FOCAL - Friends of Canadian Libraries

Teleconference Workshops and Meetings

All other meeting times are in the evening

May 4 - 6, 2016     Manitoba Library Conference

May 12, 2016        Annual General Meeting   Agenda       Proxy   Submit by May 5th

Friends: Making Connections that Count

Friends groups enable the library to have a greater reach into the community, to increase the library’s visibility, to network and partner with other community organizations and to have advocates for the library who can mobilize quickly and efficiently. Even a small Friends group can accomplish a great deal.  They tend to know what works in your community.  As volunteers of an autonomous organization created to benefit the library, Friends can undertake projects the library cannot, apply for grants (particularly if they have charitable status), fundraise, hold events outside the library and advocate when needed with direction from the Library Board.  This session will provide examples of Friends groups from across Canada which have maximized their community connections, raised significant funds, made citizens more aware of what the library has to offer and who stood up for the library.

The participation of Friends of Canadian Libraries representatives
at provincial and national library association events is made
possible through the constant and generous support of
our conference sponsor Random House of Canada.