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Friends of the Alameda Free Library |
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Statement of purpose: To increase public awareness of the library as an essential part of the community’s educational and cultural facilities. And to support and cooperate with the library in developing library services and facilities. |
A Note from the PresidentCheck it out! Thanks to our dual-hatted Webmaster and Secretary, Chris Christopher, the Friends' redesigned web site has many useful features:
The Friends' web site is located on server space donated by the Alameda internet
service provider, Eon Technologies. Many thanks to them for their generosity! At some
point we may decide to get our own domain name, but for now the web address is: www.eonweb.com/library. ~Molly Skeen From the MinutesTreasurer. John and Molly are still investigating the insurance issues. Molly reported that she and Richard Kolberg, as members of the Audit Committee, met to evaluate the Friends' financial procedures. They developed recommendations that were distributed to everyone at the meeting. Molly suggested that a discussion of the recommendations be scheduled for the May meeting. Membership. Peter reported that the Friends have a total of 27 new members, with 207 paid through 2006. Book Sale. Gert reported that they have approximately 1000 boxes of donated books on hand for the May sale. Adair reported Archie has contacted the firefighters about helping to transport books from storage to the O'Club. Molly reported that articles are being prepared for presale publicity. Acting Director's Report. Jane Chisaki, acting director, could not attend, but sent a written report: The deadline for the April 26 Library Legislative Day preregistration is April 19. Jane will be attending with Ruth Belikove and Dr. Alan Mitchell from the Library Board. Marilyn Ashcraft is trying to get a council member to accompany her. The installation of the library medallions has been postponed due to the rainy
weather. Yuki Nagase, our artist, hasn't been able to seal the stone, and the ground is
too soft to support the forklift required for transportation and installation. The
installation will be rescheduled for May. The construction is progressing on schedule. The bids for furniture are due late this week. The first of three technology bids is also due this week. The Proposition 81 "Yes for Libraries" group is asking for endorsements from library support and other community groups. The Library Board voted at their April 12 meeting to support Prop 81 and asked the City Council to vote for a Resolution of Support for the proposition, which will be on the May 2 Council agenda. There are only six weeks until the primary election. The members voted to send a letter of endorsement for Prop. 81. Sample endorsement forms, promotional materials, guidelines for 501(c)(3) groups can be found at www.yesforlibraries.com. Library Director recruitment will begin May 1 and be open for applications until the end of May. A selection will most likely be made by the end of June. Jane expressed thanks for the Friends' letter encouraging the expedited recruitment of a permanent Library Director. Jane reminded us she will assist with sale setup at the O'Club on Friday morning, May
5. Jane will try to get one more plug for the book sale into her Alameda Journal column
the week of the sale. She also put information about the book sale on the front of the
library web page including a link with directions to the O'Club. There is also a little
blurb about the unsorted boxes of books for sale from the Children's Library basement. Old BusinessNew Web Site: Chris Christopher reported on updates to the new web site and proposed improvements. Check it out: http://eonweb.com/library. New Library Gala: Marilyn Ng reported that the Foundation has organized several groups that have begun work on planning for the Gala. Advance tickets will be sold for $75. Tickets at the door will be $100. Grand Opening: Molly reported that the Grand Opening Event is scheduled for Thursday, November 2. There will be speakers, a ribbon cutting, refreshments, and tours by docents. On Saturday, November 4, there will be an open-house geared to families. Café in the Library: Molly reported that the Cafe Planning Committee met for the first time in March. The committee is contacting other Friends groups with cafes to learn about their experiences and is gathering information about County Health Department regulations. Nominating Committee: The Committee presented a slate of officer candidates for consideration at the May meeting. The slate is: Molly Skeen, President; Richard Kohlberg, Vice President; John Quick, Treasurer; Chris Christopher, Recording Secretary; and Sheila Anderson, Corresponding Secretary. New BusinessNew committees: Molly proposed formation of two new committees. One will
review the Friends' bylaws and make recommendations for possible changes. Chris
Christopher volunteered to help with the Bylaws Committee and Molly will recruit
additional committee members. A second committee will develop a plan to boost
membership. Marilyn Ng and Chris Christopher volunteered to help with the Membership
Committee. ~Chris Christopher Last Minute AppealPlease help with the book sale May 5, 6, & 7! Call Adair Jorgensen at 865-0347 to volunteer. BALIS UpdateSadly, we have to announce that the April 29th workshop is cancelled: There simply were not enough signups. The topic has generated enough interest, though, that BALIS will try again to schedule the workshop, most likely this fall. Be on the lookout! Four years ago, I had been attending Alameda Library Board meetings for about two
years when I noticed there was another person in the "audience" who would give
a report on what BALIS was up to. I got to know Lynda Olson that way and asked her
several questions, especially about the part I admired most about BALIS: The fact that
any resident of California could walk into any California public library (well, almost
any; some public libraries--notably San Leandro--have opted not to be part of a system)
and get a library card with free borrowing privileges. Just about then, Susan Hardie announced Lynda's term was ending and that the Mayor's office was accepting applications from citizens who were interested in representing the city of Alameda on the BALIS Advisory Board (SAB). I applied and I must say my time on the board has been wonderful. I've met some truly marvelous library advocates from all over the Bay Area with tremendous ideas on how to support and grow libraries in all sorts of communities. Deborah Doyle, from San Francisco and one of the most astute leaders of library friends and foundation groups I've known as well as a truly regal Queen Elizabeth I at the Renaissance Faire, was president of the SAB when I joined. I've also become well acquainted with the library directors in our area, some of them giants in the profession such as Susan Hildreth, presently our State Librarian, and Linda Wood, the recently retired guru of library financing and fundraising. In short, I would encourage anyone who is interested in improving his or her effectiveness as a library advocate, to consider applying as our city's representative on the SAB. The basic time commitment is quite minimal (one evening meeting every other month) but you'll soon find there are many ways you can develop skills in advancing library services to the general community. You will find, as I did, that you become a better, more effective Friend of the library. For more information see me or Jane Chisaki. Meanwhile, I'd like to thank you all for the privilege of serving our city in this way. ~Marc Lambert Spring is Sprung at the LibraryI took up gardening in earnest last year after attending the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show at the Cow Palace. Plastic covered portable greenhouses have enabled me to keep a bunch of impatiens plants alive over the winter and to start basil, cilantro, and catnip from seed this spring. Browsing the Alameda Free Library's General Reference Center database from home has been helpful for me. One can find articles from the well-known periodicals Sunset and Organic Gardening. Searching on gardening also yields articles from less widely-known magazines such as Country Living Gardener, Town & Country, and Flower & Garden. Identifying the associations connected with a hobby or work specialty can be fascinating. The National Gardening Association, for example, is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting educators and parents in using gardening and habitats to further develop scientific literacy. Their website (www.garden.org/home) was listed in the Special Libraries Association column Carolyn J. Sosnowski wrote called "Web Sites Worth a Click" (April 2005 Information Outlook). There are some interesting books available at the Alameda Free Library pertaining to
gardening. Searching the catalog for Gardening as a subject brings up almost 400 titles.
Searching on Gardening as part of a title brings up a more manageable list of 139
titles. Identifying one's microclimate is important for this hobby, so it's reasonable
to look for the subject heading "Gardening -- California -- San Francisco Bay
Area." One finds three books in that subject heading: Bay Area gardening: practical
essays by master gardeners, edited by Barbara J. Euser; A yardscapes year: ideas and
plants for Bay Area gardeners, by Mia Amato; and Strawberries in November: a
guide to year-round gardening in the East Bay, by Judith Goldsmith. The call numbers
for each of these begins with 935. That's where I'll be browsing in person soon. A narrower subject heading "Gardening - California -- San Francisco Bay Area -- Handbooks, manuals, etc." brings up a book I examined quite a while ago, when I first moved to California: Golden Gate gardening: the complete guide to year-round food gardening in the San Francisco Bay Area & coastal California, by Pam Pierce (Cahners, 2002). My patio is small, so I don't do much food gardening. Nevertheless, I am trying to grow tomatoes again. This year I am trying three varieties said to do well in coastal areas: Glacier, Sun Gold, and Oregon Spring, all in containers. The Alameda Free Library has 21 titles on the subject of Container Gardening. One might think that there isn't much genuinely new in backyard gardening, but self-watering planters have made a splash recently. Although I hope it won't rain heavily again for a while, the next time the weather is inclement, I'll go check out these two titles at the library: The Plants that shaped our gardens, by David C. Stuart. It's a botanical history book. The reviewer Marianne Stowell Bracke wrote: "While a pleasant read for the casual gardener or plant enthusiast, this volume will be a meeting of the souls for true plant lovers. Highly recommended for public libraries developing collections for impassioned gardeners." Gardening in Eden: the joys of planning and tending a garden, by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II (Reed, 2003). Reviewer Sue O'Brien wrote: "Gardening tips and lyrical descriptions of the wonder of gardening are interspersed with quotations from famous authors and gardeners. Laced with touches of humor, this enjoy-able book is recommended for libraries with readers who appreciate gardening essays and personal reflections on the meaning of gardening." ~Mari Clark
Friends Officers & Committee ChairsPresident: Molly Skeen |
