A Long Lost Treasure is Found

Forty-five years ago, the Houston Public Library Association was incorporated as a public library under the Public Libraries Act. To make that incorporation official, a certificate of incorporation was issued by the Registrar of Companies in Victoria on January 28, 1965 and was dispatched via post along with a letter from R.L. Davison, Superintendent on February 4th.

There is no clear indication of what R.L. super-intended , though it is probably safe to assume it was the Public Library Commission, since it is on Public Library Commission letter head that the letter is neatly and perfectly typed on behalf of R.L. by mbs, whose initials follow R.L.’s in lower case – as illustrated - at the bottom of the page. (Remember when people actually had secretaries who typed their letters for them and added their lower-case initials at the end of the letters? Does that still happen?)

The certificate is printed on legal sized paper in black ink. It is numbered 79 and sports the large red seal of the office of the Registrar of Companies in the lower left-hand corner. Between the I Hereby Certify at the top and the Given at the bottom, a vast expanse of nothingness dominates the certificate. The certificate is obviously a generic form used by many departments of the government where master-typists fill in the blanks with awe-inspiring accuracy.

The letter is addressed to Mr. C.R. Matthews, Municipal Clerk, Houston, B.C. That is the actual address typed – again so amazingly perfectly – on both the letter and the envelope that it arrived in. Neither street nor box number appears anywhere, let alone a postal code. It cost the tax-payers forty-six cents to have the certificate delivered. And that was as Registered mail! There is a stamp with a large R above the mailing label with the number 7952 stamped within its borders – presumably to indicate that the letter was registered. But in case the average layman wasn’t certain about that, the word registered is also typed in red ink on the mailing label itself – presumably by the master-typist, mbs.

It took two days to get from Victoria to Houston. Two days! Imagine that. And with no box number, street address or postal code to guide it. Stamps on the back of the envelope track its progress from Victoria on February 4th to Prince George on February 5th and finally Houston on February 6th. Two days! That’s amazing. I am deeply impressed.

The reason I know so much about this certificate and the letter that accompanied it on it’s long journey from the provincial capital is because it is sitting on my desk next to my computer (with precious backspace and delete keys) in all of its original glory... Well, except for a few crinkles along the edges and a smidgeon of yellowing that is a natural result of aging in paper. I dare say that forty-five years is a fairly advanced age for these sorts of documents.

So why, you may ask, am I dithering on about this certificate and its accompanying letter? Well, because it probably hasn’t been seen since it was filed in the municipal office way back in 1965 when it was first received and duly acknowledged. The library has a faded mimeographed copy of the both of these documents and keeps them filed with the minutes from that time. But no one knew where the originals were or what had become of them.

Until last Tuesday, that is.

E, an employee of the District of Houston, stumbled across them while cleaning out some old files. L, also an employee of the District of Houston, called to see if I wanted them back. The rest, as they say, is history. Albeit, recent history.

Anyway, these long lost treasures have been found and are now in my charge. I will see to it the certificate is framed and prominently displayed. I will file the letter and the envelope safely away again – not because they are necessary or even important, but because they are interesting examples of clerical and postal efficiency from days gone by. (Two days!?)

Our Super Trustee

What does it take to be a Super Trustee? Well, in the case of HPL’s esteemed Chair, five years of service on the Board of Trustees, two of those as Chair, two years of service on the North Coast Library Federation (NCLF) Board as Chair and two years as a director for the BC Library Trustees Association (BCLTA). Not to mention endless hours of volunteer time at meetings and in consultation with Library directors, Federation Coordinators and fellow Trustees across the province. Natasha Brienen wears many hats in the provincial library world. And she does all this between taking care of her husband and four children.

At the BCLTA Annual General Meeting that was held in conjunction with the BC Library Association Spring Conference and Annual General Meeting this past April, Natasha was honoured with a Super Trustee Award. This award is presented annually to library trustees that have made major contributions to their libraries.

As presenter of the awards this year, keeping her nomination and award a secret from her was tricky. But the look on her face when Andy Ackerman, the Chair for the BCLTA, called her up to receive the reward was one of those priceless moments where one really should have had a camera ready. Alas, we were caught without photographic equipment and had to settle for the memory!

Natasha’s contribution to HPL, NCLF and the BCLTA have helped to shape library structure and leadership in the province. Her guidance and support are gratefully appreciated by the Chief Librarian at HPL and the Coordinator for the NCLF. Her voice at the provincial level ensures that library advocacy continues to reach the government and libraries continue to receive the support they need from it.

Now, it’s confession time...

This blog should have been done ages ago. I’ve been waiting for the photos from other camera-ready attendees. There have been some technical difficulties as well. But with the better-late-than-never adage rolling around in my head to assuage my guilt, here, at last, is the tribute to our wonderful and beloved Chairperson!

Congratulation, Natasha! You really are a Super Trustee!

You'll never guess what we're up to now

It’s been a while since I’ve taken the time to do an update here. It’s not that nothing is happening; it’s more a matter of not having time to sit down and put together a coherent and interesting article to post.

Today, however, I feel compelled to make the time. Something really exciting has just happened and I want to share it. In these troubled financial times, fundraising is all the more important and all the more difficult. Everyone, it seems, has their hand out and people are tired of reaching into their pockets. The begging part isn’t all that fun, either. But a little creative inspiration goes a long way.

Yesterday, two of our staff members hit on an interesting theory. What if we sold some of the used books we have on eBay or Amazon? Hmmm... I had to admit that I was a little sceptical at first. EBay was definitely out, but I suggested that we do a little research and see what is involved in listing the books with Amazon.

Guess what? It’s not rocket science. Nor do you have to sign your life away. The registration process is relatively simple and for a small per-sale fee, Amazon handles all the money. You simply list your items and wait for a customer to come along to buy them. Once every two weeks, if any of your items have sold, Amazon pays out your cut. Well, I figured it was worth a try, so I signed HPL up and started listing books.

HPL has hundreds of books for sale on a continuing basis. For a donation patrons can carry away as many books as they like. (And the more the better!) We hold a big annual book sale in the mall, but there are tons (well, at least half a ton) of books stacked up in the storage room taking up valuable space. Many of these are donations and are in excellent condition. It is from these that we are choosing the items to list on Amazon.

We have no idea how it’s going to go; if we’ll even sell anything at all. We are hopeful, though! This is a free and easy way to expand our market and reach out to book lovers beyond the walls of the library. And if it boosts our revenues even by a couple hundred dollars a year... Well, I’d say it is worth the effort. We’ll see how it goes.

As for the staff members whose suggestion it was to give this a try, they have been rewarded with giant chocolate bars for their innovative idea.

Digital Storytelling

This is the digital age! Digital media is everywhere: Computers, cell phones, cameras, ipods, and TV are all digital. Even books can be found in digital formats. Yes, digitization is everywhere and part of nearly everything.

So it was hardly surprising that a Digital Storytelling Workshop was offered at the local college. Also not surprising, I had to take a couple of holiday days and attend it.

I had visions of creating some masterpiece of digital art. What I did create is the following short video:

Understand that this is a pretty rough first draft. I probably shouldn't even be sharing it just yeat, but I was so excited about what I learned, I just couln't help myself. The last two slides have some missing text. This, I assure you, was not my fault. There was some glitch with the software and it happened to several of the workshop participants. But that's okay. It was a fun beginner project and I'm amazed at how well lit turned out with less than two days to work on it.

With a little more practice and lots more patience, I plan on reworking this piece. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed it - even in it's highly amateur state!

Blanketing Our Whole Community

It seems like many traditional crafts are experiencing a renaissance these days. Knitting, weaving and quilting are among the increasingly popular pastimes that are infecting both women and men with the creative bug. People everywhere are picking up needles, looms and sewing machines and producing incredible works of art. And they are not just armchair crafters, picking away at personal projects in front of the TV during the evenings. Not at all. Serious crafters are gathering together and forming groups that are both social and supportive.

For many years in Houston there has been a spinners and weavers group and a quilting group. More recently a knitting group has formed.

The quilters who are officially known as The Cut Loose Quilters meet biweekly in the Canfor Room at HPL to hone and share their skills. Yarn It All, the knitters, also meet bi-weekly in the Canfor Room to do the same. We aren’t sure where the spinners and weavers are gathering, but I’m fairly sure that they are gathering somewhere!

The resurgence of these crafts in recent years is interesting to say the least. The artisans that create such beautiful and practical items do so with passion and pride. Not a single item seems to be less than a labour of love.

Last week, one of the members of The Cut Loose Quilters entered the library and unfurled an example of this labour; a gorgeous quilt, which was donated to HPL for the purpose of fundraising through raffle ticket sales. The tickets will be on sale between March 24th and May 24th after which a draw will be held to determine the winner. (See picture above)

This beautiful quilt is not just a pieced-together blanket. It is a community project that started with a simple idea and will culminate in a lasting legacy for the entire community. The purchase of the material to make the quilt was sponsored by the Bulkley Valley Credit Union. The quilt itself was created by the members of the Cut Loose Quilters (quilt mom: Ene Groot; quilting done by Pam Sjoden). It was then donated to HPL. The raffle will raise money that will be used to purchase new chairs for the Canfor Room. And some lucky winner will have it to treasure for – hopefully – many, many years to come. It could even become an heirloom!

The number of people that have, are and will be touched by the quilt is extraordinary. This humble little blanket is wrapped around many shoulders. It is a symbol of how our community works together, helps each other out and rallies to support good causes.

Tickets will be on sale at the Bulkley Valley Credit Union, the Houston and District Chamber of Commerce and, of course, at the library.

(BC Gaming License #32292)

Mr. Brewstir Retires After Serious Arm Injury

For over a decade Mr. Brewstir watched over the HPL collection, ever vigilant under the weight of his personal stack of tomes. His loyalty and dedication to the library, the staff and patrons as he silently stood guard will be sadly missed as he now retires from service.

Mr. Brewstir came to Houston from the land of Costco in 1997. His first appointment was at Brewstir’s Books on the corner of 10th Street and Poulton Avenue; a job he fondly recalls as being “pleasantly aromatic.” “The smell of fresh coffee mixed with clean books... Ah! A most pleasurable place to earn a living,” Brewstir reminisced just prior to the surgery he recently underwent to mend a severely fractured right arm.

His move to the library was precipitated by the closure of Brewstir’s books in 1999. Though he nearly retired at that time, Mr. Brewstir decided to continue is career when a position suddenly opened up at the library. “I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be surrounded by all those beautiful books,” Brewstir said.

Brewstir’s peaceful work life came to a shattering end this past February when an errant and unsupervised toddler wilfully knocked him over. In the fall, Brewstir’s right arm sustained multiple fractures and his beloved stack of books was forcefully ripped away from his body. Staff members were horrified, but quickly assisted the fallen bibliophile back onto his unscathed plinth. The noble little man didn’t so much as groan, though the pain must have been terrible.

Arrangements were made to transfer the wounded Brewstir to a nearby hospital – of sorts – where he was lovingly tended to by Dr. D and his assistant T. The surgery to repair his damaged arm took just over two hours, followed by another 24 hours in traction to be sure the breaks would mend properly. It is expected that Brewstir’s stack of books will be returned to him tonight or tomorrow and that he will be able to continue to hold them for many years to come. Some follow-up, cosmetic surgery to hide the scarring is scheduled for the coming weekend.

Mr. Brewstir misses the library very much. “But it is nice not to have to spend nights and weekends all alone,” Brewstir said. “I think I shall find retirement quite enjoyable.”

"He was quite a character," said librarian Toni McKilligan. "He'll be missed around here."

At Mr. Brewstir’s request no retirement party will be held in his honour. He simply asks that everyone continue to visit the Houston Public Library and enjoy “the great books, awesome programs and convenient services thereof!”

Off to a Great Start

As the Houston Public Library Association moves into its 46th year of incorporation, we are pleased to welcome three new Trustees to our board. At the Annual General Meeting held in the Canfor Room last night (Feb 22) Natasha Tenbrinke, Lisa Makuk and Joe Aersens all accepted nominations and were elected by acclimation for two-year terms. We also welcomed back Rob Newell and Kim Marks for two-year terms. These five volunteers round out a complete board of nine Library Trustees. Until last night, we had been short two board members for some time.

At the same time the three new board members joined our team two others took their leave as Trustees. Having completed the maximum eight consecutive years permissible under the Library Act, Helen Ludditt and Margaret Monkman passed the torch – so to speak – and retired from the board. It is with great sadness that we see these two amazing women step down. HPL wishes them both the very best, but we know that we will still see them at the circulation desk and at fundraising events where they will continue to volunteer on behalf of HPL as members of the Friends of the Library.
With that, we move forward into a fresh new year full of possibilities – both good and bad. Funding issues still hover, like the grim reaper, himself, in board rooms and budget meetings all over the province. At HPL we remain optimistic, but the reality is that the province and the District of Houston hold the purse strings and can draw them tighter at any moment. On the sunnier side of things, we have already secured funding for one project: new tables and chairs for the Canfor Room. Approval for a grant from the Bulkely Valley Community Foundation along with a donation from the Friends of the Library will enable us to purchase comfortable folding chairs and sleek new folding tables. Meetings will never be the same again!

Our brand new popcorn popper is on its way to us, too. Thanks to a generous donation from Bev Lyons of PV Restaurant, our movie nights and matinees will be more theatre-like experiences for our patrons. And we won’t have to schlep the popcorn popper back and forth from the Credit Union any more! (Though we are very grateful to the Credit Union for allowing us to use theirs and for supplying the popcorn free of charge!)

So far, so good! New Trustees, new popcorn popper, new tables and chairs... 2010 is off to a great start.