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D E D I C A T I O N

This booklet, reflecting on the first thirty-five years of the Friendsof The Ferguson Library, is dedicated to the 100-plus volunteerswho annually contribute about 25,000 hours working in theFriends Book Shops and on our programs and committees. Withoutthem and without the generous assistance of the Library staff, wecould not fulfill our commitment of support to the Library.

M I S S I O N

To promote community support for the priorities, programs andactivities of The Ferguson Library.

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D E A R F R I E N D S ,

Thank you for joining with us to celebrate our thirty-fifthanniversary. Over the years we have grown from a small“mom and pop” operation with a bank account of $8,000

into a big business with an annual income averaging more than$200,000. Of this, approximately 50% goes directly to supportlibrary programs, 15% to sponsor programs to benefit the commu-nity, 15% for administration, and 20% to run the book stores whichprovide 80% of our income.

In addition to the many gifts – such as shelves for the children’sroom at the Main Library and furniture for the Weed Memorial &Hollander Branch children’s room – we have given direct financialsupport to book and art collections, staff scholarships, and The Ferguson Library Foundation. None of this would have been possible without the many hours of dedicated work contributed byour volunteers. For this, we thank each and every one for their sup-port throughout the years.

This booklet gives you a look at the past. It is also an invitationfor you to join us in making the next thirty-five years as successfulas these have been. Again, many thanks for your support.

Regards,Margaret MetwallyPresident

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Congratulations to the Friends of The Ferguson on celebrat-ing thirty-five years in partnership with the Library. Youare not only advocates for our services, but also active sup-

porter of our programs and priorities. You deserve our deep appre-ciation and thanks for all you do for the Library, and for Stamford.

The Friends are a public face of Ferguson in our community,and we couldn’t ask for better representatives of the Library withtheir unique brand of energy and enthusiasm. We wish you contin-ued success in the work you do on our behalf and for the residentsand businesses of Stamford.

Michael J. Cacace, Esq.Chair, Ferguson Library Board of Trustees

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When the Friends of The Ferguson Library came intobeing in 1979, we had little idea how successful theorganization would be.

Now, thirty-five years later, the Friends are an integral part ofThe Ferguson Library. From their Books for Babies program, whichgives the gift of a book to every baby born at Stamford Hospital, tothe Literary Competition, which recognizes student writing, to theiraward-winning Book Shop, the Friends have found unique andinnovative ways to support Ferguson.

We are truly grateful for all that the Friends do for our Libraryand for our community, and recognize the special dedication oftheir members for well over three decades.

Ernie DiMattia, Jr.President, The Ferguson Library

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F R I E N D S L O G O 1 9 8 0

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F O R E W O R D

Libraries have existed as long as the written word, but howlong have support groups, such as the Friends, existed?According to the Friends of the Library Handbook, Sir Thomas

Bodley, a diplomat under Queen Elizabeth I of England, formed alibrary for Oxford University in the late 16th century. He inspiredsome of his “honorable friends” to donate books, thus forming theconcept of library benefaction.

Many of our libraries today, including The Ferguson, werestarted by private individuals. The formation of “friends” for publiclibraries is fairly new (among the earliest to involve an entire com-munity was Detroit in 1942).

According to Marie Hurley, long-time director of The Ferguson, several attempts were made to establish such a group inStamford, but the time never seemed right. It wasn’t until 1977 thatthe trustees, with the encouragement of then new president, ErnieDiMattia, agreed to form a committee to study the feasibility ofsuch an idea.

The committee discovered that friends groups varied amongcommunities, some merely straightened books on shelves, othersowned the library building. After a great deal of thought, Fergusontrustees agreed to go ahead. Following are the highlights of thethirty-five years that followed this decision.

Joan K. Rinaldi

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A F R I E N D ’ S R E T R O S P E C T I V E

In 1978, The Ferguson Library Board of Trustees recruited thefirst members of the Friends board and agreed on its mission.The certificate of incorporation was signed January 15, 1979.

Sam Cross was asked to draw up its by-laws, thus becoming the firstofficial Friend. Our first membership drive was held, the by-lawsadopted and the officers ratified in 1980.

In order to support our programs, the Friends have alwaysrelied on book sales, membership dues and the work of volunteers.To provide a “face” for the Friends to the community, among thefirst actions was the adoption of a logo and the use of Fergie theBookworm. In 1981 volunteers knitted sweaters with the Fergielogo to sell in the gift shop to support children’s programs.

The first Book and Author Luncheon, co-sponsored by the The Advocate, was held in1980. The Lillian Moran Award to recognizecommunity service, named in honor of a lateboard member, was inaugurated at that event. Inits thirty-two year history, ninety-six noted

authors spoke at the Book & Author Luncheon,including actress Helen Hayes and First LadyBetty Ford. The Book & Author Luncheonevolved into a Book & Author Tea in 2013, start-ing a new tradition.

A gift shop to sell used books was consid-ered as early as 1983, and the idea was testedwith our first book sales in 1985 and 1986.The grand opening of the Gift Shop, nowcalled the Friends Book Shop at The FergusonLibrary, was celebrated May 3, 1987. A secondshop was opened at the Harry Bennett Branch

8 e Friends of e Ferguson Library

in 2000. Collectible and rare book sales, Internet sales, and eveninghours were among the innovations which brought the shops intothe 21st century. The shops are our main source of funding.

In 1986, the Friends started a program called Books for Babies.Every new mother in Stamford Hospital received an illustrated bookexplaining the importance of reading to her newborn. Today, eachbook includes a pamphlet describing early childhood programs atthe Library. We provide 240 books each month to the hospital andto date, over 57,000 books have been distributed.

In 1989, the Library administration asked the Friends to helpsupport UNICEF and in 1990 we donated and shipped books toSierra Leone. The following year, we donated 2,500 books to St.Joseph and Stamford hospitals, and from then on we continued tocontribute to nonprofits such as the Girls’ Club, schools in Russia,Belize and Kenya, women’s shelters and the Osborn Prison sectionof the Hartford Correctional Center. This program was formallynamed Friend-to-Friend in 2007. However, its success overwhelmedour ability to manage it, and we reluctantly discontinued Friend-to-Friend in 2011.

From 1987 to 1993, the Friends played a supporting role in an annual literary competitionsponsored by the Stamford Festival of the Arts. Thisgrew into our own Literary Competition, which isnow in its 29th year and receives hundreds of entriesfrom Stamford students in elementary through high school each year.

In 2012, we launched the Friends Author Series as a way tobring authors into the Library through a series of informal evenings.The Author Series, with a modest ticket price, which includes areception, has been very successful both as a fundraiser and a chanceto showcase the Library to a new generation of users.

Over the past thirty-five years, through our various activities,we have contributed more than $2.5 million to the Library.

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P A S T P R E S I D E N T S

The accomplishments of the Friends and their contributions to The Ferguson Library are in large part attributable to the leadershipand organizational skills of its presidents. We would like to recog-nize them.

June Fahey 1979 – 1981 Karen Angers 1981 – 1983Renee Ganis 1983 – 1984Suzanne deLima 1984 – 1985Sally Shepard 1985 – 1987Louise Stern 1987 – 1988Cynthia Richardson 1989 – 1991Ann M. Lake 1991 – 1993Lynn Hathaway 1993 – 1995Wanda Major 1995 – 1996Ginger Duncan 1996 – 1999Gladys Cohen 1999 – 2001Kitty Sample 2001 – 2003Mary D. Uva 2003 – 2004Ann M. Sexton 2004 – 2005Joan K. Rinaldi 2005 – 2008Ann M. Sexton 2008 – 2009Maureen Bayne 2009 – 2011Eileen H. Rosner 2011 – 2013

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Agronin, BelleAngers, Karen *Arnold, ArleneAxiotakis, GildaBayne, MaureenBelfiore, Marie Bennett, Dorothy *Birnbaum, CharlotteBova, DaryBreunig, LisaCarlin, RosalindCarriero, GailChase, BettyChavkin, JoyceChristophe, CherylConnacher, NatConnor SheilaCrawford, DeeDahl, StephanieDechant, KathleendeLima, Suzanne *Diamond, CecileDiMattia, SusanDitesheim, BinnieDonaghy, GretaDubinsky, S.

Duncan, GingerEdgerton, Adele *Fahey, June *Fainelli, GraceFarrell, Mary AliceFlounders, JuneFleming, Susan *Fogerty, DeniseFox, GinnyFrederick, Gina Friedman, Bea Fu, EmilyFulton, Barbara Ganis, ReneGeller, PollyGetreuer, AnneGiusti, RuthGoldman, SueGould, SherylGreenberg, SueGreenwood, JanetGuydon, LorellHammock, SamHart, AnnHarvey, BethHathaway, Lynn

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M E M B E R S O F T H E B O A R D 1 9 7 9 – 2 0 1 4

Volunteers are not paid; not because they areworthless, but because they are priceless.

—Mother Theresa

Horowitz, BerniceHubbard, LaWandaJacobson, FrederikaJamieson, LynneJones, JacquelineJudd, Jae *Kaczorowski, ElaineKucera, NancyLangenhan, JuneLaurite, AngelaLavezzoli, JaneLeffler, BarbaraLevine, BethLevinson, BetsyLombardo, KateLorenzo, BarbaraMahon, EllenMajor, WandaMalloy, GailMalloy, JulieMarcil, DeniseMarcus, RuthMartin, HortenseMartin, RachelMastroangelo, LoisMcDermott, PatriciaMcKee, NancyMcKinney, FrancisMcPhee, PaulaMeyer, Margery Metwally, MargaretMilano, LindaMiller, RickiMochulsky, AnneMonsma, Robbie

Moran, NancyNeeson, KarneNeiman, DebbieNeuger, DebraNicely, Linda *Nichols, NancyNixon, LeaNossley, Helen *O’Connor, DianeO’Connor, Mary EllenOstuw, Cathleen LeatherParry, Pat Pels, BarbaraPetit, Florence * Pfaff, KayPinchot, Sue *Pollack, Marianne * Propp, RuthPhillips, Jeanne MarieQuigley, ArleneReed, RuthReynolds, KeithRichardson, CynthiaRider, Sue *Rinaldi, Joan K.Rosenthal, Hinda *Rosenthal, LynneRosner, Eileen H.Rothermich, Helen *Rosnoy, CindyRogers, CarolynSample, Beulah Sample, Kitty Santer, Jamie Savage, Lolita

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Scanley, Connie Schneider, JanetSchroper, GloriaSexton, Ann LakeShapiro, FriedaShapiro, HilaryShaw, Miriam *Shepard, SallySilvera, SallySinick, NancySmith, Brenda *Smith, JulieSmith, LeeSpelke, Ruth *St. Onge, JulieStacey, SusanStern, Louise

Sunblad, Barbara Szekerus, ErnaThompson, Janet Tobin, Ester *Todd, JillToller, JoEllaUva, Mary D.Voss, Cady Weir, Lisa Weiss, Ann White, Vivien * Wienski, Phyllis Wilkov, Minnie * Wilson, Mary-StarkeWorks, AnnZalichin, Olga Zitter, Hillary

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We would also like to recognize the trustees who actedas the first board until elections could be held in 1979:

Askin, William Mayers, ThomasBromley, J. Robert Shafter, MortGanis, Harvey Stoetzner, EricGambino, Joe Tyson, WayneGochberg, Lawrence Wise, Robert

*Founding Member

AWA R D S & R E C O G N I T I O N

1984 Connecticut State Friends of LibrariesFirst place to Friends NewsletterBest in content and format among large city libraries

1985 J. C. Penney CompanyGolden Rule Award for Community Service

1992 Friends of Connecticut Libraries First place in large Friends category

1993 Friends of Connecticut Libraries First place in over-300 membership category

2000 Friends of Libraries USA Newsletter Credited the creation of Books for Babies programin 1985 to the Friends

2001 United Way Award Books for Babies project

2003 Friends of Connecticut LibrariesOutstanding Friend, over-25,000 pop category

2003 Downtown Special Services DistrictMain Library Book Shop Retailer of the Year Award

2004 Connecticut Family MagazineNamed Main Library Book Shop one of 50 coolest places in Connecticut

2012 Friends of Connecticut LibrariesGroup Award

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C U R R E N T P R O G R A M S A N D A C T I V I T I E S

Book Shops•

Author Series•

Book & Author Tea•

Literary Competition•

Books for Babies

In addition, the Friends support all library programs for children,teens and adults, including films, computer training, summer read-ing clubs and book discussions. The Friends also provide fundingfor staff development and scholarships.

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B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

Margaret Metwally, President

Susan DiMattia, Vice-President

Anne Mochulsky, Treasurer

Janet Greenwood, Secretary

Marie Belfiore

Gail Carriero

Joyce Chavkin

Grace Fainelli

Donna Getreuer

Sam Hammock

Gail Malloy

Ricki Miller

Eileen H. Rosner

Janet Schneider

Ann M. Sexton

Hillary Zitter

www.fergusonlibrary.org/friends