We Go Way Back!

The Friends history dates back to 1954 when the Greater Victoria Public Library was still the Victoria Public Library. We have been active in our present form since 1979 when the late author Terry Reksten became the first president.

In the past 15 years the Friends have raised over $600,000. All proceeds from our membership dues, annual book sales, the ongoing sales of books at the Friendshop at the Central Library and through library carts at the branches go towards the programs and services of the Library.

With a membership of almost 300, we Friends keep very busy! Once books are withdrawn from Library shelves they become the property of the Friends of the Library. We make these books available at our book sales, on bookcarts in all branches, or at the Friendshop at the Central Library. In addition to offering some great bargains, the sales generate enormous goodwill towards the Library.

Donations Totals for the last 10 years to GVPL

FRIENDS' WISH LIST

2011 Wish List

• Blu-ray Pilot Collection: $10,000
• e-Book Readers: $10,000
• Dr Bruce Andrews Community Outreach Award: $5,000 - The award is to be given to a Best Babies Early Literacy Community Outreach Project.
• Summer Reading Club incentives: $5,000 - Funding this year would be used for additional book prizes, weekly incentives, book store gift certificates and for the Summer Reading Club Party in the park.
• Preservation of Local History materials - special binding: $2000
• Programme support: $500 - This year the Library is holding its first ever Staff Development Day, involving staff from the entire GVPL system. Funding from the Friends will cover the cost of the one of the refreshment breaks.

2010 Wish List

• eBook readers: $7000 - The requested amount would allow the GVPL to purchase a pilot collection of readers, each one pre-loaded with an assortment of material, probably by genre (e.g. mysteries, biographes etc.)
• MP3 CDs for the Talking Books collection: $5,000 - These are intended to replace some of the older audio-cassette sets and they will also help off-set the loss of a deposit DAISY collection from the CNIB.
• Summer Reading Club incentives for Children’s and Teen Services: $5,000
• Mind/Body Health for older adults A/V collection: $5,000 - The requested funds would purchase approx. 140 games at $36 per game.
• Preservation of local history materials - special binding: $3,000 - There is an on-going need to preserve this vital local history resource collection.
• Family friendly furnishings: $5,000

2009 Wish List

• Microfilm Scanner/Reader: $12,000 - will allow partons to scan their microfilm research for home use
• Unabridged Audio Book on CD: $6000 - to replace the cassette collection that is being phased out
• Summer Reading Club Incentives: $5000 - to continue a very successful programme that encourages children and teens to read over the summer
• Rebind and Repair of Local History material: $4500 - to help preserve the collection and improve patron access to it
• Unabridged books on CD and Mp3s for the Talking Books collection: $3000 - to help meet the needs of registered patrons using this collection
• A one-year Audio Cine Films license for Public Performance Rghts to show feature films in the library for children, teens, families and adults: $1300 - as well as providing free entertainment during a difficult economic period, this programme will also link to the library collections, since many of the films are adapted from books.

2008 Wish List

• $5,000 for Summer Reading Club: Government funding for this programme could not be pursued in 2008, due to the library lockout The Summer Reading Club continues to grow as new branches are added. Additional funding from the Friends of the Library will cover staffing and/or programme supplies.
• $3,000 for Folding wheelchair for the Central Library: The Central Library lacks a wheelchair to assist patrons with limited mobility and for use in emergencies.
• $1,000 for Rebinding project - Local History Room: A number of very important books need rebinding in this collection.
• $6,000 for Database software: This is the cost of licensing software for Safari Textbooks Online - a database containing 400 eBooks. A welcome addition to the further development of the Library’s eBranch resources and also useful for staff and community professional development.
• $7,000 for Gaming Collection: This funding will allow the Library to expand the very popular video game collection developed for teens as a pilot project funded by the Friends. The pilot project has been enormously successful and could be expanded to include more library branches.
• $5,000 for Depository collections in community shelters: A staff committee recommended that GVPL establish depository collections of library materials to support outreach shelters and other organizations whose clients lack access to reading materials and who are limited for various reasons in their use of library resources and collections.

2007 Wish List

Lynne Jordon presented the “wish list” for Friends of the Library funding. This year’s list is quite diverse.

• $5000 for video games and programmes for teenagers
• $4000 to replace an aging VisualTek machine
• $3000 for 15 MP3 players for loan to library users
• $10,000 for the establishment of a Writer-in-Residence programme (with matching funding from the federal government)
• $5000 for a lecture series “presented by Friends of the Library.”
• $3250 for a flat screen television for the new Saanich Centennial branch.