 at 3 o’clock by the playground on the east side of the library at 1220 10th St. Watch Bill as he twists and turns balloons into animals, flowers, headbands and a variety of other shapes. Maybe he can make a special one just for you! Bill will also teach the audience how to create his magical shapes. In case of rain, the show will take place in the library’s Community Room. Cupcakes will be served.
October 1 – 25th, Raffle tickets for a beautifully quilted wall hanging for a child’s room will be on sale from October 1 through October 25th in the lobby of the library. The quilt will be on display inside the entry door to the library. Mayor Laurie Gere will draw the winning ticket on October 26th at approximately 2:30 p.m.
October 26th, final events will be kicked off by the Harmonaires, a women’s barbershop group, who will be performing old-time favorites in the Library Lobby, starting at 2:00 p.m.
- At 2:30 p.m. the raffle winner will be announced in the Library Community Room by Mayor Laurie Gere.
- At 3:00 p.m. watch “Book Magic”, a children’s skit performed by ACT theatre students.
--Susan Rooks, Friends of the Library publicist and Jeane Smith, Corresponding Secretary
Volunteers are NEEDED TO HELP with the above events and in the FriendShop bookstore in the Library’s lobby. If you have an hour or so to share and like books, please contact Margaret Holland, the bookshop’s volunteer coordinator and scheduler, at (360) 588-4458. Those who would like to help out by taking a one-hour shift in the library’s lobby, helping to sell raffle tickets for the hand-crafted children’s quilt, please contact Jeane Smith at 360-421-4620. All proceeds that you will help us raise go towards purchasing books and other media for the library and for providing free library programs.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS:
Our membership has been growing over the last few months, and we are happy to welcome back many of our long term members who have been renewing their membership and interests with us throughout May and June of this year. We welcome one and all to our group, the only qualification being that you love and support the Anacortes Public Library as much as we all do. On the last page of this newsletter is a membership form, which covers the 2019 calendar year. As a member, you receive this newsletter and as a member who also has donated additional funds throughout the year, you also should have (or possibly will in the future) received a coupon for a free library book bag, redeemable at the FriendShop store. These are part of our efforts to honor and acknowledge all members who have worked with us over the years to help support the library and its programs. If you have a neighbor or friend who is not a member but cares about and uses the library, then, please share this membership form with them – and let us welcome more of you into the Friends. We are looking forward to the next several years and invite all of you to join us in celebrating the last 50 years spent in helping our community’s library. Come in October to share the fun, the stories and the history of our group.
--Linda Falken, Vice President and Membership Chair
Friends’ Meetings in 2019:
Our group meets the second Thursday of each month, September through June, at 2:00 p.m. in the Library’s Community Room. We will also be meeting on July 11th this year as we are reviewing proposed changes to our bylaws. These revisions will be posted on the Friends’ website in the coming months, and hopefully approved by the membership at our annual meeting in November 2019. Stay posted for those changes.
Dates for future meetings in 2019: Aug. 8th (an optional special meeting, notices will be posted in the FriendShop and on the website), Sept. 10th, October 10th, Nov. 14th (annual meeting, with election of officers and consideration of proposed bylaw changes, review of 2020 proposed budget items) and Dec. 12th (discussion of projects for 2020)
From the Library Staff:
ASK AN EXPERT: JEFF VOGEL STOCKS THE SHELVES WITH WINNERS
The library’s Collection Development policy, maintained and updated by trained librarians and approved and revised by Library Board members over the years, includes a section called deselection, a process for removing materials from the library collection. Ever since the Anacortes Public Library opened in 1911, there’s been a process in place to remove items that may no longer serve the community’s needs to make room for new purchases. The process is both logical, in that we look at numbers, and thoughtful, in that we take the time to review every book to assess items for relevance before they are removed from the collection. We look at how many times the item has been checked out, how long it’s been since the item was last checked out, if the content of the book is dated and something more current is needed, and whether or not the book has historical or local relevance. We look at its authoritativeness, whether it is part of a series, whether it’s a duplicate copy of a now low demand item, etc.
It’s an ongoing and crucial process to keep the library’s collection relevant to the community’s needs. This is how the library makes space for the constant influx of new materials requested by library users every day. Many of the books that are deselected go to the Library FriendShop for a second life, and that money is then used to purchase new materials.
It’s one of the many ways the volunteer operated FriendShop supports the library. If you don’t mind a few library labels on your book, purchasing a library discard will get you a nicely covered book that will serve you well. I’d just like to add that the library is not reducing its collection or getting rid of classics. We have well over 100,000 books, and that number has stayed the same since the library opened, even as we deselect and purchase all the time. Our shelves are full. Electronic resources supplement our print resources, and in 2018 228,632 physical items were checked out of the library, and 33,376 Electronic titles were downloaded. Classic titles will remain in the library, but not everything that is considered a classic will necessarily be instantly accessible. Sometimes we need to resort to electronic services or interlibrary loan to fulfill requests. We welcome your requests. Please ask – we can likely get it for you.
Art at the Room: Summer Art Exhibit at the Library
The Friends of the Anacortes Library Art Committee presents an exhibit of artworks by local artists, to be held in the Friends Community Meeting Room. All artworks are for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the Friends of the Library. Public viewing hours are from 1 to 2 p.m., on Wednesdays: July 3 & 17, August 7 & 21; and on Saturdays: July 13 & 27, August 10 & 24. Or you may view the exhibit during any public event in the meeting room, July through August. Local art will be for sale in the Community Room until August 28th. The next exhibit will go up in January 2020.
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HISTORY IN THE ROOM:
During the month of September and October, the Friends will be offering in the Library Community Room a visual display of photos and documents which demonstrate our activities (and remembers some of our early supporters) over the last 50 years of our organization. We were officially registered with the Washington Secretary of State’s office in October of 1969. Since then we have witnessed the library’s relocation from the original Carnegie building (now the Anacortes Historical Museum) to the former hospital building and from there to the basement of the Civic Building during the time that the current library building was being constructed. And we have provided the volunteers (and muscle) to help in moving books between those locations, as well as raised money in various ways to support the library’s purchase of materials, its children’s’ programs, and its first online card catalog. If you are visiting the library, come by the Community Room to take in the display – and share our long history of public support for the Anacortes Public Library.
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TREASURERS REPORT, July 2019:
At the end of the first half of the year, the FriendShop has grossed $11,500. We have received $1,567.00 in regular dues and donations as well. Unfortunately this total is 25% below where we were at this time last year. It has been suggested that, since the city was proposing to spend such a large amount of money on redesigning the inside of the library, donations to the Friends were not needed. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The money for the redesign is reserved for that purpose and is provided through a partnership of the City, the Foundation and private donors. At the same time, the Library’s books and materials budget has not grown, and the Friends remain committed to providing the Library with the same level of support as we have in the past for programs and materials. If this shortfall trend continues, we will have to reduce next years’ budget by $10,000.00. This includes books and children’s programs. Please help by donating directly or by supporting the FriendShop’s efforts to sell used books to raise money for our programs.
--Brian Tibbetts, Treasurer, Friends of the Anacortes Public Library
AUGUST SPECIAL BOOK SALE/THE FRIENDSHOP BOOKSTORE:
The Anacortes FriendShop is a fun place to meet people, rub shoulders with your favorite authors and show your appreciation for the Anacortes Library. The FriendShop is staffed by volunteers who like people and books and know how to make Friends. To find out more contact Margaret at (360) 588-4458 or stop by the FriendShop. We can always use another set of helping hands, and appreciate anyone who wants to share his/her love of books and reading with others. A big Thank you also, to all of our volunteers, for all that you have done for us in the past.
!!!! SPECIAL ONE-DAY BOOK SALE ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 3rd !!!!
We have a lot of books to sell this summer and are moving our act outdoors on the 3th of August. Come check out the tables by the library’s main entrance, from 11 to 3 on this Saturday. We will be featuring hardbacks and paperbacks for our usual prices, and will also be having a “take a bag home sale” all day. From 11 to 2, the price for a paper grocery bag for books will be $5.00. From 2 to 3 p.m. we will be dropping that price to $3.00 per bag. We seriously need to get rid of a lot of inventory and welcome everyone to drop by and stock up on their summer reading!
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CHECK OUT OUR WEBPAGE!
The Friends are working on updating both of our web sites, both the one provided through a link to the Library’s web pages, and the one that an ambitious volunteer helped us to establish a few years ago. We want to thank the various city IT staff who have helped us with the city-sponsored web site. But we want to provide a deeply appreciated shout out to Andrew Griffin, a former volunteer who has since relocated outside of the Anacortes area. Andrew worked with the Friends’ Executive Board and with retired bookshop manager Beverly Reed to set up a separate website a few years back, that featured the FriendShop’s services. Now that particular website (web address is below) has been updated to also provide Friends’ members with current information about our group, our meetings and our programs. We are currently posting recent newsletters there, as well as meeting agendas and minutes, and membership forms for those of you who are new to our group. Go to: https://anacortesfriendshop.weebly.com (for current information on the Friends and their activities)
************ MEMBERSHIP/DONATION FORM ************
Yes! I would like to support our library by joining the Friends of the Anacortes Public Library.
Name ______________________________________________________________________________
Phone ______________________________ E-Mail Address (optional) _______________________
Mailing Address ______________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________
Memberships run from January to December. Dues are $10.00. Your dues or donations are tax-deductible.
Annual Dues ($10.00) _______ Donation ______________________
______I want to volunteer. Please send me more information about (circle your interest):
______meetings
______volunteering at the FriendShop
______serving on the FOAL Executive Board
______current committees and projects.
THANK YOU!
Send to: Friends of the Anacortes Public Library 1220 10th St. Anacortes, WA 98221