Winter 2012 MPLF Newsletter

Winter 2012

Foundation

MADISON PUBLIC LIBRARY a quarterly newsletter from the Madison Public Library Foundation

FOUNDATION NEWS Community Called to Action in Final Phase of Central Campaign With less than a year until the grand reopening of the new Central Library, the Madison Public Library Foundation launched the community phase of the Learning for a Lifetime campaign with a celebratory luncheon on September 20. The festivities included exciting project updates, hard hat tours, and the unveiling of a new campaign website.

“These donors have recognized the value in all that a new Central library will be - a place to read, a resource center, a technological hub, and a welcoming space for people of all ages to gather,” said Campaign Chair Tripp Widder. “Now, we’re asking the entire community, ‘What will your new library be for you? Won’t you help us build it?’”

Thanks to many individuals, businesses, and foundations that stepped up early in the campaign, the foundation is 75% of the way to its $9 million goal.

Meet your new Central Library at www.mynewlibrary.org through interactive floor plans, construction and campaign updates, and learn how you can help.

Pat and Dan Cornwell investigate plans for the future library

Bea Christensen suits up for an exclusive sneak peek

Cheers to Ex Libris Volume II On October 11, over 250 guests tasted, laughed, and bid their way through Ex Libris Volume II: A Review of Beer and Chocolate, a repeat of last year’s wildly successful fall fundraiser. Six brewers, three chocolatiers and one cupcake entrepreneur joined forces for a night of exceptional tastings.

Sponsorships, ticket sales and bids on the array of delectable auction items raised $27,838 for collections and programming at all nine libraries.

Thanks to the many sponsors, donors, volunteers and guests who made it possible!

The 14 varieties of local beer gave us all something to smile about

Ex Libris Vol. II was presented by The Capital Group

Gail Ambrosius serves up her pecan smokies

FOUNDATION NEWS We Want to Know...

What did you think of this year’s Go Big Read Selection, Radioactive by Lauren Redniss?

Inquiring Minds Your Questions Answered

Al Friedman, President, MPLF

My friends and I decided the best way to describe Lauren Redniss was not as an author or an artist but as a creator. She has an amazing way of pulling together connecting and contrasting ideas and images as she unfolds this story.

Q: Can you tell me about the community phase of the campaign for Central Library?

A: The community phase of Learning for a Lifetime: The Community Campaign for a New Central Library is an important and exciting part of the overall fundraising project. When we planned the campaign, a feasibility study was done to help determine fundraising goals for different sources of donations. After a year-and-a-half of focused fundraising, a key benchmark was successfully met. The so-called “quiet phase” of the campaign was completed with the announcement of the community campaign this fall.

With over 75% of the $9,000,000 goal in-hand or pledged , we now come to you with what could be called the “noisy” phase of the campaign.

This is when we ask everyone -- past donors, friends of branch libraries, and new donors all over Madison to pitch-in for Central.

- Nancy Mohs, Book Club Challenge Committee Member Nancy Mohs

Lauren Redniss’ ability to combine personal narrative with scientific discovery, and at the same time connect the past with the present, makes this book a truly exceptional read.

- David Ward, UW-Madison Interim Chancellor

David Ward

Radioactive is a book full of the “spontaneous luminosity” Marie Curie declares her and Pierre’s discovered element, Radium, to be.

Redniss combines moving narrative with evocative cyanotype prints that glow in your mind long after you’ve finished the book.

Major donors are always interested to know how we will meet our final goal. We are often asked what we expect to receive from the people of Madison. Our fundraising goal has always included $1,500,000 from the community campaign. This is 13%-16% of the total campaign goal – not a small amount! But we know everyone realizes the importance of a state-of-the-art main library for Madison.

Central Library is the administrative home for all of the Madison branch libraries, providing services to libraries, schools, hospitals, senior centers, and other agencies. In addition to being a new attraction downtown, the new Central Library confirms Madisonians’ commitment to quality of life by investing in critical civic infrastructure.

We ask for your contribution in this newsletter, and we will ask at your branch library and at events in the coming year. Madison Public Library Foundation and all of our donors to-date depend on your participation. Now is your chance to be in league with a city of people who are contributing to this lasting project.

Thanks for your continuing support.

- Rachel Williams, Doctoral Student, UW-Madison School of Library and Information Studies Rachel Williams

I really like how it ties together so many of my interests – science, history, art – in such an intriguing format. Also, I get to discuss it in a conversational course at the French house. It’s very multi-disciplinary.

- Padraic Casserly, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student, UW-Madison Padraic Casserly

Win 10 signed copies of Radioactive for your next Book Club read!

Register as part of the Book Club Challenge at www.mynewlibrary.org and we’ll pick a winner on Nov 30th!

A published quarterly by

Madison Public Library Foundation, Inc. Executive Director

Jennifer J. Collins Newsletter Editor

201 W. Mifflin Street Madison, Wisconsin 53703 608.266.6318 mplfoundation.org info@mplfoundation.org

Courtney Davis

Contributing Writers

Tana Elias Meredith Lee

Newsletter Designer

Rebecca Curran

Madison Public Libraries • Alicia Ashman 733 N. High Point Rd. • Hawthorne 2707 E. Washington Ave. • Lakeview 2845 N. Sherman Ave. • Meadowridge 5740 Raymond Rd. • Monroe Street 1705 Monroe St. • Pinney 204 Cottage Grove Rd. • Sequoya 4340 Tokay Blvd.

• Goodman South Madison 2222 S. Park St. • Central Library Interim Location 126 S. Hamilton St.

Book Club Corner: Meet the Peace and Justice Book Club

Memorial Gift Makes Two Proctor Scholarships Possible

This December, The Peace and Justice Book Club will celebrate its 7th anniversary. The group of between 7-15 people meets monthly at the Universal Unitarian Meeting House, always for book discussions but sometimes for potlucks, too! All of the books they read focus on themes of social justice.

Thanks to a donation from Margie Navarre-Saaf in memory of her mother, Helen Navarre, the foundation awarded two Elizabeth Moon Proctor scholarships for the first time in history. Both winners, Carra Davies and Laura Wichert, were honored at a reception on September 15, where family and friends celebrated the life of “Betsy” Proctor.

What book are you currently reading? Recently, we discussed Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel. Next month’s book is Drift by Rachel Maddow.

“Lakeview is known for being a very hands-on, involved library and it’s because of Betsy,” said Navarre-Saaf. “She started that idea at Lakeview and that’s her legacy.”

What author would you like to have as a book club guest?

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, author of This Child Will Be Great and of course recent co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. We read her book a couple of years ago.

Navarre-Saaf was first introduced to Proctor as a young volunteer at the Lakeview Branch. Now borrower services manager of the entire Madison Public Library system, she cites Proctor as one of her most influential mentors.

Family and friends created the scholarship fund to perpetuate Proctor’s encouragement of young people pursuing careers in library and information studies. Mary Clark, Proctor’s sister, praised both recipients for exemplifying her welcoming attitude, commitment to customer service, and desire to combat poverty through library resources.

If you could host book club anywhere, where would it be?

One of the Hawaiian islands. What a beautiful state.

If you could invite any person to join your book club, who would it be?

We would love to have a Madison Public Library librarian join us.

One of our favorite places to browse when we come to the library is among the staff picks. There are always books that we would have never found had a librarian or knowledgeable staff member not suggested them.

Scholarship Winners with the family of Elizabeth Moon Proctor and Library Director Greg Mickells. Left to right: Mary Clark, Laura Smith, Laura Wichert, Dean Clark, Carra Davies, Greg Mickells

The Peace and Justice Book Club

Congratulations to the Peace and Justice Book Club!

They’ve won a gift card to Barriques. If you’d like to be entered in the drawing for next quarter’s newsletter, send an email to newsletter@mplfoundation.org including a brief description of your book club and your answers to the four questions above.

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LIBRARY NEWS From the Director’s Desk On the 2013 Operating Budget...

As a director, it is always suspenseful to experience a new budget process for the first time. I was concerned about the library’s 2013 operating Gregory Mickells, Director of budget, submitted in August, Madison Public Library as it contained an overall 5% cut. This would have meant a loss of staff, and a subsequent loss of library services and hours. In response, we filed a revised supplemental budget that prioritized existing staff with the Mayor’s office after my arrival.

The Mayor’s Executive Budget included our modified supplemental requests. This is great news! If this budget is adopted we will not lose staff; in fact, we will regain staff positions lost in previous budget years. If accepted, this budget also includes Sunday hours funding for three libraries: Pinney, Sequoya, and the Central Library.

An unexpected twist recently affected the Executive Budget. There has been discussion about a possible expansion to the Meadowridge Library. In response to this, Alder Larry Palm (also a Library Board member) submitted an amendment covering additional operating expenses if the expansion is approved. Alder Mike Phair, the representative for the Meadowridge Library district, co-sponsored the amendment with Alder Palm and is planning to submit an additional amendment to the capital budget to cover renovation costs if expansion occurs.

Since I’m writing prior to the official adoption of the budget, it will be a wait and see to find out exactly how the library fares. My main priority was to avoid any further reductions to staff. Any adopted budget that does not decrease our staff size and our ability to serve library customers will be welcome.

Upcoming Library Events Community Cinema Film Series

3rd Saturday of each month at 1 PM until June Sequoya Library This nine-part series, which began in September, screens sneak peeks of documentaries set to broadcast on the award-winning PBS series Independent Lens. Catch a film then stick around for a panel discussion with local experts.

Discovery! Thursdays

Every Thursday at 6:30 PM Varying Branches Get your science fix at these weekly science presentations for adults.

Learn from faculty, staff, or graduate students from UW-Madison and experts from across the region about their research. Upcoming topics range from the human lung, to the Great Lakes, to how the turtle got its shell.

Gingerbread Fun – with Zombies?

Varying dates and times from Nov 30 – Dec 17 Varying branches Run, run as fast as you can! They’ll eat your brains, zombie gingerbread men! Don’t miss a new twist on this holiday treat at Sequoya and Ashman branches. For a more traditional gingerbread experience, catch stories, games and more at the Gingerbread Cookie Fun workshops at each branch.

Libraries Closed for the Holidays

Don’t Forget! All Madison Public Libraries will be closed for these holidays: Thanksgiving – Nov 22 & 23 Christmas – Dec 23, 24, 25 New Years – Dec 30 & 31 and Jan 1 Martin Luther King’s Birthday – Jan 21

Meet Your Friends Group: Lakeview Branch On a chilly Saturday this past October, the Lakeview Library Friends group rolled up their sleeves to prep the library’s beloved garden for winter. Since its establishment in memory of long time Lakeview supporter and staff member Elizabeth Moon Proctor, the Lakeview Friends have dedicated themselves to the garden’s upkeep, led by master gardener Judy Metz.

“Whether people are out there in the garden or inside reading a book, just looking out and seeing the garden makes the shopping center and asphalt a totally different experience,” said Barb Karlen, Lakeview Friends President. “Looking out to the greenery and flowers is simply wonderful.”

Organized in the 1950s, the Lakeview Friends was the first group to form in support of a specific branch. Today, they provide Lakeview library with everyday necessities, such as magazine subscriptions, children’s book and community programs with proceeds from their quarterly book sales and memberships.

Most recently, the Lakeview Friends hosted the new Library Director Greg Mickells’ meet and greet event in September.

A group of Lakeview Friends in their gardening gear

LIBRARY NEWS Library Celebrations Introduced New Brand, New Director

by Tana Elias, Library Media Coordinator This fall, our libraries hosted nine week-long community celebrations highlighting the role Madison’s libraries play in promoting literacy, civic engagement, and vibrant neighborhoods. Each week we featured a different Madison library, with a “meet the new director” reception introducing our new logo and featuring prizes donated by area businesses.

Throughout the week, library customers were delighted to discover they’d won prizes just for visiting Library patrons with Greg Mickells at the the library and they were pleased at the Lakeview Meet and Greet opportunity to meet our new director and let him know how much the library meant to them, their families and their communities. The library’s Facebook and Twitter pages were alive with great comments and sharing of library programs and events.

2011 Annual Report The 2011 Combined Annual Report for Madison Public Library & Madison Public Library Foundation is now online!

Visit www.mplfoundation.org to view electronically or request a printed copy at 608.266.6318

The celebrations also helped new director Greg Mickells to meet library supporters in their favorite libraries and get a sense of how Madisonians value library service. He had the chance to tour all nine libraries and meet a majority of the library’s 237 staff members. At the Sequoya Library, he was even introduced to his new neighbor, who just happened to be a former Library Board member!

Special thanks to the businesses, organizations and individuals who helped Madison Public Library celebrate: The Madison Public Library Foundation for helping to fund the creation of the library’s new brand; Cricket Design Works, for the design of our new logo and brand and for “getting” Madison libraries; Amy Mertz and Katie Kennedy Shepherd for their media and planning expertise; all Library Friends groups, who underwrote and hosted library receptions; branch managers and staff for promoting celebration weeks; and area businesses who donated “seek and find” prizes, including Chocolate Shoppe, Food Fight Inc., Glass Nickel Pizza, Just Coffee Cooperative, Little Luxuries, Madison Children’s Museum, Madison Mallards, Moka, Pizza Hut, Princeton Club, and Wisconsin State Journal.

Creation Stations Coming to a Library Near You In the next few months, Goodman South Madison’s portable video production program will be ready for launch. A $24,700 grant from the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation allowed the branch to develop a Creation Station portable animation studio and hire an instructor to conduct workshops both at the branch and out in the community.

Goodman South Madison’s “The beauty of these machines Creation Station, ready for is that they are portable,” said action teen librarian Jesse Vieau, “We can bring a cool program like this directly to teens with the hope that they’ll come in and see what else the library has to offer.”

Vieau is already fielding calls to set up workshops all over the city.

Once established, the program will expand to all library locations and other youth serving organizations.

Vieau and Goodman South supervisor Michael Spelman chose to pilot the program at this branch due to the enthusiasm of the local youth. Since Goodman South’s reopening in November of 2010, teen programming participation has increased 333%. These young adults will be able to participate not only as program attendees, but also as interns, working directly with the instructor and library school graduate students.

“We can bring a cool program like this directly to teens with the hope that they’ll come in and see what else the library has to offer.”

“Many teens already are content creators to some degree, but don’t see the connection between these recreational activities and their school and work life,” said Vieau. “We want show them that they can be authors of media that voices their unique perspective, and that these activities can connect them to their peers, their community, and to the larger world in a way that is fun and meaningful.”

Sequoya Friends Challenge Branch-goers to Support Central

New Faces on the Foundation Board

Friends of Sequoya Library are doing what they can to boost the Central campaign. They are challenging Sequoya patrons to contribute to the Learning for a Lifetime campaign to support the construction of the new Central Library. The Friends will match up to $10,000 for all patrons who give to the Central campaign between November 15 and December 31, 2012.

The Madison Public Library Foundation is excited to announce the addition of four new directors who officially joined its board on October 4th. A big thank you to these wonderful volunteers.

Fabu Phillis Carter, Poet

“We recognize that Sequoya Library benefits so much from the Central Library,” said Nadine Pfotenhauer, president of the Friends of Sequoya. “It is the hub of our library system with all of the technical services and a bigger collection than Sequoya can hold. A stronger Central means a stronger library system for all of Madison.”

Michelle Kamin, CFO, Forward Service Corp.

Nancy Pandhi, Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, UW-Madison

Donating is easy - just pick up a gift envelope at the library or go to mynewlibrary.org to make an online contribution. Write “Sequoya Challenge” in the memo or notes section to make sure your gift is designated toward the challenge.

Jon Reneau, Human Resources Director, Wisconsin Department of Revenue

Thank you, Susan!

After 11 years of service and volunteering on many event committees, Susan Titus is retiring from the foundation board. Thanks, Susan, for all that you do in support of Madison’s libraries. You will be missed.

Sequoya Friends members busily sorting donated books

Cheers to Susan

A quarterly newsletter from the Madison Public Library Foundation mplfoundation.org 201 W. Mifflin Street Madison, WI 53703

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