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State bond issue with library facility funds squeaks by on November 6

On November 6, Maine voters narrowly approved the $43.5 million 'higher education' bond issue, which includes funds for library construction. Question 3 won by only 51.36% statewide and nine of Maine's sixteen counties rejected it. Urban areas generally supported the bond while it fared poorly in most rural areas.

Official voting results for your community may be found at the Secretary of State's website:

www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/2007/ref-nov-county.html

A summary of the vote on Question 3 by county is here.

 

A message from the new FoML President:

We live in interesting times. Despite headlines bemoaning the decline in reading among Americans, I can attest to the well-being of Maine Libraries. As a library director, and the entire staff of the Hartland Public Library, I have seen circulation grow 150% in the past year and a half. We will do 1200 interlibrary loans in 2007 and we’re adding patrons almost daily.

These same kinds of growth are happening in many other libraries across the state, all at a time when utility, postage, maintenance and material costs are eroding budgets that don’t have the luxury of tapping into new money easily or often.

This is part of why I agreed to become your new president. I had the great good fortune to be the head librarian in Boothbay Harbor for five years where the Friends group raised amazing amounts of money for the library as well as hosting numerous events and making me look good by writing thank-you notes every Friday morning in exchange for my latest pun or joke.

I am in the process of starting the first ever Friends group in Hartland, something my wife and I felt was important long before I assumed my role as the librarian. I am well aware of the kinds of magic willing and able supporters can weave in a library and that many of them do not require a lot of money to come to fruition. (continued here)

Membership Forms are here.

2008 Individual Members

2008 Organization Members

Thank you for your support of FoML

The IRS now wants an annual 'e-postcard' from every 501c3 non-profit corporation saying "We're still here." Only groups with more than $25,000 in annual revenue are currently required to file a 990 form and the IRS has simply lost track of the hundreds of thousands of smaller groups it never hears from. So starting in '08 it wants a brief on-line report with contact and activity information.

Most groups have already been alerted but the full story can be found at the IRS website: here.

FoML Web Site Use to be Expanded

The Executive Board meeting in October focused on improving FoML's communications with members and potential members. The rising cost of printing and mailing newsletters limits their appeal and the growing availability of internet access makes the web site the channel of choice. Accordingly, the FoML Board plans to introduce several innovations to make the site more informative and usable, refresh it more often, and add some form of viewer participation. More on this soon. Your suggestions are welcome! Contact us at berek@tds.net
Dates of Quarterly Executive Board meetings for 2008: Jan 28, Apr 28, July 28, Oct 27 in MSL conference room.

Save the Date on your new 2008 calendar: Friends of Maine Libraries Annual Conference - September 26
     
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