Best of Friends Summer 2005 Published by the T H E B E S T O F Friends of the Knox County Public Library, 500 W. Church Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902 865.215.8775 FAX 865.8772 FR I E N D S Officers Knoxville, Tennessee Summer 2005 Maggie Carini President Look Who’s Talking Pego Dempster Past President At Annual Meeting Ginna Mashburn On July 19 Secretary Clyde Letsinger Jack Neely Treasurer of MetroPulse fame Larry J. Frank Library Director knows some secrets Directors about Knox County Charles Benziger Caroline Buckner libraries. Jack Neely Jerry Burdette See page 3. Gordon Clem Jean Idell Experts Find Much Bonnie Naugher Dave Patterson To Value Kelley Segars At Appraisal Elizabeth Shirley Mary Starke James Dotson’s John Thomas Elnora Williams Bessie Harvey sculpture was among Chief Library Liaison Mary Pom Claiborne the treasures brought FOTL Liaison to the library Suzanne Freeman for evaluation Coordinator on April 16. Rachel Craig See page 5. Newsletter Martha Gill How Sweet It Is! We’re on the Web— The 2005 book sale see us at <http:// garnered an all-time high, www.friendsoftheknoxcolib.org>. thanks to supporters like these E-mail us, too! enterprising <[email protected]> young readers who added cupcakes to the mix. See page 2. Best of Friends Summer 2005 What Has Made John Thomas Smile? ■ $47,900 from the sale of books ■ $8,000 from the sale of CD’s ■ for an all-high total of $55,900 ■ because of the support of scores of Friends and Knoxville agencies You’re never too young to start your own book collection as this young customer indicates. John Thomas Customers Flock to Best-Ever Book Sale By John Thomas volunteers. Jean Idell did her usual fine job Book Sale Director of lining up almost 100 members to do the set 2 The 2005 Friends of the Library Used up and work the sale. Elizabeth Shirley Book Sale was the best ever. We made over brought order out of the chaos of the $47,900.00 plus another $8,000.00 from the children’s section--an almost a impossible sale of the lawsuit CD’s for a grand total of task--and Jim and Flo Ullrich seemed to be $55,900.00. Our expenses were minimal-- there all the time, working hard. Also Jim printing, postage and the cost of moving oversaw the moving of the tables to and from the tables to and from the Candy Factory the Candy Factory and returning the boxes to and returning the boxes to the library. the library. Becky and John This success was made possible by Charles and Joyce Benziger took care of Ragsdale looked over a several factors. We had more books than the refreshments for the members-only potential purchase. we have ever had before--over 1825 boxes. opening. And, of course, the nearly 100 We received excellent publicity--better than volunteers gave their time and energy that we have ever garnered before. There was made the sale the best ever. the article in Sunday’s News Sentinel; there Now for the 2006 sale. We already have was a good news segment on WBIR’s Alive boxed 269 boxes of books which is more than at Five; and there was a live broadcast from we had for the 2005 sale at this time. The the Candy Factory on the Saturday morn- problem is going to be finding space since it ing of the Bag Sale. is fairly definite that we are going to lose the We had good support from the Community Room at the Candy Factory. community. The Public Building Authority Our minimum space requirements are and Lisa Williams once again were very around 5000 square feet, and we could cooperative. They moved the books to the probably use double that. In the past we Paris and Tess Woodhull Candy Factory, arranged for us to have the have used about 70 eight-foot tables and we baked cupcakes and sold Community Room and in a number of could probably have used double that them to benefit the other ways were helpful. Timm Jenkins of number. The Community Room in the Friends at the book sale. Richard's Design donated the revisions of Candy Factory is approximately 4000 square the graphics he designed for the 2004 sale. feet plus the foyer and the two rooms off it. Echota Beverage donated the bottled water. We’re asking all Friends to be on the The success of the sale would not have lookout for available space as centrally been possible without the work of a lot of located as possible with ample parking. Best of Friends Summer 2005 ‘Rogues, Scoundrels, Gunslingers, and Librarians: FOTL Meets What Books and Libraries Did for Boom-Town Knoxville’ In Crossville Friday, May 13, was a lucky July 19 Meeting To Spotlight Hardison, Neely day for Friends of Tennessee A filmmaker who appreciates Knox The television ads feature children’s Libraries as FOTL held its County libraries will be honored, and a story time, homebound services, business annual meeting at Fairfield historian who knows some secrets about the reference and collections, and special Glade in Crossville. Presi- dent Connie Albrecht role of libraries in K- programs. The campaign was made introduced a series of Town will speak at the possible through the generous donation of time and services by Mr. Hardison and speakers on Friends’ Friends’ annual his crew. challenges and successes. meeting on Tuesday The Friends paid for film and other TLA President Vivian Wynn evening, July 19, at the materials used in the project. read letters from Lady East Tennessee History Mr. Hardison, who worked in the Jackson and Governor Center. library’s Sights and Sounds Department Bredesen thanking Maryann Phil Hardison, Jack Neely in the late 1980’s, now produces profes- Bork and Frances Darnell, the creative force sional television commercials for compa- past presidents of FOTL, for behind a series of television ads touting the nies like Baptist Hospital and Goody’s. FOTL’s Catch ‘em in the library’s resources, will be honored; and Jack The four ads being telecast on Comcast Cradle workshops which Neely, associate editor of MetroPulse , will stations will be screened at the meeting. helped many counties launch speak about what books and libraries did for A brief business session at which the Imagination Library. Dr. Boom-Town Knoxville. Friends will elect officers will follow the Ed Gleaves, retiring state The event will begin at 7:00 with coffee commercials. librarian and archivist, and desserts by Mag-Pies. Then Mr. Neely will examine introduced his successor, Phil Hardison and his crew are respon- “Rogues, Scoundrels, Gunslingers, and Jeanne Sugg. sible for four television spots about the Librarians” in Knoxville’s past. He is the Representatives of Friends’ Friends and the outstanding materials and author of Secret History: Stories about groups shared ideas for services available in the library system. Knoxville and other non-fiction works. drawing adults to libraries: 3 performances by world-class Freeman Travels To Capitol Hill for Libraries classical guitarists, lunch- hour concerts attracting By Suzanne Freeman senators’ staffs. We stressed our support downtown workers, computer Advocacy Chair of the President’s proposed budget for classes taught by volunteers, Friends of Tennessee Libraries LSTA (Library Services and Technology ongoing art exhibits, and As advocacy chair of Friends of Tennes- Act), $221.3 million for 2006, and thanked crafts classes. see Libraries (FOTL), I was part of a delega- our representatives for supporting Suggestions for recruiting tion of 12 that asked Congress on May 3-4 to legislation favorable to public libraries. and retaining members continue and even upgrade its support of Along with our school librarians, we included bringing educators libraries. asked that Congress fund the Improving into active roles, creating Our group included Secretary of State Literacy through School Libraries at $100 business memberships, Riley Darnell, Jeanne Sugg, the new state million instead of the capped $19.6 million enrolling parents at the kick- librarian and archivist, several librarians, and (part of the No Child Left Behind Act). off for summer reading, some citizens from different regions of the The American Library Association showing the public what state representing their library systems. has a group in Washington working to Friends are doing, publishing American Library Association (ALA) keep us informed on issues affecting our “want ads” for volunteers, staff briefed us on the issues, and we met libraries. You can access its web site and providing tangible benefits with representatives. We had sessions with find answers to many of your concerns at like coffee mugs, offering all nine legislators or their staff and both < http://www.ala.org/washoff>. Friends intangible benefits like the opportunity to reach An energized Friends group needs to go out to adults in nursing electronic to speed up the delivery of SEND US YOUR homes, and even using pretty ■ late-breaking news about how Friends, the hand-addressed envelopes E-MAIL ADDRESS library, and the community co-exist; adorned with pretty stamps. ■ news about opportunities for Friendly Lunch was good, but keynote enterprises; speaker Maggie Vaughn, ■ the newsletter. Tennessee’s poet laureate, was even better. Best of Friends Summer 2005 Fair Seeks Recruits Friends acquainted inter- Citizens’ Input Needed on Appointments ested newcomers with opportunities for volunteers To Library System’s Advisory Board on February 10 at the East By Maggie Carini vote of the entire Commission. Citizen Tennessee History Center. President input at the public meeting overwhelm- Elnora Williams, Fair In response to a number of issues ingly sought these improvements to the coordinator Allison Murray, regarding current and future governance of process: and Mary Pom Claiborne the Knox County Library, the Friends ■ Qualifications that emphasize (left) welcomed Grier recently moderated a public meeting long-standing use of and interest in the Novinger (standing) and sponsored by County Mayor Mike Ragsdale.