After input from members the Board has decided to change the membership period to run for one year from April 1 through March 31. This change is effective immediately.
Memberships purchased after the Spring Sale will be available for $5.
Remember, the membership is a family membership and student memberships are available for $5 (Student ID needed)
Recognizing 20 years of volunteer service, Elsie Kossatz (left) received a presentation from Friends of the Library chair Maureen Rudzik.
For the past 20 years Elsie Kossatz has been a dedicated servant of the Oakville Public Library. The Friends of the Library celebrated her commitment as a volunteer at the annual general meeting held in January.
Elsie began her volunteer work as a member of the Oakville Public Library Board. She served on the Information Oakville Advisory Committee in 1992. She was the OPL Board treasurer in 1996-’97.
Joining the Friends of the Library in 1998, Elsie became special events chair, and member at large from 2000-’01. Elsie received the Ontario Volunteer Service Award in 2010.
Members of the staff at Woodside branch and many of the patrons know Elsie for her volunteer work there. She works one day a week, every Friday—and she no longer lives in Oakville!
The fact of her having moved does not prevent her from continuing to provide the most delicious reception snacks following the annual general meeting each year. The care she takes in creating this luxury is really something special, and she’s been doing it for the last 13 years.
The Friends of the Library board thought it fitting that Elsie be recognized for the many years she has given in volunteer work to the library system. This year at the AGM, members of the board were delighted to be able to present a very small token of appreciation to Elsie in the form of a certificate of recognition.
by Maureen Ellis Rudzik
Mission StatementThe Friends of the Oakville Public Library is a volunteer advocacy group dedicated to increasing awareness of the library’s programs and services, and the enhancement of those services for adults and children through participation in a variety of community events and fundraising activities.
Like Sharon Milne who spoke at the reopening ceremony of Woodside branch, I grew up in a home where there were few books. Since there was a world war going on during my childhood, there were very few books being published.
It’s when things are really dire that we as a society appreciate what is very important to us. The library was considered an “essential public service” and kept its opening hours all through the war. Our local branch suffered one hit, but closed for only one day and was open for business the next.
The Friends of the Library considers OPL to be essential to the community, and our mission statement includes the function of advocating on behalf of the library. In the past year, with much negative press around library cutbacks in Toronto, the Friends organization has emphasized a desire for healthy library service in Oakville. Continuing this mission of advocacy, we suggest that our members and supporters keep themselves informed annually on the Town’s budget process, and let their councilors know how much our library services are valued.
The problem is that it’s too easy to take our libraries for granted. The library today is an institution that is changing rapidly. While still the repository of books and periodicals, the library now does much more. Patrons may have noticed the new e-readers that the Friends helped introduce with funding assistance.
The intent with the e-readers was for library users to get a feel for this new technology. The library was immediately swamped with demand for the e-readers—no less than 600 “holds” in the first few days! The library’s e-book database currently contains more than 40,000 items.
At the library you can build your computer skills with courses, and even work one-on-one with a tech coach (I am taking advantage of this one myself!) Most of these services are free.
Let’s not forget the Friends’ funding for the digitization of the history of Oakville. Many residents have contributed elements of their family histories to the library’s database. And for new Canadians the library offers a wide range of programs, including language courses and preparation for the Canadian citizenship test.
So the library has changed a great deal, but it is still an essential institution. In times of economic downturn, the library is used more than ever. And you, the patron, are really its best advocate.
The dictionary defines an advocate as “someone who speaks or writes in support of something.” The town has recently finished allocating money in its 2012 budget, and funds for the library were not cut.
So please stay in touch with your local councilor or e-mail the mayor’s office and tell them how much you appreciate what the library system here in Oakville has to offer.
Help keep the library one of the most important public service institutions in Oakville.
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