Library-Update for November 3, 2008
Update for November 3, 2008
Open the door to knowledge
Agreement with Josephine County
Great news! On October 29, the Josephine County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Josephine Community Libraries, Inc. The MOU states that the county will lease the library buildings and collections to JCLI for $1 per year. The county will also grant up to $300,000 to match dollar for dollar what the group raises by November 30.
JCLI will operate as an independent contractor to manage day-to-day operations of the library, personnel, programs, and technology.
Following on this milestone, JCLI is putting the finishing touches on its three-year business plan for submittal to the county. JCLI and Josephine County are also working on the details of the lease agreement.
We’re going to open the libraries!!!
November 30 fundraising deadline for $300,000 matching grant
With the restoration of the $300,000 matching grant from Josephine County, everyone’s pitching in, getting creative, and working overtime to meet the challenge of getting to $300,000 by November 30. As of October 27, our community has contributed a phenomenal $223,800 in memberships and other cash contributions to reopen our libraries! So we need to raise another $77,000 in one month to get the maximum effect of this matching grant. (Thousands more have been raised in cash pledges and in-kind goods. The county has agreed to match only cash, not in-kind contributions.) We also have more than 1,400 members — we call that widespread community support!
If we have your mailing address, you’ll receive a notice in the mail from us, either asking you to become a founding member or, if you’re already a member, to pass the information on to three friends or neighbors.
Our bare-bones library operations budget says we need the equivalent of $395,000 to open the main branch of the library. Help us do just that — here are three ways to become a member of Josephine Community Libraries:
- Make your check out to Josephine Community Libraries, and mail it to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
- Go to www.josephinelibrary.org and click automatic monthly payment form. Complete the form to have your contribution automatically deducted each month from your checking account. Send the form and your first month’s check to Josephine Community Libraries, P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528.
- Go to www.josephinelibrary.org and click the Donate button to make a secure contribution online using your debit card, credit card, or PayPal account.
Annual membership levels are as follows:
- Sustaining Member $1 to $199
- Bronze Member $200 to $499
- Silver Member $500 to $999
- Gold Member $1000 to $4999
- Platinum Member at $5000 and up.
If you haven’t done so already, please join us. All membership contributions are tax-deductible. But remember, whether or not a person is a member, everyone in the county will be able to use the services of the library.
Not only will contributions this month help us meet our November 30 deadline, but it’s a great time to think of holiday giving and year-end tax planning!
Fundraising events throughout November
Here’s a listing of the things happening this month to help us get to $300,000.
- ShopRiverRock Boutique. The ShopRiverRock Boutique, located in the reservation office of Hellgate Jetboat Excursions on Sixth Street, is holding its annual holiday shopping evening for its regular patrons on November 6. Five dollars of each of its $20 tickets will be donated to JCLI and the event is sold out. Many thanks to owners Robert and Linda Hamlyn and the Hope Floats committee!
- “Run For Our Library.” Century 21 agent Lori Patch and her 12-year-old daughter Anna Patch are entered in a 10K run in Grants Pass on November 15. To keep them “in the race” they’re asking for pledges for the library. Email Lori at lori@patchrealestate.com for the amount you’ll donate or pledge per “k”. She’ll contact you after the run to let you know they finished.
- JCLI Book Sale. With the success of our fundraising, and the impending opening of the library very soon, the last day of the JCLI temporary lending library will be Saturday November 8. Then, from 9-4 pm on Saturday November 15 and 12-4 pm on Sunday November 16, there will be a book sale at the temporary lending library (1519 NE F Street, behind Gooseberries in Parkway Village). We now invite those who have been waiting to donate their books to the library to do so now and help us not only make money but build the library collection. Any donated materials suitable for the library collection will be set aside for that purpose. The rest will be offered for sale. Buy your books for holiday gifts here and help reopen the library at the same time! For more information or to make arrangements to donate books, contact Barbara Ketley at londonfg@cpros.com.
- Special Effects Spa Day. Salon owner Eric Wynant is sponsoring a Spa Day fundraiser at his Special Effects salon on Saturday, November 22. Twenty Spa Day tickets will be sold for $50, with all proceeds going to JCLI! Offered at the Spa Day will be any or all of the following services: hair cut, style, color, massage, facial, manicure, pedicure. To purchase a ticket or for more information, contact Eric at 476-7374, ericwynant@hotmail.com. Special Effects is located at 410 NE E Street in Grants Pass.
- Growers Market. We staff a lively table at Growers Market from 9-1 pm every Saturday, and we’ll be there providing information until it closes this month. We have tee-shirts and bumper stickers, not to mention lots of information. Stop by and say hello!
Staffing update
Our hiring committee has interviewed several librarian candidates to be our first paid library staff. We’re getting close to making an announcement and we’ll update you in later issues.
Surf the Web and earn a penny for JCLI with www.GoodSearch.com
Josephine Community Libraries is participating in www.GoodSearch.com, the Yahoo!-powered Internet search engine (like Google) that devotes 50 percent of its advertising revenue to nonprofits. We earn a penny for every search. So please go to www.GoodSearch.com as your new Internet search engine. The first time you use it, type Josephine Community Libraries in the WHO DO YOU GOODSEARCH FOR box. Your computer will remember it from then on. Then type your search phrase in the Search box as normal.
You can also shop through GoodShop, the sister site to GoodSearch, and earn even more money for JCLI, especially as you start your holiday shopping!
In the news
The November issue of “Library Journal,” a national print and Web publication, has a feature article about JCLI. Titled “Libraries in Josephine County, OR, Should Begin Reopening After 18 Months,” the story was written by Norman Oder and published to the Web on October 15. Find the story on the Web at www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6605839.html?industryid=47105.
The Oregonian published an article titled “Boosters try to reopen Josephine County’s public libraries” on October 30.
The Daily Courier has had some excellent coverage of our progress over the past few weeks. Most recent is a great article about the MOU signing in the October 30 issue titled “JCL gets control of local libraries” and a wonderful editorial by Dennis Roler in the October 31 paper titled “Library backers succeeded like that little engine.”
JCLI Board members Susan Ellsworth and Jennifer Roberts will participate on a radio talk show with KAJO’s news director Scott Jorgenson on Wednesday November 12, from 9:35-10:30 am. Tune in to KAJO 1270 AM to hear!
Give your time and talent
We now have more than 200 volunteers in our ranks, about 60 of them very active volunteers! We can always use more hands! If you’re interested, please contact Barbara Ketley at londonfg@cpros.com.
NOTE! The date for this week’s Josephine Community Libraries board meeting has been changed to 7 pm on Monday November 3 (instead of Tuesday November 4).
The next two board meetings will be on Tuesday November 11 and Tuesday November 18. All are welcome! All meetings are held at our library space in Parkway Village, 1519 NE F Street, Grants Pass. Parkway Village is at the corner of Grants Pass Parkway and F Street. The library space is in the courtyard behind the Gooseberries grocery store.
Check the Web
For more information about Josephine Community Libraries, check our Web site at www.josephinelibrary.org.
This update is being sent to everyone on our Josephine Community libraries e-mail list. Feel free to forward to others. For questions or comments about anything in this update, please reply to this message (info@josephinelibrary.org) or call us at 660-6531.
Thank you for everything you’re doing to help reopen the libraries in Josephine County! We hope to have a GRAND REOPENING DATE to announce very soon!
Teresa Stover, Project Manager
Josephine Community Libraries
541-660-6531
P.O. Box 1684
Grants Pass, Oregon 97528
