Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library: September 2019

Friday, September 20, 2019

Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library Fall Events

The Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library: October 2019 Events

by Jennifer Groth

The Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library are hosting several events throughout the month of October. Please join us as we celebrate our 26th Anniversary, and National Friends of Libraries Week (October 20-26). We look forward to meeting you!

Meeting: The Friends members will meet on Tuesday, October 1 at 1pm in the Community Room. Joining us will be Guest Speaker, Camillus Police Chief Thomas Winn.

Art Exhibit: The Friends are hosting this month’s art exhibit, featuring local artist Anna Stefanco. Her lovely watercolors featuring still lifes, florals, landscapes, and animals will be on display from October 2 through October 29.

50 50 Raffle: Tickets are $2.00 each or 5 for $5.00. Please purchase tickets at the Main Desk; drawing will take place on October 19 at the close of the group’s Open House.

Annual Open House and Artist Reception: The public is invited to attend our Open House, and Artist Reception, on Saturday, October 19 from 12 noon to 2pm in the Community Room. Enjoy free refreshments and meet artist Anna Stefanco. No registration is necessary.

Certificate of Merit: The Friends are pleased to be the recipient of a Daniel W. Casey Advocacy Certificate of Merit by the Friends section of the New York Library Association (NYLA).

This honor has been given “in recognition of the Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library for their exceptionally active and creative service to a library in a smaller community”.

The Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library group is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which supports and advocates for the library. Formed in 1993, the group sponsors programs, fundraising events, and giveaways. New members are always welcome. The membership levels are: $10 for students and seniors, $15 for individuals, $25 for a family, and $50 for a business. There is also a “Forever Friend” level of $200 (one time payment). Membership forms and brochures are available at the library. Completed membership forms and payment (cash or check made out to Friends of Maxwell Library) may be left at the Main Desk, or mailed to: Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library c/o Maxwell Memorial Library 14 Genesee Street Camillus, NY 13031.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

September 3rd, 2019 Meeting

The Friends of Maxwell held a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd. Secretary, Linda D. chaired the meeting. The Board of Trustees president, and the Board's liaison to the Friends' group attended. Fundraising was discussed, along with the Board's plan to install a new electronic sign out in front of the library.
Fundraising is traditionally done by a library's Friends' group. (Refer to page 107 of the Handbook for Library Trustees of New York State.)
The Board will be going ahead with their own fundraising plans, beginning with a Basket Raffle in October or November. Friends' members are concerned that patrons will become raffle 'weary', and be confused about who is doing each raffle. In order to not have overlapping fundraisers, will the Friends give up fundraising? The Board of Trustees already holds an annual fund drive, and the Library has an ongoing book sale everyday. The Friends of Maxwell group hasn't had a big book sale in years, due to lack of storage space, and the decrease in size of the Community Room when the Library was renovated.

The Friends members who were at the meeting also voiced their concern about the need for an outdoor electronic sign for Library. The Board's objective is to increase the number of people coming to the Library. The Friends members do not feel that foot traffic would be increased. They pointed out that Fairmount, Marcellus, Solvay, and Onondaga Free Libraries do not have electronic signs. The Friends' members feel that the cost of approximately $30,000.00 of donations and taxpayer money to purchase and install an electronic sign could be spent more wisely. Cleaning the outside of the building, replacing the east and west windows, installing a sign more in keeping with the style of the Library, and adding landscape lighting, are Friends' priorities. The Methodist church next door often puts up Library messages on its electronic sign.
The active Friends of Maxwell Memorial Library have voted unanimously to not support Maxwell Memorial Library's purchase and installation of an electronic sign any way.
The group regrets that it cannot, in good conscience, support this project.