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Wonderful indeed! I would support funding from any red wine company. It is good for the heart and will keep customers happy all the time. No more whining but a lot of wining... Jean-Claude Arcand Bibliothécaire/Librarian Bibliothèque législative Legislative Library 506-453-2338 [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Catherine Sword [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: November 7, 2002 3:41 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Funding opportunity Hi All! The discussion is wonderful! I'm getting a lot from this. Thanks. More and more I think public libraries should probably invest at least a part-time person to seek out funds. I know the Huntsville Public Library (central Ontario) has a great Friends group who bring in a lot of money from the sale of Nevada tickets (gambling. Arrgghh. Tear me up.) Don't worry, Janet. I have not taken anything you said too personally. Humour is tough to convey online and I don't have a knack for smileys. :-~? Perhaps I should find some time to sit with the "Directory of Foundations", or the website, www.charityvillage.com I'm sure there's money out there somewhere that I can live with. To change the subject to something fun, I was recently reminded of an online, world-wide, "read and release to the wild" book club. Maybe I need some escapism and if any would like, check out www.bookcrossing.com Catherine Deborah Duke wrote: > Personally, I would like to thank all of you for raising the issue of the > "Share the Stories Funding". I wasn't aware that this type of funding > existed and since learning of it on the APLA-List, I have applied for > funding for our school library. Sincerely, Deborah Duke. > -----Original Message----- > From: Heather MacKenzie <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Monday, November 04, 2002 11:34 AM > Subject: Re: Funding opportunity > > >I am reading with interest all of the conversation around the issue of the > "Share the Stories" funding that Coca-Cola is providing to libraries. I > responded to Catherine the first time, but did not post to the list, so am > putting my two cents in again. > >The Halifax Regional Library has received two lots of funding under the > "Share the Stories" program - one to support storytime programming and one > for youth French materials to support a French reading club at one of our > branches. Last year we hosted the regional launch of the "Share the > Stories" program. > >I would like to correct some of the statements that are being made about > "slapping Coke stickers in books" etc. The Coke logo does not appear on any > of the materials that come with the "Share the Stories" program. If you go > on the ABC Canada Web site, you can see the "Share the Stories" logo, which > is very attractive and does not mention Coke anywhere. The Coke people I > worked with made it very clear that they do not put their logo on anything > that they promote to young children. > >The books that they donated for our storytimes were all very good quality > picture books and even the refreshments they donated were fruit juice paks, > not Pop! > >Certainly their corporate prescence was a very "behind the scenes" one. > >I agree that we need to be careful about which corporate sponsors we work > with, but the right ones can make a lot of good things happen for kids in > libraries. The Imperial Oil Charitable Foundation has given our library > $10,000 per year for the past three years to support our summer reading > program and we have been able to really enhance our program as a result. > They are also a very "hands off" sponsor, and we have had no problems with > putting their logo along with ours on the program materials - that's all > they ask. > >Naturally we would not seek out sponsorship from tobacco/alcohol companies, > but lets not trash the companies that are really doing a lot to support > literacy and who are NOT using this as an opportunity to obviously promote > themselves. > > > >On Mon, 4 Nov 2002 Fraser Janet wrote: > >> Dear Catherine and all, > >> > >> Catherine, just a short note to say that your reading into my letter an > acceptance > >of corruption, mindless collection development, and the status quo is > inappropriate. > >If you knew my longstanding record of social activism and my career as a > poet and > >literary reviewer, I think you would feel silly responding to my letter in > this > >manner. Sure, corporations who provide sponsorship need to be kept in line. > But > >Darlene's example of the wonderful festival sponsored by a major cigarette > company > >is a good example-- we need to advocate much better for our public > libraries but > >we don't want to kill good things with our political correctness, either. > In St. > >John's I have been involved in lobbying government for funding for public > libraries, > >and an extra infusion of one million dollars for books that government > provided > >resulted in an abundance of the highest quality Newfoundland, Canadian, and > international > >poetry books, short story collections, novels, and plays flooding > Newfoundland! > > > >> ! > >> libraries. Again, I do have to apologize and say that I don't work in the > public > >library system and I do have to plead ignorance about some of the > challenges you > >and other public librarians are facing. But in my twenty-two years of > librarianship > >I have seen too many librarians with a territorial approach to "their" > libraries > >and collections, too many librarians with a rigid, perfectionist attitude > to their > >well-rounded and unused collections, too many librarians with a snobby "I > know what's > >right for you" attitude to their patrons. I think that high circulation > rates can > >be a good thing in themselves-- after all public libraries serve the > public. Successfully > >serving the public does not necessarily have to be a sell-out to the > corporate agenda. > > > >> > >> Janet Fraser > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > >> Sent: Saturday, November 02, 2002 1:11 PM > >> To: Fraser, Janet > >> Cc: [log in to unmask] > >> Subject: Re: Funding opportunity > >> > >> > >> I'm back and am enjoying reading the response to my question about the > ABC Literacy > >Funds although Janet's referring to my "snobbish" attitude of "green tea" > really > >threw me. I hadn't said anything about green tea so I went back to the > original > >message. My apologies to the group. I thought I had edited out all the > personal > >parts from the message that had been sent to me. Sorry for the confusion. > >> > >> I must admit I'm saddened but not surprised by our attitude of "we need > money where-ever > >we can find it". I wonder about the selling out of the public library, and > here > >I will get a bit personal. The public library I work at *does* have > advertising > >(although they don't call it that) in our building. It's called > "sponsorship", but > >funds donated for the "Tim Horton Parent Lounge", the "Schickendanz > Fireside Lounge", > >and the "Stouffville Vet" shelves, really amount to advertising. Nobody > asked any > >questions about how long these signs should remain promoting those > businesses. Billboards > >have their time limit. > >> > >> There is a fine line between acknowledging an individual person, whose > only benefit > >is the continuation of all those warm and fuzzys that Janet Fraser > mentions. There > >was an interesting Adbusters issue a year or so ago which discussed the > issue of > >how corporations have gained the rights of individuals. Quite some scary > reading. > > > >> > >> But my real concern is that we don't question; we excuse our behaviour or > justify > >it because it's a bad situation. I can hear my mother whenever I tried to > get my > >way by saying "So-and-so does it". Her reply was always something to the > effect > >of "Yeah, well that doesn't mean they're right". > >> > >> How about an example? Do those in the Atlantic Provinces select from the > ALA list > >of roles for their own libraries? It's agreed that we cannot be all things > to all > >people so we must choose our roles carefully, only two or three at most. So > years > >ago we discussed at our library what our roles should be and it was > determined that > >we need only two- Children's Doorway to Learning, and Popular Materials. I, > and > >another librarian spoke pretty strongly on the necessity of a third role, > something > >to include research or personal development. That was dismissed as not > being necessary > >because that's not what this community wants. > >> > >> Public Librarians need to keep focused on a bigger picture. We are not a > business > >responding to the popular demands in the hopes for the big profit of high > circulation. > >This is important but we should also not avoid our responsibility to our > citizens > >to provide what they may need someday, but just don't know it yet. How the > adoption > >of only these two roles have affected our collection and as a result, the > service > >we give to the taxpaying citizen, is that the core collection never gets > caught > >up. I am expected to buy enough multiple copies of bestsellers, such as > Grisham, > >Roberts, etc. so that no patron (oh wait, we're supposed to call them > customers, > >now), has to wait more than a regular three week loan period. I'm sure you > can imagine > >the dollars that eats up. Meanwhile, our medical section is an > embarressment and > >our local high school students visit a library in a nearby municipality. > >> Way to grab those teens! > >> > >> So the underlying questions I'm struggling with are even more personal > than expressing > >my preference for vanilla hazelnut coffee. I'm wondering how much I need to > comprise > >my own principles to continue working as a public librarian? Can I live > with the > >consequences? Can society? > >> > >> Probably too much food for thought but I really enjoyed all the feedback. > It does > >help me. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> > >> Catherine > >> > >> > >> > >> Fraser, Janet wrote: > >> > >> > Hi All, > >> > > >> > > Although I do not work in the public library, I would like to support > Darlene's > >> > position. Throughout my childhood and adulthood, I have spent countless > stimulating, > >> > vibrant, soothing, and comfortable hours in the beautiful 'Carnegie' > public libraries > >> > one can find throughout North America. Can you imagine if people in the > midst of > >> > the Depression worried about the Carnegie "blood money" being spent on > dozens and > >> > dozens of gorgeous libraries constructed in some of the poorest areas > of our big > >> > cities? People who care about the survival of public libraries do not > have the luxury > >> > of rejecting corporate sponsorship. While I agree with Catherine that > cola stickers > >> > in each book is a bit much, I do not like Catherine's snobbishness > about cider and > >> > green tea (personally I would like to see milk and cookies served to > inner city > >> > children in the public libraries-- much better for them than green > tea!). > >> > > >> > Sincerely, > >> > Janet Fraser > >> > College Librarian > >> > College of the North Atlantic > >> > St. John's, Newfoundland > >> > > >> > -----Original Message----- > >> > From: Darlene Nickerson [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > >> > Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 9:35 AM > >> > To: [log in to unmask] > >> > Subject: Re: Funding opportunity > >> > > >> > Catherine: > >> > > >> > I work for a Family Literacy Committee and it is hard to get money. The > >> > Learning Exchange her in NB applied for money through them and didn't > get > >> > any. As for the obesity problem, sure it is out there, but do I think > my 10 > >> > > year is going to become obese because he is reading a book sponsored > by coca > >> > > cola, I find it hard to believe and if I have a choice between him > reading a > >> > > book and seeing a symbol once when he opens it or watching TV and > seeing it > >> > > 3 times in 15 minutes. I would choose the book hands down. Also, many > public > >> > libraries are having their summer programs sponsored by Mc Donalds so > it is > >> > everywhere. If you library is fortunate enough to not have to seek > donation > >> > > from large "food/drink" corporations great, but many do not have that > luxury > >> > > and I think patrons would rather have new books than to say no to > coca-cola. > >> > I use to manage a professional theatre company and we had duMaurier as > a > >> > > sponsor. I don't smoke, hate it, but $15,000 for a production was > great when > >> > there the competition for the $ is so great. These were adult > production > >> > employing adults and for adults. It worked well. I can think of > companies > >> > that break environmental laws, drug companies, most companies have down > >> > falls, but we have to keep an open mind. > >> > > >> > Darlene > >> > > >> > -----Original Message----- > >> > From: APLA-List List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Catherine > >> > Sword > >> > Sent: Thursday, October 24, 2002 4:06 PM > >> > To: [log in to unmask] > >> > Subject: Funding opportunity > >> > > >> > Hi All, > >> > > >> > > My jobber here in Ontario recently sent me this information about the > ABC > >> > > Literacy Foundation. Personally the concept of commerical promotion > >> > through > >> > > > the public library offends me. It's blatant advertising and in this > case, > >> > for > >> > > an unhealthy product. Hasn't everyone heard about the obesity > problem > >> > with > >> > > North Americans. > >> > > >> > > What do others feel? > >> > > >> > Catherine > >> > > >> > > > Are you two aware of the Coca-Cola money that the ABC Literacy > >> > Foundation > >> > > > is distributing? Here's a link: > >> > > > > >> > > > http://www.abc-canada.org/public_awareness/sts.asp > >> > > > > >> > > > I just spoke to a very small library (they serve a population of > approx > >> > > > 1400) that just received a grant of $1500 through this program to > >> > purchase > >> > > > children's books with and was told that the application process was > an > >> > > easy > >> > > > one, with approval and a cheque coming in a month's time. The catch > is > >> > > > having to slap a Coke sticker inside each book. > >> > > > > >> > > > Could one of you let me know if you'd been aware of this program? > I'm > >> > > > trying to get a feel for how many libraries know about it. > >> > > > > >> > > > Myself, I drink cider and green tea. Just for the taste of it! > >> > > > > >> > > > cheers, > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > >> > > > > > > > > >Heather MacKenzie > >Youth Services Manager > >Alderney Gate Public Library > > > >902-490-5875 E-Mail: [log in to unmask] > >"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will > get you through times of no > > libraries."