Valerie Stryker
President of the
Friends of New Canaan Library
2008-2009

ANNUAL REPORT

In 2008-2009 the Friends of New Canaan Library once again had a terrific year. Our Friends are a dedicated and hard-working group, who through the gifts of time and talent do so much throughout the year to enhance the New Canaan Library. In recognition of this hard work, the Friends of Connecticut Libraries awarded our Friends their “group of the year award” for towns with a population under 20,000. Here are some of the highlights of the year.

The Art Committee headed by Susie Salomon kept our gallery alive with eight exhibits showcasing a variety of work. With artists’ contributions from the sale of their work, we installed a beautiful new hardwood floor in the gallery, which transformed the exhibit space. One artist summed up her experience of having a show here as follows, “I was very impressed by the welcoming warmth and incredible vitality of the Library – it is obviously a hub of activity in the community.”

Our monthly Lunch Bunch Book Talk really took off this year and the number of attendees who actively participate has continued to grow. We have been fortunate this year to have four authors lead the discussion of their latest book at this lunchtime gathering, where we try to match the menu to theme of the book.

The Friends have sponsored many enjoyable programs for our youngest patrons in the Children’s Room. Some of these this year include pre-school arts and crafts workshops that are held throughout the year; the Norwalk Symphony’s “Not Just for Kids” series of educational and “hands on” musical performances, each highlighting a different section of the orchestra; a visit with animals provided by the Connecticut Zoological Society; a “Flute, Sweets and Tickletoons” concert for young children; a Shakespeare performance adapted for children from Shakespeare on the Sound, co-sponsorship of the Book Voyagers Book Club book discussion series; and an Irish music program with performers singing, playing the fiddle, the banjo, the mandolin and the piano.  At this last event, Irish soda bread was enjoyed by the more than 100 in attendance.

To celebrate National Library Week the Friends sponsored a program for mothers and their babies on sign language for infants; a party for children to plant seeds in a decorated pot and listen to stories and poems about spring; and a Wild Things-themed pizza party with readings by New Canaan’s own Anna Holbrook, a professional actress. The Friends also sponsored a softball team in the New Canaan Baseball and Softball League. On team photo day we staffed a table with and distributed Library wristbands, bookmarks, pencils, and information about the Library. We also held a raffle for a number of sports-related books and had forms to sign up for a Library card.

The Movie Discussion Committee is enjoying growing success after last year’s first full year of this program. This year the decision was made to have a “Director’s Series” where two movies of one director are discussed in an evening. This series has enjoyed very favorable publicity – including a full page color article was in a weekend pullout section of The Stamford Advocate.

 This was the 25 th Anniversary Season for our well-regarded Notes In Midwinter Musical Series. Every Sunday afternoon in January a wonderful line up of musician perform in concert. For this special anniversary year, New Canaan-raised concert pianist Andrew Armstrong led off the series. This concert was enjoyed by an overflow audience of 350, who were treated to a reception following the concert. Three more concerts followed on successive Sundays and they were all very well attended and received.

Other contributions the Friends have made to the New Canaan Library during the year have included the purchase of 16 chairs used throughout the Library; purchasing numerous Connecticut museum passes (through the CT Museum Pass Program) for use by our patrons; hosting the annual Holiday Luncheon enjoyed by about 80 staff and volunteers; the purchase of three display racks that can hold posters and pamphlets; refurbishment of a number of pieces of furniture in the Library, and a $10,000 commitment to fund, in part, a new state of the art web site for the Library.

How the Friends are able to bring all these wonderful items and events to the Library is through the Book Sales. Two a year, along with a very much improved and growing ongoing monthly book sale, raise approximately $40,000 for the Friends’ activities. I cannot thank the Book Sale Committee enough for their tireless efforts.

The New Canaan Friends volunteers, in partnership with library staff, make the New Canaan Library the town’s finest resource!

Valerie Stryker, President