REACTIVATING THE WVLA FRIENDS DIVISION

[Ted]

Years ago, and I don't remember when, WVLA had an active Friends
Division. That division disappeared years ago.
About three months ago, three librarians who do not really fit into
other divisions began to discuss the reactivation of
the Friends Division: Pam Ford, active with the friends groups at
Cabell County Public and Marshall University; Lois
Thompson Rekowski, Mary H. Weir Public Library; and Ted Nesbitt,
Moundsville-Marshall County Public.

With the approval of the WVLA Executive Board, these three volunteers
have initiated the process of bringing the
WVLA Friends Division back to life. We are encouraging others to join
us.

Any current member of WVLA can join the Friends Division, in addition
to another division, committees, or round tables.
The Friends Division is meant to COMPLEMENT the other divisions and
NOT to REPLACE any of them.

Likely participants in the Friends Group are the following: retired
librarians, trustees, librarians and support staff [academic,
public, and school], and friends from our various communities.

WVLA President Crystal Hamrick appointed Ted Nesbitt as the interim
chair of the Friends Division.

We have decided to move slowly, gauging the interest of the WVLA
members in joining or otherwise supporting the
division. In addition to the WVLA-LIST, this message will be posted
at other lists. Please forgive the cross-posting.

Please share this message with colleagues, friends, and library users
that may be interested in the joining the
new Friends Division.

Our first "appearance" will be on January 31, at Legislative Day in
Charleston. We will have a display with photographs,
brochures about the division, and red-and-gold "Library Friend"
ribbons. We are distributing the ribbons to the members
of the legislature and asking them to wear the ribbons throughout the
day and at the evening reception in the Culture
Center. We are hoping to get all librarians and other library
supports that are attending Legislative Day to wear the
ribbons. Just find the Friends Division display and help yourself to
ribbons and brochures.

From 3:15 to 4:00 that afternoon, we will be holding an informal
discussion at the Library Commission. Please join
us to share your views about your own library's friends group and
about your interest in support this division of WVLA.

We will hold another meeting during Spring Fling at Flatwoods. The
date is Thursday, March 22, from 2:15 to 2:50 p.m. If
there is enough interest shown in reviving the Friends Division, we
will try to sponsor one or two sessions at the fall
conference.

In addition to replying to this message -- tedjn...@netscape.net --
here are some other ways to keep informed and
to get involved:

FRIENDS DIVISION at FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/groups/231816693553205/

GOOGLE GROUPS
http://groups.google.com/group/wvlafriends

SURVEY
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SQYJ8C8

This survey has been posted at Survey Monkey. We invite you to take
the survey and share your ideas with you. The
link will be posted more than once, but please respond to the survey
just one time.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Pam Ford
Lois Thompson Rekowski
Ted Nesbitt