May 10, 2023

Libraries are so much more than books… I think of the diverse populations that use our libraries for education, inspiration, celebration, relaxation, to search for direction or maybe to experience some human interaction.

Friends member Verla Carter, in a letter to the Gazette

When I look back on 2022, I am grateful for our dedicated Friends of the Library volunteers who have had immeasurable impacts on St. Albert Public Library over our 35-year history. Our first president, Bill Shields, once wrote:

“With your help, the Friends of the Library will be effective. With your involvement, it will help make the Library and St. Albert stronger. We urge you to participate – it will benefit you, the Library, and our City.”

This year, the Friends certainly lived up to this legacy.

In a year of advocacy, we raised our voices to help prevent devastating budget cuts to the Library. And in a year of learning, we met with three Friends of the Library groups across Alberta, sharing our experiences and learning about fundraising ideas.

Another Reel Monday season kicked off in January with Edge of the World, followed by 12 Mighty Orphans in February, Ride the Eagle in March, and Just Mercy in April. This season raised $2,165.78.

In February and March, we organized a Purdys Chocolatier Easter treats fundraiser once again, which has proved to be a hit with our supporters! We raised $895.75 this time.

As part of our “Friends Helping Friends” initiative (our effort to better connect Friends of the Library groups around the world) we met with the Friends of Edson & District Public Library in March, the Friends of Devon Public Library in April, and the Friends of Camrose Public Library in the summer. We highlighted our fundraising initiatives, advocacy, and our support of library activities and learned about their fundraising efforts.

During our Annual General Meeting recapping the 2021 year in May, we elected the following Friends Board: Graeme Matichuk re-elected as President and Marketing Chair, Sandra Fildes elected as Vice President, Verla Carter elected as Secretary-Treasurer, and Valerie Spink re-elected as Fundraising & Casino Chair.

In June, the Library honoured us with a plaque at Jensen Lakes Library for our $25,000 donation the previous year. We invited all casino volunteers who contributed toward this donation to attend an unveiling ceremony with speeches by Friends President Graeme Matichuk, Library Board Chair Bill Wells, and Library CEO Peter Bailey. We shared our strong belief that investing in our library’s growth is important work.

Several Friends participated in an engagement session on the Downtown Library refresh project, funded by a federal government grant and facilitated by Reimagine Architects, to share their vision for the Library’s future.

Unfortunately, midway through the year, the Library Board learned that City Council proposed a devastating $1.5 million cut to the Library’s budget over three years. In response, the Board launched a “Defend Your Library” advocacy campaign. The Friends supported these efforts by connecting with our social circles, writing emails and letters to Council, attending the budget presentation to Council, and writing letters to the Gazette with personal reasons why these cuts should not move forward. Ultimately, Mayor Heron moved and Council passed a motion to maintain the Library’s funding at 2022 levels, preventing the major proposed cuts but still sadly resulting in two staff layoffs. The Mayor reported that Council received 700 emails and letters in support of the Library!

In November, we contributed $2,625 toward a new water fountain with a bottle filling feature for the children’s library.

We donated $2,500 to STARFest from Reel Monday fundraising proceeds and many of us also attended the STARFest events.

For our winter Reel Monday season, we screened Love Sarah in September, followed by The Eyes of Tammy Faye in October, Mothering Sunday in November, and Peace by Chocolate in December. The audience especially loved Peace by Chocolate! This season raised $3,027.47.

The Friends of the Library in 2022 included Graeme Matichuk, Verla Carter, Valerie Spink, Sandra Fildes, Meagan Dechaine, Barb Moreau, Charleen Currie, Holly Ayotte, Joanne Root, Kathie Konarzewski, Marg Mazer, Sheena Sereda, and Wendy Stuart Hughes. Thank you to Peter Bailey, Leslie Greentree, and Rhonda Kozuska from the Library for supporting us with their expertise. Friends who participated through our 35^th year were gifted commemorative bookmarks at our AGM on May 10, 2023.

In our 35^th year, we reflected on St. Albert Public Library’s essential role in our community and the ways it has changed all of our lives. Fundraising and advocacy has been more challenging during COVID, but we will continue to relentlessly support the Library and all it offers St. Albertans. As our longtime Friend Valerie Spink says, “St. Albert’s library is more than a place to borrow books; it is a place where the community comes together.”

Graeme Matichuk

President, Friends of the Library

St. Albert’s library is more than a place to borrow books; it is a place where the community comes together. It offers a mix of services and programs that serve all age groups. Some of these services help employers find employees and help residents find jobs. Our library helps high school and post-secondary students with research resources and a space to study and meet with others to work on projects. Our library has shown over the years that its use numbers are among the top, compared to its peer libraries.

Friends member Valerie Spink, in a letter to the Gazette

May 4, 2022

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.

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.

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.

Digital outreach initiatives continue to connect us with our supporters. We launched a Twitter presence in the fall of 2021, continued growing our Facebook page, increased our frequency of blog posts and website updates, and continued sending seasonal Story Lines email newsletters.

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.

Graeme Matichuk

President, Friends of the Library

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