Prez Sez: Joan Hayes, 2016 Year in Review

As I reflect back on my first year of being President of SCFOL, I have many things to be thankful for. Our new Branch Manager, David Ege, joined us in January.  He has added a great deal to our library, and we as the Friends, are enjoying working with him.

There are many “Thank You’s” which I would like to mention. I want to thank the Friends for re-electing me for another year. Thanks to Judy Williams for doing such a great job with our Building Committee.  We are seeing progress at last!  Thank you, Lee Ottman, our Volunteer coordinator, who has done a great job in getting our wonderful volunteers, particularly at the Book Sale, organized.  We had a great Volunteer Appreciation event in October. Sue Hotz has kept the public aware of all of our wonderful events going on at the library through the Mission Times Courier and our Publicity site on sancarlosfriendsofthelibrary.org. Evie McGhee takes fantastic minutes at our meetings and brings our party supplies and refreshments to the meetings when we serve them. Ron McFee, Robert Irwin, and Jim Shields work tirelessly all month to sort books (along with many volunteers) for our monthly book sales. Without all of them we would not have such fantastic book sales each month.  This leads me to include a great THANK YOU to all the people who donate books each month which are out for our book sales!  We would not have a sale without these donations.

Jerry Hotz sees that our finances are in order. Bobbi Dennis has kept our membership list which stands at 195 regular and 98 life members! Ruth Coleman joined our Board this year, and she has managed our Amazon book sales very efficiently.  Barbara Stewart has organized our art displays and does the presentation in our Winer Family Community Room along with Su Bonnet every month. Ruth George our activities on “Next Door San Carlos,” suggests our Oasis program choices and works with David Ege on arranging them for presentation. Carleen Hemric finds fantastic authors to come each month to present their book talk. Thank you one and all!

Our great Essay contest co-coordinator, Barbara Woodall and her daughter, Patty had to resign the position this year.  They did a fantastic job with that event. At this time we do not have a replacement. I am doing this job along with the computer expertise of Lyn Crisologo.

Without our fundraising efforts and many members, we would not be able to donate $22,000 to the Friends of the Library Foundation which is matched by City funds for purchase of programs, equipment and books for the library.  Our equipment funds this year went to the purchase of a RFID machine (Radio Frequency ID) tagging into which all book information is entered.  This will be used by personnel to check in books.

Don’t forget our early book sale the Friday before the first Saturday Book Sale which is for our SCFOL members.  It is not crowded and you have first choice to the fiction book and media!  To become a member, you can join for as little as $5.00 for a senior.  Envelopes are available at the library.

In closing thank you to all of you who have supported our programs.  author talks, Oasis presentations, children’s programs, adult exercise and meditation programs, homework help, and Spanish and English Conversation Cafes which would not be available if we did not have the support and donations  through membership from YOU, our favorite supporters.

See you at the Library!

Joan Hayes, SCFOL President