Friends of the Libraries of Towns County Newsletter
Volume 11 Number 3 May 2010Comments from FOL President Marilyn Pierce
April has been a busy month for all of us involved with the libraries. April 13th was National Library Workers Day, and FOLTC had the opportunity to express its appreciation for all that our library workers do. In an attempt to better acquaint patrons with those they encounter in our libraries, pictures and a brief description of each staff person were posted in both libraries.
Do you know that some people feel that libraries are becoming obsolete and that computers will replace them? This short-sighted view, as well as the familiar specter of funding cuts, is just one of the problems that libraries face. Lyn Hopper is our new strategic planner, and she gave a presentation for the three Friends groups in our tri-county system on April 20th in Blairsville. She stressed the importance of knowing one's community, and then planning so that the needs of that community can be met in the most effective manner. Once again, I call upon our Friends to support this process with your ideas and support.
A link to an online survey will appear in May and June on the MRLS home page, and I urge all of you to provide your input.
The annual membership meeting of FOGL (Friends of Georgia Libraries) was held on April 23rd at the beautiful new Coweta County Central Library in Newnan, Georgia. The Mountain Regional Library System was represented by our Director, Donna Howell, along with Arlene Gray, President of the Union County Friends of the Library, and me for Friends of Libraries of Towns County. UCFOL was awarded the "Fabulous Friends" award for its extraordinary support of the local library, which will break ground for its new addition on May 18th. The importance of Friends groups and their essential support of local libraries were emphasized. The state legislature will soon be voting on funds to be allocated to libraries for the coming fiscal year, and I strongly urge that each and every Friend let his/her local representatives know how important adequate financial support of libraries is.
Jan Roberts, who has been very active in FOLTC for the past ten years, feels that she needs to give up one of her positions - that of Membership Chairman. She has promised to train her replacement, and she will continue to co-chair the two book sales that we have every year. We don't always show our appreciation for someone until it's brought to our attention how much we depend on her. Thank you, Jan, for all the numerous hours you have given Friends!
Our next Friends meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 1, at 10:30 am at the Mountain Regional Library in Young Harris. I look forward to seeing you!
Officer Roster
| President | Marilyn Pierce (706-379-6672) |
| Vice-President | Doris Tilly (706-379-1306) |
| Co-Recording Secretary | Maureen Gustafson (706-379-2637) |
| Co-Recording Secretary | Christine Thompson (706-379-2330) |
| Corr. Secretary | Maureen Gustafson (706-379-2637) |
| Treasurer | Jane Manuszak (706-379-3538) |
| Book Bunch | Barbara Hale (706-379-3296) |
| Membership | *see below* |
| Newsletter | Linda Dye (803-230-2571) |
| Publicity | Janice Cochran (706-379-3419) |
| Scrapbook | Shirley Heide (706-379-3861) |
*Position Opening: Membership Chairman Anyone interested in filling this position may contact Jan Roberts (706-994-0958) or Barbara Hale (706-379-3296) to receive a description of the job responsibilities.
Doris Tilly, Vice President's Thoughts on the Butterfly Garden
The Butterfly Garden planting is almost finished for the year. Annuals have been planted, weeds pulled, mulch in place and the Garden looks great. More herbs will be planted as the ground warms up. English Country Gardens supplied most of the new plants and we thank them for their continuing help.
Please take a look at the Garden and try to replicate it in your own space. The butterflies will then visit you. Workers for this spring project were: Lew Caputa, Suzanne Carter, Linda Jones, Jane Manuszak, and Doris Tilly. Thank you to all who helped.
Book Bunch Info from Barbara Hale, Chairman
The May Book Bunch should be a truly memorable session. The selection is The Mystery of Edwin Drood, by Charles Dickens. Since he died before finishing the story, no one knows the conclusion Dickens intended. Therefore, many people have written endings. Jim Hale, the discussion leader, has asked all Book Bunchers to write their own endings and come prepared to share them. He will also tell us what other authors have suggested. Don't miss it. Plan to be there on Wednesday, May 19 at the new time, 1:00 pm at Mountain Regional Library.
In June Ethelwyn Bowen will lead us in a discussion of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie. Who ever heard of such a title? The session is scheduled for 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, June 16.
New members are always welcome. We look forward to having a good crowd for these lively discussions.
April Book Sale by Cochairs, John and Jan Roberts
Thanks to the generosity of our members and our wonderful community our April book sale was a success. We will be able to supplement the tightening budgets and keep the new books coming as well as continue to add equipment. The volunteer hours mushroomed as the sale progressed and for those members who have as yet not enjoyed the fun and friendship that go along with the sales activities please think about helping with our big sale in August. Please keep the donations of books rolling in.
We also expressly thank the wonderful staffs of our libraries for their priceless help and patience while we overrun their territory.
In addition to the income directly from the sale, we have already received a nice check from Ed Quinn, our dedicated bookseller in Blue Ridge. It was well worth the trip to take him some of our "special" books.
Thoughts from Donna Howell, the Director
Achoo! Yes it is that time again! But how beautiful the mountains are! Hope all of you are getting a chance to enjoy this special time of year.
Congratulations to the Friends on another successful Spring Book Sale. I know it was a lot of hard work, but you should be very proud of your success. And you know we will put the funds to good use serving Towns County!
Your President, Marilyn, represented you admirably at the Friends of Georgia Libraries Annual Meeting and workshop. It was a long drive, but it was a fun-filled day with lots of opportunities to get great ideas and meet other dedicated Friends. Thank you for sponsoring her attendance.
Thank you, Friends, for the wonderful recognition for our hard-working library staff on National Library Workers Day! Marilyn's terrific staff display has gotten a lot of attention from our library users. And of course, we all love the Moschetto's gift certificates - a real treat.
You will notice that library staff members have started parking in the lower lot in Young Harris. The library has become so busy that we felt it was important that our users have better access to the library. Our library staff works hard to put our library users first - this is just another way of making sure our users see that commitment.
As you know, our library system is in the process of their first ever strategic planning process. I really appreciate the input from our Friends of the Libraries of Towns County at the Friends session with Lyn Hopper in April. The community survey portion of the planning process is now underway. Please take a few minutes and visit our library website and click on the Strategic Plan Survey link. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete and your thoughts and ideas mean so much in this process. If you don't want to do the survey online, short paper versions of the survey are available at the library.
And finally, I want to thank three of our Towns County Library Board members who have terms expiring at the end of June - Jounida Bradley, Judith Lee, and Jennifer Marshall. These ladies have been truly excellent trustees for our libraries. If you get a chance to speak with them, please be sure to add your thanks.