The Friends of the Library is a charitable non-profit organization of library lovers who volunteer, fundraise, and advocate to support the St. Albert Public Library.
The dates for the Reel Monday Fall 2022 season are booked for the Arden Theatre, and we’ve selected 3 of the 4 the films – take a look at the lineup below and click the film names for trailers.
We will announce the ticket sales on our website and in our newsletter (sign up here!) in the summertime.
A young woman wishes to fulfil her mother’s dream of opening her own bakery in Notting Hill, London. To do this, she enlists the help of an old friend and her grandma. (Candice Brown, Shelley Conn, Shannon Tarbet)
In the 1970s, Tammy Faye Bakker and her husband, Jim, rise from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. Tammy Faye becomes legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, financial improprieties, scheming rivals and a scandal soon threaten to topple their carefully constructed empire. (Jessica Chastain, Andrew Garfield, Cherry Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio)
TBD • November 7, 2022
We’re on the hunt for a November movie that is offered in the Criterion catalogue – email us at friends@sapl.ca if you have suggestions.
A Syrian refugee struggles to settle into his new Canadian small-town life, caught between his dream to become a doctor and preserving his family’s chocolate-making legacy. (Hatem Ali, Ayham Abou Ammar)
Pictured in the photo are the Friends who joined in person for our hybrid virtual/in-person AGM, with the rest of our team joining via Zoom. We look forward to continuing hybrid meetings in the fall to ensure everyone can attend!
At our AGM, we voted to decide on our major donations in our September meeting and voted to fund a new water fountain/dispenser in the Children’s Library through our casino funds.
Our next regular meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 7, with a special event to be held in the summer at Jensen Lakes Library to unveil the new Friends’ Corner to recognize our donation of $25,000 to Jensen Lakes Library furniture.
The best way to build a better world for our children is to fight for our public libraries.
Lois Hole
The Friends of St. Albert Public Library gather every year to reflect on the past calendar year, present our major donations, and look ahead to the next year. Our AGM on May 4, 2022 recaps our year from January to December of 2021.
Our year began with everyone curled up with a book at home, when we would usually be holding the winter Reel Monday season. The Arden Theatre had once again closed for a few months from December 2020 to early spring due to COVID measures, but the Friends continued our monthly virtual Zoom meetings.
From February to March, we held our first-ever Purdys Chocolatier fundraiser. Our fundraising committee signed up for the Purdys online system for St. Albertans to place orders for Easter treats, with the Friends profiting 25% of the sales. Through this fundraiser, we were able to donate an additional $1,200 to the children’s summer reading game above our usual $3,000 amount, totalling $4,200 for 2021! The children’s summer reading game featured both in-person and virtual programs – in true form with the new pandemic normal – and we felt that it was a great initiative to continue supporting.
Purdys chocolates pickup
We held our AGM in May of 2021, during which we recapped the 2020 year and elected our new executive team. Our new Board was formed by Graeme Matichuk as President, Marketing Chair, and Interim Treasurer; Verla Carter as Vice President; Sandy Fildes as Secretary; and Valerie Spink as Casino and Fundraising Chair. At this AGM, we donated $13,000 to Jensen Lakes Library, which capped off our total donation of $25,000 to the mini-library in St. Albert’s north end. These donations, from casino fundraising, paid for some of the furniture at Jensen Lakes Library.
We were thrilled to hold a fall Reel Monday season after the unusual winter season hiatus, with four films exploring a range of topics: The Father, The Public, French Exit, and In The Heights. The Public, in particular, was a heartwarming film for all the library supporters who attend Reel Monday season after season.
St. Albert Gazette review of a Reel Monday film
Our team gratefully acknowledges the discounts provided by the Arden Theatre and Criterion Pictures to allow us to maximize our donations to the Library. We appreciate our Reel Monday attendees who were patient with the ever-changing pandemic restrictions. All profits from Reel Monday will be donated to the STARFest Fall 2022 season.
We are also grateful for the Library Board and the staff of the Library, especially Leslie Greentree for promoting our events and Rhonda Kozuska for financial and administrative support.
The Library introduced the opportunity for the Friends to donate toward the Library’s endowment fund – the St. Albert Future Fund – and we committed to donating $1,000 annually in support of this fund.
My endless gratitude goes to the Friends of the Library Board and Members who have maintained their dedication during some of the most difficult years. While so many Friends groups have dwindled during the pandemic, our team has grown closer and shown our love for the library in all the ways we can.
As a lifelong reader and library lover, I felt that joining the Friends of St. Albert Public Library was perfect for me. It means so much to me that as an organization, the members of Friends have contributed substantial funds to support the Library over many years. We’re a small group but we make a big difference!
Sandy Fildes, Friends Board Member/
Why did I join the Friends? To help promote the incredible value of the library to our community.
Joanne Root, Friends Member
The library has been a place of journeys for me for many years. First as a young reader growing up in Red Deer, the weekly trek to the library was one of my first solo outings. When our children came along, many years later, We introduced them to the joy of library outings through story times, and special events held there. Having the time now in retirement to join The Friends of the Library, has shown me that the library continues to be an essential service. People of all ages, backgrounds, and needs find help to connect with resources, learn new skills and meet new people.
Verla Carter, Friends Board Member
Interested in supporting the Friends?
We are a group of library lovers supporting the St. Albert Public Library.
The Friends of the Library Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 7:00 pm in-person at the Downtown Library 2nd Floor Training Room. We will also have a Zoom option for those wishing to attend virtually.
We will be presenting our major annual donations to the Library, electing our next Board, and more. Everyone is welcome to attend the AGM! If you are interested in joining the Friends to attend our regular monthly meetings, please connect with us at friends@sapl.ca.
Just Mercy is our final Reel Monday film this season on Monday, April 4. Tickets are available on Eventbrite: $15 for one movie (plus Eventbrite fees).
Reel Monday is our 13-year-strong twice-annual movie night series bringing hand-picked films from the Criterion catalogue to the beautiful Arden Theatre. Your ticket sales cover the cost of the film licensing, rental of the Arden Theatre, and a donation to STARFest, the Library’s readers’ festival.
“Just Mercy is a deeply moving film, a human story about injustice and justice and how intangible and ephemeral they both really are.”
Here’s our lineup of films for the Winter 2022 season:
Edge of the World • January 24, 2022
In 1840s Borneo, Sir James Brooke defies the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom and embarks on a crusade to end piracy, slavery, and head-hunting.
12 Mighty Orphans • February 14, 2022
During the Great Depression, Rusty Russell gives up a privileged position to coach football at an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas; whipping his young players into shape, they soon become an inspiration to their city, state and an entire nation.
Ride the Eagle • March 21, 2022
A man’s estranged mother dies and leaves him a conditional inheritance. Before he can move into her picturesque cabin, he has to complete her to-do list and step into his mother’s world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave.
Just Mercy • April 4, 2022
Harvard Law alumnus Bryan Stevenson perseveres to overturn the conviction of Walter McMillian and save him from a death sentence.
Ride the Eagle is our next Reel Monday film this season on Monday, March 21. Tickets are available on Eventbrite: $15 for one movie or $28 for a two pack (March and April) plus Eventbrite fees.
Reel Monday is our 13-year-strong twice-annual movie night series bringing hand-picked films from the Criterion catalogue to the beautiful Arden Theatre. Your ticket sales cover the cost of the film licensing, rental of the Arden Theatre, and a donation to STARFest, the Library’s readers’ festival.
“A funny, sweet, insightful, low-key charmer of a story that’s all about making human connections, reconciling broken relationships and finding solace in the companionship of another fellow traveler on this planet.”
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times
Note: Ride the Eagle includes more cursing than our usual films.
Here’s our lineup of films for the Winter 2022 season:
Edge of the World • January 24, 2022
In 1840s Borneo, Sir James Brooke defies the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom and embarks on a crusade to end piracy, slavery, and head-hunting.
12 Mighty Orphans • February 14, 2022
During the Great Depression, Rusty Russell gives up a privileged position to coach football at an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas; whipping his young players into shape, they soon become an inspiration to their city, state and an entire nation.
Ride the Eagle • March 21, 2022
A man’s estranged mother dies and leaves him a conditional inheritance. Before he can move into her picturesque cabin, he has to complete her to-do list and step into his mother’s world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave.
Just Mercy • April 4, 2022
Harvard Law alumnus Bryan Stevenson perseveres to overturn the conviction of Walter McMillian and save him from a death sentence.
12 Mighty Orphans is our second Reel Monday film of this season, coming up this Monday, February 14.. Tickets are available on Eventbrite: $50 for a season pass of 4 films, $38 for Feb/Mar/Apr, or $15 for individual movies.
Reel Monday is our 13-year-strong twice-annual movie night series bringing hand-picked films from the Critierion catalogue to the beautiful Arden Theatre. Your ticket sales cover the cost of the film licensing, rental of the Arden Theatre, and a donation to STARFest, the Library’s readers’ festival.
“It’s an up-from-struggle story tailor-made for an old-fashioned, family-friendly, earnest, feel-good movie… The saga of an orphanage’s Depression-era football team is based on what happened at the very real Masonic School and Home of Texas in Fort Worth.”
Here’s our lineup of films for the Winter 2022 season:
Edge of the World • January 24, 2022
In 1840s Borneo, Sir James Brooke defies the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom and embarks on a crusade to end piracy, slavery, and head-hunting.
12 Mighty Orphans • February 14, 2022
During the Great Depression, Rusty Russell gives up a privileged position to coach football at an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas; whipping his young players into shape, they soon become an inspiration to their city, state and an entire nation.
Ride the Eagle • March 21, 2022
A man’s estranged mother dies and leaves him a conditional inheritance. Before he can move into her picturesque cabin, he has to complete her to-do list and step into his mother’s world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave.
Just Mercy • April 4, 2022
Harvard Law alumnus Bryan Stevenson perseveres to overturn the conviction of Walter McMillian and save him from a death sentence.
We are fundraising with Purdys Chocolatier again this year for Easter!
All profits support the St. Albert Public Library when you purchase these sweet Easter gifts for friends, family, and yourself. Click the link to sign up, then click “Shop Online” and then “Marketplace”: https://fundraising.purdys.com/1313214-92862
After you’ve signed in, you can buy our amazing chocolates or invite others to join and support our fundraising campaign. Orders are due by Saturday, March 26. Questions? Email us at friends@sapl.ca
Orders are due by Saturday, March 26. Once orders are placed, we will contact you for pick up at the St. Albert Public Library in early April.
Our first film of our Reel Monday season kicks off this Monday, January 24 with Edge of the World. Tickets are available on Eventbrite: $50 for a season pass of 4 films, $38 for Feb/Mar/Apr, or $15 for individual movies.
Reel Monday is our 13-year-strong twice-annual movie night series bringing hand-picked films from the Critierion catalogue to the beautiful Arden Theatre. Your ticket sales cover the cost of the film licensing, rental of the Arden Theatre, and a donation to STARFest, the Library’s readers’ festival.
“This is a film that is striving to be a classic swashbuckler, a lyrical mediation on exploration and identity and a knowingly modern commentary on a deplorable but significant era in world history.”
Lindsey Behr, Associated Press
For your safety: The Arden Theatre is following Alberta’s Restriction Exemption Program. All attendees must show proof of two doses of vaccine and their ID, and all attendees must be masked at all times (no food/drink permitted). We usually max at 1/4 occupancy of the theatre, so there’s lot of room to distance. If you can’t attend for health reasons but still want to support the Library, you can donate to us online via CanadaHelps!
Here’s our lineup of films for the Winter 2022 season:
Edge of the World • January 24, 2022
In 1840s Borneo, Sir James Brooke defies the British Empire to rule a jungle kingdom and embarks on a crusade to end piracy, slavery, and head-hunting.
12 Mighty Orphans • February 14, 2022
During the Great Depression, Rusty Russell gives up a privileged position to coach football at an orphanage in Fort Worth, Texas; whipping his young players into shape, they soon become an inspiration to their city, state and an entire nation.
Ride the Eagle • March 21, 2022
A man’s estranged mother dies and leaves him a conditional inheritance. Before he can move into her picturesque cabin, he has to complete her to-do list and step into his mother’s world as she tries to make amends from beyond the grave.
Just Mercy • April 4, 2022
Harvard Law alumnus Bryan Stevenson perseveres to overturn the conviction of Walter McMillian and save him from a death sentence.
Friends of St. Albert Public Library 