New Year, New Goals for Friends

As we begin a new year for the Friends in our new Ramona Library, I am optimistic about the future of our organization, and I am happy to report that with the help of a great Executive Committee and all of the directors, we are off to a running start. At our May meeting, we updated and reinstated our bylaws, elected 11 directors and affirmed the election of the Executive Committee. We also changed the time of future board meetings to 2 p.m., to accommodate those working in the Library Bookstore. We will still be meeting on the third Wednesday of the month, but with all that is happening, we have decided to meet every month, except in July. The Executive Committee will meet the Wednesday before the monthly meeting to set the agenda so that our board meetings will move along more quickly. The agenda will be posted in the bookstore on Friday, and we are arranging to email a copy to each board member and committee chair.

One of our goals this year is to significantly add to our membership. We will be naming more committee chairs and hope that by the time we have our annual meeting in November or December, some of them will want to run for the board. We now have the minimum number of directors allowed (11), but there is no maximum number. We would like to see more representation from all areas and groups in the community. This is your library, and we need your involvement.

There are still many items having to do with construction that need attention (i.e. the donor wall and signage). Dick Wayman has agreed to be our liaison with the county. He will also be coordinating the purchase of outdoor benches for the Poets Patio and at the front and rear entrances to the library. This is a perfect opportunity for giving a gift to your library. We anticipate that these benches (including donor plaques) will cost approximately $1,000.

As most of you know, our bookstore is a raging success, thanks to the hard work of our manager, Flo Firth, and all her enthusiastic volunteers. The book donations keep coming and coming.

On a sad note, we will all miss Avonelle Box, who is leaving Ramona to live near her daughter, but we welcome Teresa Warner, who has stepped forward to write the articles for the Ramona Sentinel and the San Vicente Valley News. Watch for her monthly columns, “Between the Bookends."