annual report

AGASSIZ LIBRARYALDERGROVE LIBRARYBOSTON BAR LIBRARYBROOKSWOOD LIBRARYCHILLIWACK LIBRARYCITY OF LANGLEY LIBRARYCLEARBROOK LIBRARYFORT LANGLEY LIBRARYGEORGE MACKIE LIBRARYHOPE LIBRARYLADNER PIONEER LIBRARYMAPLE RIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARYMISSION LIBRARYMOUNT LEHMAN LIBRARYMSA CENTENNIAL LIBRARY

MURIEL ARNASON LIBRARYMURRAYVILLE LIBRARYPITT MEADOWS PUBLIC LIBRARYTERRY FOX LIBRARYTSAWWASSEN LIBRARYWALNUT GROVE LIBRARYWHITE ROCK LIBRARYYALE LIBRARYYARROW LIBRARY

WHITE ROCK LIBRARY Photo by Albert Normandin

Building a Better Library System Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) is a network of 24 libraries serving 15 communities across the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. Each location provides a group gathering place, an oasis of learning and a venue for community activities. FVRL recognizes the important role that libraries play in people’s lives. In 2011, we experienced both change and growth as we worked to meet the evolving needs of our customers and communities.

New TechnologiesTechnological innovation is one area where FVRL continues to improve service to our customers. In 2011, we started replacing barcodes with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags. This system will make it easier for customers to check out and return library materials. FVRL also strategized new ways to communicate to the public through electronic media. We grew our social media presence and started the transition to digital displays in our libraries. The new displays will keep customers informed about library happenings and minimize paper-based promotions.

Donor RelationsIn 2011, FVRL embarked upon a new donor relations strategy. This program aims to build relationships with current and potential donors, and will enhance system-wide fundraising and events. Adding online giving through CanadaHelps provides customers with a simple and convenient way to give back to the library.

FVRL received a historic donation of art from Mona Allister by her late husband, nationally acclaimed Canadian artist William Allister. This generous gift included 11 paintings from the artist’s International Col-lection. The paintings will hang in FVRL libraries, in fulfillment of the artist’s wish that the public enjoy these creative works that brought him so much pleasure.

Advocacy and LeadershipThe year 2011 saw increasing economic pressures facing the provincial government. FVRL board members responded by working with their local councils to defend the library. The councils passed a resolution impressing upon the province the tremendous value received by investing resources in the library. Board members also sought government support for improving technology and Internet bandwidth for less populated regions of the province.

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR & CEO

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This was also the year that two FVRL board members were honoured for local and regional leadership. Mayor Peter Fassbender of the City of Langley and Councillor Grant Ward of the Township of Langley received the BC Library Trustees Association’s distinguished Super Trustee Award. Mayor Fassbender also received the esteemed Nancy Bennett Award. This honour recognizes the mayor’s role in influencing the pro-vincial government to continue funding collaborative services of the BC public library community.

Building CommunitiesIn 2011, we continued to build stronger communities in partnership with local agencies, school districts and businesses. FVRL entered into an agreement with Abbotsford School District #34 and the City of Abbotsford to operate a joint school and public library at Abbotsford Collegiate. The new facility is scheduled to open in November 2012.

The FutureFraser Valley Regional Library strives to meet the needs of residents in all the communities we serve. The library is a vital community resource for literacy, recreation and informed decision making. We look forward to the years ahead as our libraries continue to be places where great ideas happen and where people connect with the information that will transform their lives.

PETER FASSBENDER Mayor of the City of Langley and 2011 FVRL Chair

ROB O’BRENNAN FVRL Chief Executive Officer

MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR & CEO

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A Proud LegacyThe idea of bringing the library to the rural population in BC began with a 1927 province-wide survey conducted by the Provincial Public Library Commission. The survey’s key finding was that large adminis-trative library districts should be created to serve rural communities that could not afford to provide library service on their own. These dis-tricts would rely on cooperation and resource-sharing between munic-ipalities and school districts.

Based on this recommendation, the Commission sought funding to carry out an initial trial project. The Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded a $100,000 grant to establish and maintain a rural library project for five years. The library’s first director, Dr. Helen Gordon Stewart, went about organizing the district, selecting books, hiring staff and purchasing a truck suitable for use as a book van.

The Fraser Valley Book Van project covered an area of approximately 2,600 square kilometres and contained 24 separate governing bodies. Operating in conjunction with local libraries located in the larger towns throughout the Valley, the Book Van made its first public appearance in July of 1930. Stopping at grocery stores, schoolhouses and gas sta-tions, the van visited rural residents from Hope to Ladner with books displayed along its outside shelves.

When the Carnegie funds were exhausted, Fraser Valley residents were asked to vote whether they wished to support the library through local taxes. Twenty of the original 24 areas voted “yes.” The resources of the Carnegie rural library project were turned over to the new Library Board of Management on September 28, 1934, at a ceremony in Chilliwack.

HISTORY

Who We AreFVRL is the largest public library system in British Columbia. We serve over 680,000 people through 24 community libraries. We are a hub for community connections and culture. With a mission “to connect people to the world of information and ideas,” we play a prominent role in com-munities throughout the Fraser Valley.

FVRL’s customer base includes all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. To our diverse customers, we offer free• access to popular and relevant materials

through a “floating collection” of over 1.3 million items;

• information and referral services deliv-ered by knowledgeable staff;

• programming that reflects community priorities and interests, including some presented in collaboration with com-munity partners; and

• 24/7 online services, including access to eBooks and other online resources.

FVRL is governed by a board of directors and financially supported by our member municipalities. Our board members are elected officials of our member municipal-ities. We are funded by our member mu-nicipalities and through a Government of BC operating grant.

FVRL has created unique cost-saving part-nerships with its member municipalities. Operating expenses are kept low through shared centralized purchasing, administra-tive and programming services. Staffing, collections, information technology (IT) and other library service costs are shared between member municipalities and ap-portioned through a member-created funding formula. For example, cost savings are realized by having a centrally based IT department providing stable and secure IT infrastructure for the 24 libraries and administrative centre. IT, like all depart-ments, is constantly seeking opportuni-ties and solutions to enhance IT services to both customers and staff.

BACKGROUND

FVRL’s buildings, with the exception of the Administrative Centre, are planned, owned and maintained by the munici-palities they reside in. Each of our librar-ies has its own local flair — reflecting the unique characteristics of the communities they serve. Operating and services agree-ments between FVRL and its member municipalities outline who is responsible for each of the various aspects of operat-ing the libraries.

FVRL maintains a highly trained, friendly and dedicated staff. We are focused on providing excellent customer service. We develop our staff by offering various career development initiatives and education opportunities, including support for staff attending programs such as Library Tech-nician and Masters of Library Information Sciences.

Our MissionTo connect people to the world of information and ideas.

Our VisionTo be an innovative organiza-tion that is recognized as a vital community destination and re-source for literacy, recreation, and informed decision-making.

Our Values• community development• universal access• respect for diversity• respect for staff• collaboration and

partnerships• innovation and risk-taking

BACKGROUND

THE SYSTEM

The Strength of the SystemThe FVRL system is a partnership between government, library staff and the public. It is a framework that allows municipalities to share resources and offer services in a way that is efficient and cost effective. The FVRL system celebrates the special character of each library in each community. At the same time, each is part of a wider network that links our customers with information and resources that are both local and global in scope. In this way, we are fulfilling our mandate — to connect people to the world of informa-tion and ideas.

FVRL StaffFVRL employs about 380 dedicated staff members. These include the highly-skilled and helpful people you see at your library every day — librarians, technicians, circulation staff and student pages. The library also employs administrative staff to manage the organization’s daily opera-tions. FVRL fosters staff by encouraging innovation, collaboration and diversity.

The FVRL Administrative CentreThe Administrative Centre is the main hub of FVRL’s day-to-day operations. Located centrally in Abbotsford, the “AC” houses the system’s administrative offices, infor-mation technology, shipping and outreach services.

THE SYSTEM

FVRL Local Governments• City of Abbotsford• City of Chilliwack• Corporation of Delta• Fraser Valley

Regional District• Village of Harrison

Hot Springs• District of Hope• District of Kent• City of Langley

• Township of Langley• District of

Maple Ridge• Metro Vancouver

(Barnston Island)• District of Mission• City of Pitt Meadows• City of Port

Coquitlam• City of White Rock

The 2011 FVRL BoardFVRL is governed by a board of directors. Board members are elected officials of its member municipalities.

• Coun. Jordan Bateman (Langley Township)

• Director Bill Dickey (FVRD)• Mayor Peter Fassbender (Langley City)• Coun. Helen Fathers (White Rock)• Coun. Simon Gibson (Abbotsford)• Coun. Terry Gidda (Mission)• Coun. Ken Huttema (Chilliwack)• Coun. Linda King (Maple Ridge)

• Director Gayle Martin (Metro Vancouver)

• Coun. Bob Perry (Harrison Hot Springs)

• Coun. Anne Peterson (Delta)• Coun. Ron Smith (Hope)• Coun. John Van Laerhoven (Kent)• Coun. Deb Walters (Pitt Meadows)• Coun. Michael Wright (Port Coquitlam)

The FVRL BrandThe FVRL identity symbolizes the diversity of our library branches, as well as the unity of the system as a whole. The logo’s modular design reflects the library’s evolving role in the community as we move further into the Digital Age. Interchangeable, brightly coloured blocks create limitless combi-nations and possibilities. Drawing on systems such as semaphores, Braille and many others, the modular blocks reflect the modern library’s role as a conduit of information — not just in print but also in electronic form.

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THE SYSTEM

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21 19

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ABBOTSFORDA. Administrative Centre1. Clearbrook Library2. Mount Lehman Library 3. MSA Centennial Library

BOSTON BAR4. Boston Bar Library

CHILLIWACK5. Chilliwack Library6. Yarrow Library

DELTA7. George Mackie Library8. Ladner Pioneer Library9. Tsawwassen Library

HOPE10. Hope Library

KENT AND HARRISON HOT SPRINGS11. Agassiz Library

LANGLEY CITY12. City of Langley Library

LANGLEY TOWNSHIP13. Aldergrove Library14. Brookswood Library15. Fort Langley Library16. Muriel Arnason Library17. Murrayville Library18. Walnut Grove Library

DELTA

WHITE ROCK

LANGLEY TOWNSHIP

PITT

MEADOWS MAPLE RIDGE

LANGLEY CITY

PORT COQUITLAM

THE SYSTEM

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5

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4MAPLE RIDGE19. Maple Ridge Public Library

MISSION20. Mission Library

PITT MEADOWS21. Pitt Meadows Public Library

PORT COQUITLAM22. Terry Fox Library

WHITE ROCK23. White Rock Library

YALE24. Yale Library

MISSION

DISTRICT OF KENT

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS

BOSTON BAR

YALE

ABBOTSFORD

CHILLIWACK

HOPE

THE SYSTEM

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DISTRICT OF MAPLE RIDGEPopulation: 75,051• Maple Ridge

Public Library

CITY OF CHILLIWACKPopulation: 78,783• Chilliwack Library• Yarrow Library

CITY OF PORT COQUITLAMPopulation: 56,451• Terry Fox Library

TOWNSHIP OF LANGLEYPopulation: 103,793• Aldergrove Library• Brookswood Library• Fort Langley Library• Muriel Arnason Library• Murrayville Library• Walnut Grove Library

CITY OF ABBOTSFORDPopulation: 136.123• Clearbrook Library• MSA Centennial Library• Mount Lehman Library

CORPORATION OF DELTAPopulation: 100,541• George Mackie

Library• Ladner Pioneer

Library• Tsawwassen Library

THE SYSTEM

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All population figures are estimates based on recently reported statistics.

DISTRICT OF MISSIONPopulation: 36,684• Mission Library

CITY OF LANGLEYPopulation: 25,526• City of Langley

Library

CITY OF WHITE ROCKPopulation: 19,102• White Rock Library

DISTRICT OF HOPEPopulation: 6,269• Hope Library

DISTRICT OF KENT SERVING THE VILLAGE

OF HARRISON HOT SPRINGSPopulation: •6,103(Kent) •1,594(Harrison

Hot Springs)• Agassiz Library

YALEPopulation: 186• Yale Library

BOSTON BARPopulation: 860• Boston Bar Library

fraser valley regional district:

CITY OF PITT MEADOWSPopulation: 18,1611• Pitt Meadows

Public Library

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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2011 AchievementsNew Program GuideFVRL’s first program guide was published in September. The free guide will come out three times per year and highlight the library’s many programs and services. The guide is available at all FVRL libraries and other locations through-out the community. An online version can be found at www.fvrl.ca.

Find It at FVRLFVRL introduced the Find It campaign in Sep-tember’s Fall Program Guide. The overarching theme will have a sub-theme that changes with every guide, such as Homework Help, Your Next Project, Summer Fun, and more. The theme allows FVRL to strategically plan and market library pro-grams, events and services.

William Allister Artwork DonationA total of 11 paintings, including the entire Inter-national Collection painted by the acclaimed Canadian artist William Allister, were donated to FVRL by his widow Mona Allister. These ex-ceptional paintings, valued at approximately $100,000, will move to their permanent homes in FVRL’s various branches in late 2012.

Read for LifeIn March, the Read for Life campaign began to raise public awareness about the importance of adult literacy. FVRL produced a short film about adult literacy, added materials to the adult learn-ing collection and teamed up with local literacy organizations. Bus and radio ads were used to help remove the stigma associated with low lit-eracy skills and to invite adult learners to the library for help with reading and writing.

FVRL Fall 2011 Program Guide www.fvrl.bc.ca1

Fall Program GuideSeptember – December 2011

Celebrate Diwali Read to Your Child Online Resources and eBooksPlus events and programs at 24 fvrl locations!

homework help

readfor life

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

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New CatalogueA new socially minded catalogue powered by BiblioCommons was launched in April. This new catalogue offers customers a more interactive online library experience. Some of the impressive features include the ability to contribute ratings and reviews, create and share favourites lists and get personalized recommendations.

Summer Reading ClubsThe kids, teens and adult Summer Reading Clubs had record enrollment with 14,444 participants — a six per cent increase over the previous year. This fun program offers clubs for all age groups and promotes the love of reading, along with ex-citing summer entertainment and prizes.

All Aboard for KindergartenAll Aboard for Kindergarten celebrated its five-year anniversary with a 30 per cent increase in enrollment of kindergartners over the previous year. This innovative program is delivered in part-nership with nine Fraser Valley school districts and supports kindergartners’ pre-reading skills, encourages family reading and increases aware-ness of the public library.

Reading Link Challenge (RLC)Reading Link Challenge turned 10! This ever-popular program grew by two participating school districts for a total of 15 school districts in British Columbia and Washington State. RLC was designed by FVRL for students in Grades 4 and  5, and is delivered through partnerships with nine other library systems and two BC uni-versities. It celebrates the “sport” of reading by promoting literacy, teamwork and camaraderie.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

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MAPLE RIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY Photo by Albert Normandin

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

2011 budget 2011 actual 2010 actual

revenue Member assessments 19,804,098 19,761,553 18,533,970 Fine revenue 595,230 569,254 554,111 Other library-based revenue 382,998 509,370 389,425 Federal government grants 9,285 9,285 9,500 Provincial government grants 1,447,672 1,489,840 1,375,778 Other donations and grants 95,106 — 116,719 Return on investments 38,000 43,738 24,677

22,372,389 22,383,040 21,004,180

expenditures Salaries and benefits 15,562,600 15,477,019 14,655,592 Library materials 403,446 762,140 637,814 Operating expenses 2,760,609 2,806,103 2,645,896 Library Interlink 135,000 129,972 126,563 Amortization of

tangible capital assets 3,046,459 3,046,459 3,033,590

Loss on disposal of tangible capital assets — — 368,239

21,908,114 22,221,693 21,467,694

annual surplus (deficit) 464,275 161,347 (463,514)accumulated surplus, beginning of year 10,393,388 10,393,388 10,856,902

accumulated surplus, end of year 10,857,663 10,554,735 10,393,388

Statement of Operations and Accumulated SurplusYear ending December 31, 2011, with comparative figures for 2010:

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DONORS

Our Thanks! Abby CAP Network —

Abbotsford Community Services

Agassiz-Harrison Lions Club

Agassiz Library Society — Friends of the Library

Mona AllisterEleanor AnnisCouncillor Jordan BatemanKrystyna BieleckaMaria ChristowTerry DaviesMary Anne DayDelta Friends of the

LibraryDelta Low Vision GroupMrs. Gurcharan DhillonDaljit DidhuDr. Lloyd & Kay Chapman

Charitable FoundationVilma D’SouzaMr. S. Dal EdworthyEnvision Financial —

Yarrow BranchExcel Career InstituteFirst West Credit Union

— LangleyFirst West Credit Union

— YarrowFraser Valley Indo

Canadian Business Association

Friends of the Abbotsford Libraries

Friends of the Chilliwack Library

Friends of the Terry Fox Library

Councilor Terry GiddaBalbir GillRaymond GoddardIlene GrantEdna GravesVern HanslerErnie HarderHarrison Hot Springs

PreschoolJo-Anne HarrisonAdelaide HeppnerMr. R. A. HolroydHSM Mobile Truck RepairJoy IzanArdis JanzenMary Patricia KellyKhalsa Diwan Society of

AbbotsfordCouncilor Linda KingSophie KlassenElinor KnightMary KrauseArlene KroppPat L’OrangeMarcy LuiLois MacKenzieMalwa Auto RepairMaple Ridge Better

Breathers ClubMaple Ridge City Council

Beta Sigma PhiBarbara MasonBeverly McLaughlin

Mission Friends of the Library

Marsi NeufeldCouncilor R. A. PerryMike and Vicki RayRemax Realty

— AbbotsfordShelley ReidEdward RichardsonJoette S. RooneyRotary Club of HaneyMr. & Mrs. H. Earl RoweHelen SchoenbachRicky SkeneAnnette StromEric A. StromKen and Kathryn SwalwellKarin ThomasUnited Way of the Fraser

ValleyLynn VandeveldeRichard Von KleistLinda WatsonEdith WeaverMary-Lee WebsterLara WestBarbara WhiteWhite Rock Philosopher’s

CaféJill WilchekJean WilkinsonShirley WilsonWJ Mouat Secondary

SchoolCouncilor Michael WrightKen Wuschke

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TERRY FOX LIBRARY, PORT COQUITLAM Photo by Albert Normandin

Fraser Valley Regional Library Administrative Centre 34589 DeLair RoadAbbotsford, British Columbia v2s 5yiTelephone: 604-859-7141Toll free (within bc): 1-888-668-4141