The Friends of the Irondequoit Public Library
Newsletter
Fall 2014 Edition 2014
Friends of the Irondequoit Public Library Board Members: Terri Dalton, President
Carolyn Hammil, Vice President
Chris Finger,Treasurer
Bonnie Arnold, Secretary
Ann Bayley
Annmarie Carter
Sophie Ferenc
Diane Stark
Our Mission: The purpose of the Friends of the Irondequoit Library is to advocate for the Irondequoit Public Library by
bringing the services of the Library to the attention of the public and by raising money to sponsor programs and
otherwise assist the library. The Friends of the Irondequoit Public Library is an independent, all-volunteer, 501(C)3, taxexempt, non-profit organization.
News about the Friends of the Irondequoit Library
We have been a very busy group over the last several months! Read more about how we have encouraged use of our
libraries and represented you in our community!
Thank you to everyone who attended our annual meeting and desserts reception on June 24th! We hope you enjoyed
our review of the Friend’s accomplishments over the last few years. Library Director Terry Buford was the featured
speaker with news about our new library. Please call or email our new President Terri Dalton with any suggestions or
comments. Remember that we are always open to adding new members to our board with expertise in social media,
financial matters, and a willingness to help us bring more options to our Irondequoit patrons.
Our thanks to outgoing Friends president Ann Ryan, who led us so well over the last several years! Because of Ann’s care
and hard work, we were able to reach out to many new groups within our community with programs and initiatives that
have touched many in our community of all ages. Ann truly filled our mission to advocate for the library!
Look for our new themed raffle baskets! You will have the chance to buy your raffle tickets to win a basket at our
upcoming events. The first drawing will be on Saturday 10/25.
We will be talking to library patrons at both the Evans and McGraw libraries during National Friends of the Library Week,
10/19 through 10/25. We look forward to meeting YOU and your neighbors and friends! Tables with Friends
information will be staffed during parts of the week at both libraries during this annual event.
Look for the Friends information table when you go to the 30th annual Rotary Pasta Dinner on Sunday 11/9. The event is
at Bishop Kearney school, in the cafeteria. Hours are 1-7 pm. Support a great group who does great work in our town!
We will also be participating in the 18th annual Children’s Book Festival. This event is on Saturday 11/15/14, in the Flynn
campus center at MCC. The festival hours are 10 am until 4 pm. A terrific group of authors and illustrators will be there,
including many children’s book award winners. The mission for this event is to promote reading to and by children,
benefit Monroe County libraries, and forge connections between the community and children’s authors and illustrators.
For more information, go to http://www.rochesterchildrensbookfestival.com
We hosted a Friends information table at the weekly Irondequoit Farmer’s Market this summer. Thanks to Board
member Diane Stark for hosting this outreach effort all summer. Board member Bonnie Arnold helped, as did volunteer
Ebeth Merkle. This outreach effort to advocate for our libraries found us talking to many children, parents, and patrons
about our libraries and all they have to offer.
As part of the activities at the weekly Irondequoit Farmer’s Market, we helped to promote Story Time at the Farmer’s
Market. Children could hear a fun story narrated by an Irondequoit Public Librarian at 4:30 PM on several Thursdays
over the summer.
The K-12 Summer Reading Program we helped to fund was well attended this year! Children and Teens won prizes for
reading books. Teachers tell us this program to keep our kids reading through the summer is a great help in maintaining
learning gains.
Did you visit the Friends Used Book sale at the BBQ, Blues, and Books event at Camp Eastman on August 22 and 23? Get
more great buys on used books always for sale in the lobby at both branches of our library.
The Friends had a selection of information about our upcoming events and the library programs we help to fund at the
fall Community Garage Sale held by the Eastridge Alunmni Association on Saturday 10/18, from 10 am until 3 pm. The
sale was at the East Irondequoit Middle School, 155 Densmore Rd. Thanks to Board member Judy Michael for sharing
her space with us!
On Thursday, June 12, the friends hosted a Library Staff Appreciation Day. Our librarians were treated to a breakfast
hosted by the Friends. We are so grateful for all the energy and enthusiasm of our diverse and talented staff at both
libraries! They have found speakers, arranged for programs, and helped all our patrons to learn more about all the
resources available at our libraries! The libraries will showcase a different staff member monthly starting in November.
We participated in the St. Ann’s Health Fair on 9/11, from 9:30 am until 1: 30 pm. Our Board members Diane Stark and
Annmarie Carter staffed our table.
We welcome your support as a member! Newly redesigned membership information brochures are now available at
both branches to encourage people to join the Friends.
Great News from Librarian Matt Kreuger at the Evans Library!
Matt wrote to the Friends recently about the Summer Reading program we help to fund. The financial support from the
Friends made the program possible! He says “With your help, we were able to have 17 programs for teens with over
200 young adults in attendance! We also had 93 teens sign up to read and win prizes and over 120 sign up to volunteer.
All of these numbers are up 50% from last summer. Again, none of this would be possible without your support!”
News About the new Irondequoit Library Building
We have great news about the progress of the new library building! Everything is on track now for a finish date of early
next fall. Site preparation work has been completed and steel is being erected now! Bids have been requested and
contracts are done for the landscaping work to be done.
The current rate of progress means the outer building shell will be complete before winter bad weather and the roof will
be in place. This will allow interior work to be done over the winter without worries about rain and snow damage to the
inside of the building
If you want updates about the progress of the project, please check the project website at the address below. A timelapse video is part of the site! http://www.irondequoit.org/community/development-updates/new-public-library
Projects we are Working on Now
1. Updating out member lists. Please tell us if you move or have a new email address. We want to keep you up to
date with our newsletters and Friends special events!
Membership forms are available at both libraries, and on line at:
http://www.irondequoitlibrary.org/welcome-to-the-irondequoit-public-library/friends-of-the-library/
2. We are actively working on the Fun Fest event for May 2015. Do let us know if you can volunteer to help, have
an item we could use in a raffle, or have ideas for entertainers to please all ages that attend to this event.
3. Raffle baskets! Look for themed baskets to appear at our libraries and events as a fund-raiser, to support library
programs for all ages and interests. We have a bunch of ideas for baskets, and welcome your input with other
ideas and donations to create new baskets on a regular basis.
4. Thanks to Board Annmarie Carter for taking the initiative to set up a blog site for the Friends, and Facebook,
Flickr, and Twitter accounts too! Check us out at the following web addresses!
http://www.irondequoitlibrary.org/category/friends/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/irondequoitlibrary/
https://twitter.com/IronLibrary
We would like to thank the many patrons who have made comments at Friends events. Do tell us your ideas and give us
feedback about what programs you want to see at our libraries.
On Tuesday Feb. 16, 2014, the McGraw Branch of the Irondequoit Public Library participated in NYLA'S " Snapshot of a
Library Day.". As part of the day, Staff asked Patrons of the Library, " Why is the Irondequoit Public Library essential to
them." Here are some of their answers:
The children's programs are incredible! For a stay at home mom they are truly a god-send! My son has come to
love the library because of story time and other great children's activities.
I'm always here. If not to use the computer, to pick up DVDs. I go through 2 books a week. Special events.
Speakers. I'd die without the library. ( by Ava Coleman )
The library is my lifeline to the world. I'm here every day - reading a variety of newspapers, researching online (
no home computer ), and browsing the stacks for the joy of discovering a book that " leaps " out at me. I love to
read all kinds of books: fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, travel adventures, etc. I could never afford to purchase (
nor would I want to ) the number of books that I borrow on a regular basis.
I love this library. It's a peaceful retreat from the complications of modern life. It fuels a joy of discovery. And it
engenders a sense of community.
I read at least 2 or 3 books a week and I couldn't afford to buy that many on my social security income, so I
patronize the library, so I'll have a variety of books to read.
As a senior citizen, the programs at the library are free and essential to provide me with opportunities to keep
my mind active. Carrying so many books back and forth to the library and walking up and down the stairs ( to
programs in the basement ) helps keep the body active as well. The library keeps us out of our rocking chairs
and also exercises our minds when we are rocking in them.
2014 Meeting dates for the Friends of the Irondequoit Public Library
We meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month, at 7 pm. Meeting locations alternate between the Evans and McGraw
branches. Our meeting schedule for the rest of 2014 is as follows.
10/28 at the Evans Library
11/25 at the McGraw Library
Helen McGraw Branch
2180 E Ridge Rd
Rochester, NY 14622
(585) 336-6060
mcgrawbr@libraryweb.org
12/30 At the Evans library
Pauline Evans Branch
45 Cooper Rd
Rochester, NY 14617
(585) 336-6062
evansbr@libraryweb.org
Go to the sites shown for hours and directions to our libraries.
45 Cooper Road
Rochester, NY 14617
Non-profit Org.
U.S. Postage
Rochester, NY
Permit No. 74