April 18, 2023
One of the great pleasures of my time as a librarian has been observing the many ways people in every community come together to support their public library. This takes many forms, and residents are often not aware that just visiting a library or becoming a member is a simple but key way to support your local branch. Patrons and visitors help make Haliburton County Public Library (HCPL) busy and vibrant, and they help us shape services and programs by expressing their needs, their interests, and by showing up in-person and online. We also partner with local agencies and organizations to collaborate and share expertise to offer more of what may be needed. As a result, library service changes with the times.
But there is one special group of supporters that some libraries are lucky to have. They work behind the scenes, tirelessly and with ongoing commitment, to help fundraise for library initiatives and purchases. They volunteer their time, energy, and enthusiasm for their local public library by advocating for us and planning featured events such as book sales to raise money. The group I’m speaking about is the Friends of the Haliburton County Public Library. And the reason I’m bringing them up today is that 2023 is a special year for our Friends – On April 7th they celebrate their 20th Anniversary! This is an incredible milestone for these active library volunteers who have made such a contribution and a difference to HCPL over the years. Since 2003 when the Friends were formed, they have raised tens of thousands of dollars from gala events, seasonal book sales, and operating the Book Nook inside Minden branch as well as book sale shelves and carts in each of our branches.
Members of the Friends were there when we broke ground for the new Minden branch and when it opened in October 2009. They were there for the opening of the new Dysart branch in November 2009, and then again for the launch of the Wilberforce location in June 2014. Through it all and for two decades, the Friends have consistently supported HCPL with funds for furnishing, bookshelves, unique book collections, tech devices and learning kits for all ages, special computers for our youngest patrons to support learning, and much, much more.
Each winter, the Friends have helped us purchase multiple copies of the Evergreen Award nominee books we feature in every branch. One of their great legacies is that they’ve made possible the purchase of regular book club sets, which circulate frequently and support dozens of book clubs across Haliburton County. This year, the Friends are helping the library purchase new radon screening detectors, instruments for the HCPL ukulele club, and they’re funding prizes for our recent bookmark contest.
It’s delightful to see the Friends in action at our library branches and representing themselves around the community at events such as Bookapalooza in September. They come rain or shine all year round to sort, organize, and move books around, and their energy is noticed by all our staff. Especially on book sale days and when they organize interesting speaking engagements. Despite challenges with the pandemic, the Friends ran a successful virtual café event featuring a conversation with Canadian figure-skater, Kurt Browning. Currently in the works, the Friends are organizing an in-person café with local author and historian, Guy Scott. On Monday, April 24th at 2 pm, a conversation about the history of one room schoolhouses in the County will take place at the Minden Hills library branch. It’s admission by donation and light refreshments will be served.
And let me tell you, their donations are well-spent in every case. As well as their day-to-day operations and offering memberships to support their organization, the Friends have an executive council and run regular board meetings, keep minutes, and oversee their finances. I’m fortunate to attend these meetings myself, to update their directors on the latest and greatest happening at the library, but also to make presentations for things we identify we need or would like to invest in throughout the year. The Friends ask good questions, thoughtfully deliberate and discuss plans, and they make decisions about what projects they wish to support.
The ongoing relationship between the Friends and the library board and staff at all branches of the Haliburton County Public Library is remarkable and important. With all they do, the Friends and all their volunteers contribute to the betterment of our public libraries in each of our municipalities. Through their work they also directly support Canadian authors and local bookstores, and actively help to promote our initiatives and our County library system. They’re still going strong, but this is a great time in their history to stop and marvel at the Friends’ 20 years of service milestone this season. And time for me to thank them, too. On behalf of myself, the library board and the staff at HCPL, on behalf of our patrons and seasonal visitors, and book clubs everywhere: a sincere thank you to all directors and volunteers of the Friends of the Haliburton County Public Library!
By Chris Stephenson