Friends of the Library Newsletter February 2011

FOHL Newsletter February 2011

AGM – March 15, 10am at Levin Library

Hi Members

March is fast approaching which brings the date of our AGM closer, see above. I do hope many of you will be able to make it.

During the last few years we have been raising money for the new library project and to help with buying material for the Horowhenua Libraries. Each year we try to give the Head of libraries $10,000.

This money has gone towards the Large Print collection, to purchasing DVD’s, security cases for DVD’s, display racks and banners and to help with many other small expenses incurred in the day to day running of the libraries. This money goes to the Horowhenua Libraries over and above the money from the Horowhenua Library Trust.

In addition we have been investing money for the new Library project – Te Takere. Currently we have over $42,500 invested and earning interest, and over $1,500 in our current account. The FOHL’s income comes from book sales, our fund raising events, and of course the generous donations Friends make.

At the recent committee meeting we decided to apportion our income, designating income from book sales to the libraries for current expenses not fully met by the Trust monies, and other income towards the Te Takere fund.

Our full financial report for the year will be presented at the AGM. If you wish to comment on this policy, or on any other aspect of the Friends activities please let Aileen Kopke know, so that we can put your issues on the agenda.

Nominations for the six general committee members are open, as are any nominations for office holders. Some existing committee members are standing down – Lorraine McArthur, Clyde Dawson, Trish Fargher are leaving after many years of service to the committee and organisation. I am standing down from the chairperson’s position. Barbara Easterbrook has accepted a nomination to stand for this position. To date nominations are:

Chair Barbara Easterbrook

Secretary Aileen Kopke 368 6874 kopke@xtra.co.nz

Treasurer Cath Bennet

Immediate past chair Dianne Edyvane

Committee Rosalie Blake

Helen Harrison

Ainslie McDonald

Rita King

Marlene Wallace

Co-opted committee members Andrea Hansen and Bronwyn Dungan will not be able to help this year, but Jan Jordan will continue to manage the data base.

Dianne Edyvane

BRANCH NEWS

LEVIN: The holiday programme went exceptionally well with 95% completion rate. The Council was impressed with feedback that was received. Congratulations to Wendy Fraser the children’s librarian.

TOKOMARU: Decisions on the future of this tiny library will be made this year.

SHANNON: The Colour Therapy Exhibition (which runs until 22 April) has been a popular summer event. Visitor numbers to the library continue to rise.

FOXTON: ESOL classes are being held in the back room. The ESOL group are making a small donation to the Foxton Library to go towards the much needed park bench. The news of the break-in and theft of three of the very new computers has been devastating. These

were available for use to members of the community and used by all age groups giving free Internet access. Two older computers have been brought up from Levin as a temporary replacement. The old Clyde St building has been a concern for some time, but there is only so much you can do to secure such old premises.

The stolen computers are an easily recognizable Red and Black Dell Vostro all-in-one built into the screen type. The red part is on the back of the screen – with the stand.

EVENTS

You are invited to come along to Levin library at 2pm on Wednesday 23 February to meet Bill Lennox, the author of After Andrew.

It took Andrew Lennox twenty-two weeks to ride a horse from Adelaide to Darwin. It was 1899 and the only track followed the overland telegraph. A year later he rode back on a bicycle. Actually, he walked beside it quite a lot. A “self-appointed missionary”, Andrew struggled on for five years among crocodiles, snakes and buffalo hunters near the South Alligator River, in Kakadu National Park. 109 years later, Andrew’s grandson rented a Commodore and did the trip a bit faster. He went to most of the places Andrew described in his diary and tracked down the Aboriginal family t hat now occupies the site of Andrew’s mission.

We are hosting Bill who will be telling us a little about his grandfather and his own trip across Australia.

Light refreshments will be served. Everyone is welcome.

Rachel Dawick is a folksinger and song writer currently touring the country. She will be performing for us on be Tuesday 19 April. The time for the performance is not yet finalised. The purpose of the tour is to collect stories of women in NZ in the 1800's with a view to using the material for an album of songs on her next CD. So anyone with stories of their ancestors...? Look out for the posters in the library, or ring Barbara Lucas on 368 1953 if you would like to tell your story.

BOOK SALES

With changes in the Mall making it difficult to hold Book Sales there, we are looking at a number of options. Once the new Library/Community Centre is completed, the situation will change again, but for this year, we are looking at ways of getting donated books and cancelled books out to book lovers in the community.

As well as being a way of clearing un-needed books, it has always been a great community public service and those who have helped with book sales recognize the delight of bargain book buyers.

We would appreciate hearing from you with your thoughts about how to continue to re-home books during this ‘transitional’ year. We have a tentative plan to hold a sale on 14/15 April followed by monthly small sales in the current libraries.