Friends of the Holmes Public Library
Member Newsletter
Spring/Summer 2015
Supporting the Holmes Public Library since 1987
Letter from the Friends’ President
Contents
Letter from President
1
Note from Director
1
Treasurer’s Report
2
Past Events
2
Upcoming Events
3
Volunteers Needed
4
Membership Info
4
Current Board
4
It's been a busy season for the
Friends of the Library! With your
membership support, we have been
able to sponsor several programs
for adults and children and even
purchase items needed at the
library such as the new Bruins
display case. Without Friends like
you, the Holmes Public Library
wouldn't be the gem that it is!
some of these volunteers are
planning to step down. Without
others to volunteer, the Friends
of the Library will not be able to
continue its work to support the
library. The time commitment is
about two hours a month, but
the rewards that come from
volunteering are much greater!
If you can help or would like to
We need to ask our Friends to step know more, please contact the
up to help support the library in library or email the Friends at
the next few months. In May, the [email protected]
Friends of the Holmes Public Don't forget that the annual Book
Library will hold elections for board and Bake sale will be here soon!
member positions. Currently, the Get your donations ready! We
Friends is led by a small group of appreciate all of your support!
community members who have
volunteered their time and talents Thank you!
for many years. Unfortunately,
Jen Packard
Note from the Library Director
Upcoming
Events



Books in Bloom
Volunteer
Appreciation
Annual Book &
Bake Sale
On behalf of all of the staff and
myself I want to thank you, the
Friends of the Library, for your
generous donations of time and
money, and all of the volunteer
work and fundraising!
Without the Friends, we could
not have our amazing summer
reading programs for children. (Miss
Marie has already been planning the
Heroes-themed program for this
summer for months!) We would also
not have extra copies of the books
on middle and high school summer
reading lists.
Over the past several months,
in addition to much else, the
Friends have funded purchases of
step stools for the rest rooms
(bought at the suggestion of a
young man who couldn’t reach
the sink) and a frame for the
signed hockey shirt given by the
Boston Bruins after a storytime
with Blades last August.
Thank you!
Laurie Cavanaugh
Page 2
Treasurer’s Report & Other News
Friends Newsletter
Treasurer’s Report – March 25, 2015
1. Account Balances
a. Checking Account Balance:
$1,747.78
b. Savings Account Balance:
$4180.74
TOTAL FUNDS ON ACCOUNT
The Friends’ 5th Annual Silent
Auction – organized each year by
Joan Brides – brought in $803 last
December. The best year ever!
Thank you to all who donated
items and placed bids!
$5928.52
2. Income Received Since Last Meeting
a. Memberships (2)
$27.00
b. Ongoing Book Sale
$95.00
c. Savings Account Interest
TOTAL INCOME
$0.10
$122.10
3. Expenses Paid Since Last Meeting
“A library outranks any
other one thing a
community can do to
benefit its people. It is a
never failing spring in the
desert.” – Andrew Carnegie
a. Step stools for bathrooms
$29.18
b. Bruins Jersey display case
$119.95
c. Poland Springs H20 service
$7.77
d. W.B. Mason coffee supplies
$53.71
TOTAL EXPENSES
$210.61
Short Story Contest and Words with “Friends”
The Friends of the Librarychallenged the community with a
Very Short Story Contest in March.
Stories could be no longer than 400
words, but the trick was that words
with the letter “A” weren’t allowed.
wasn’t eligible to win… despite
submitting an extremely original
robot story!
Words with “Friends” on Saturday,
March 28, was a challenging round
of Scrabble-like word puzzles, also
Maybe it was a bit too challenging, organized by Mike Lynch. It was a lot
because only five brave souls of fun, and we hope Mike will offer
entered the contest, including it again in the future for those who
couldn’t make it!
contest organizer Mike Lynch, who
Short Story Contest Winners
1st - Laurie Cavanaugh,Confidence Crisis
2nd - Michael Fruzzetti, Kudos to Dell
3rd - Janet M Poulos, Villano
4th-Joanne Harris, My Terrible TwentyFour-Hour Day
Thank you to Mike and the contest
judges, including Selectman Kim Roy!
Friends Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Page 3
Books in Bloom Show & Volunteer Appreciation
Make a floral or craft arrangement
designed around the cover of a
favorite book and display it at the
library for Books in Bloom in May!
Please register by April 28 and set up
your display on Saturday, May 2, 1011:30 a.m. Then, come in May 2nd–8th
to vote for your favorite display! Prize
certificates will be awarded at the tea
on Saturday, May 9th, following
Spouting Off! a pottery demonstration
at 11 a.m.
Spouting Off! — a demonstration of
teapots from around the world by
master potter Rick Hamelin — is
funded by the Halifax Cultural Council,
a local agency funded by the
Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state
agency. Books in Bloom is sponsored by
the Friends of the Library.
“Spouting Off”
Teapots from Around the World
Saturday, May 9, 11:00 a.m.
Followed by the Volunteer
Appreciation Tea.
All welcome!
Friends’ Annual Book & Bake Sale — May 30, 10–1
The Friends’ Annual Book & Bake
Sale on Sat., May 30, 10-1, is a
major fundraiser for the group!
Please bring your donations of
gently used books, DVDs, and CDs to
the library starting May 1. Donations
of baked goods may be brought to
the library on Friday, May 29, or
the morning of the sale.
Please bring donations during open
hours only (Mon & Wed 12-8; Tues,
Thurs, & Fri, 10-5; and Sat, 10-2.)
This year, the Friends are trying
something new…keeping the sale up
during the following week through
Friday, June 5, for anyone who
can’t make it the day of the sale.
Volunteers are needed to help set
up on the evening of Wed., May 27,
and at 9 a.m. on the morning of the
sale, as well as to help out during
the sale. Volunteers are also needed
for clean-up on Sat., June 6, 10-12.
If you would like to be added to the
Friends volunteer list, please email
[email protected]
or call the library at 781-293-2271.
TixKeeper — Reserve Museum Passes Online
Through support from the Friends
and from the Halifax Cultural
Council, the Holmes Public Library
has several passes/coupons that
provide discounted or free admission
to area museums.
April vacation week fills up fast, but
please remember there is a limit of
one pass per family per day! TixKeeper
is
funded
with
federal
funds
administered by the state Board of
Library Commissioners.
Now, with the library’s new
TixKeeper page, you may reserve a
pass online with your library card
number instead of waiting for the
library to be open and remembering
to call.
Try it out at holmespubliclibrary.org!
To keep up with all library and town
events by email, subscribe to the
Holmes Public Library monthly enewsletter at holmespubliclibrary.org/
BookLetters_Signup.html
This year, the Book & Bake
Sale will be held on May 30
(the last Saturday of May)
instead of the usual first
Saturday in June. Please
come on the day of the sale
for the best selection, but
the sale will be left up during
library hours through June 5!
Museum Passes
Boston Children's Museum
Harvard Museum of Natural
History
Heritage Museums & Gardens**
JFK Library & Museum
Massachusetts Parks
Museum of Fine Arts**
Museum of Science
New England Aquarium
Plimoth Plantation &
Mayflower II*
Roger Williams Park Zoo
USS Constitution Museum
*funded by the Halifax
Cultural Council
**funded by the Friends
How Can You Help?
Friends of the Holmes Public
Library
470 Plymouth St.
Halifax, MA 02338
Phone
(781) 293-2271
E-mail
[email protected]
The Friends of the Holmes Public
Library need volunteers to join the
Friends board (see p. 1). Volunteer
bakers are needed for the Book &
Bake sale (see p. 3) and for the
Volunteer Appreciation Tea (see p.
3), and for help during both events.
extras that aren’t included in the
library’s regular budget.
The Friends are a very friendly
group of library supporters who
meet monthly (10x/year) and
organize fundraisers to pay for

Purchase a Friends insulated
tumbler w/straw or backpack
(great for summer car trips!)

Support the Book & Bake Sale

Encourage a friend to join/renew

Attend the Apr. 22 or May
meeting and share your ideas!
Membership Information
National Library Week is April 12-18, so
this is a great month to join or renew!
Wondering if your membership is
current? Please ask at the library or
check with Corresponding Secretary
Maureen Rogers at 781-294-0569 or
[email protected].
Senior – $2 per year
Individual - $5 per year
Family - $10 per year
Patron - $25/year
Business - $50/year
Sponsor - $100/year
Lifetime - $250
Read to Grow!
We’re on the Web!
holmespubliclibrary.org/Friends.html
Mission Statement and Current Officers
The mission of the Friends of the Holmes Public Library, Inc. is to
support the Holmes Public Library by sponsoring library activities and
programs; donating materials and books; and stimulating volunteer
services and gifts to the library.
100% of all funds raised are spent directly on materials and programs
that benefit the library, its patrons, and the community.
The Friends of the Holmes Public Library are a 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization, so gifts to the Friends and membership dues are taxdeductible. Please make checks out to “Friends of the Holmes Public
Library, Inc.”
Thank you!
Current Board
Chair – Jen Packard
Treasurer – Monica Mueller
Recording Secretary – Jeanne Kling
Corresponding Secretary – Maureen Rogers
Directors/Members at Large
Joan Brides, Mary Howlett, Joyce Jacobson
Trustee Liaison – Ava Grimason