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2012 President's Address at Annual Meeting

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Thank you one and all for attending this annual meeting of The Friends of Enid Baa Library doing business as The Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries.

Special recognition and welcome to our dignitaries, Former Governor Dr. Charles Wesley Turnbull, Mrs. Gwendolyn Blyden our former Board Member and honoree today, and Annette Olsen, our faithful advocate, for her work with the St. Thomas Book Mobile. To each and every member of the Friends, we the Board of Directors truly appreciate and honor your support. Let me recognize and introduce to you the Directors on the Board of the Friends. Bonnie Braga: Secretary, Stephen Cheslik: Assistant Secretary, Anita Davis: Webmaster, Violeta Donovan, Dr. Patricia Harkins-Pierre, Cynthia Richards: Treasurer, and Cherrel Turner. Rachelle Shells, Assistant Treasurer and Angela Belfon could not be here today. Jorge J. Estemac, Vice President, is also not in attendance today as he recently relocated to Panama and resigned the position. JJ served as a Director on this Board for the past eleven years and in a number of capacities. He chaired the Book Collection and Redistribution Program now known as the Book Depot, he was president of the Board and was chair of the Advocacy Committee. The members of the Board of Directors will miss his passion and desire for this community to grow in its love for reading and literacy. Thank you JJ for your years of service. To Ms. Chinnery and the staff at Enid Baa Library, we would like to say job well done at our library, in spite of the circumstances. Baa Library’s presence in town is a valuable treasure to its patrons.

During the past year 2011, The Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries have continued to maintain and support two longstanding projects. The Day Care Literacy Program and the Hospital Book Cart. Led by Friends past president Carol Lotz a cadre of dedicated volunteers provide hours of entertaining reading activities to youngsters at day care centers around the island. Carol, Ruby Todman as well as two snowbirds, Diane Windisch and Gita Berger visit the Developmental Learning Center in Sugar Estate; the Frenchtown Headstarts; Handy Spandy in Sugar Estate; Kids at the top of Donkey Hill; New Testament in Tutu; the Savan Community Center; and Teryka's Day Care in Bovoni to read books and share the treasures within with children. Thank you ladies.

For several years now, the Hospital Cart has had three devoted volunteers who have given generously of their time and energy to serve the patients at the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital. Beth Gembus, Judy Moore, and Rosary Harper operate the cart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during the late morning hours and lunchtime. The books that are distributed come from various sources such as individual donations and our Friends of the Library Book Depot located at Fortress Self-Storage. Additionally, Shirley Lincoln, a former librarian, has donated many magazines and books to Ms. Harper for the cart. Many people appreciate the Hospital Book Cart’s service and we of the Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries say thank you to our volunteers.

Two new programs were finally and successfully implemented in 2011; the EyeQ computer based reading program and the Books for Babies project. Through the diligent work of director Violeta Donovan we began piloting EyeQ in schools. The EyeQ Reading Program increases students’ speed and reading comprehension. One hundred licenses were purchased (through funding provided by the Epstein Foundation for Enhanced Learning) and information about the program was sent out to all public and private schools in St. Thomas. Presently three schools are participating in the project: Lockhart Elementary, Seventh Day Adventist and Sts. Peter and Paul. The teachers have reported that the children are excited about EyeQ, about improving their reading speed and comprehension and they look forward to the Brain Enhancement games. There are still licenses available to give to schools that may be interested in the program for their students.

The Books for Babies project reaches out to parents of newborns and toddlers to empower them with tips, strategies and basic knowledge of how to raise children who are healthy, self-confident and have the skills necessary to be successful in schools. Grant funding received from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands enabled us to purchase books and literature for the project, which is administered by RoseMarie Francis, R.N. at the pediatric office of Dr. Anthony Francis. Twenty moms have attended workshops and received books for themselves and their infants. Positive feedback has been received as moms have reported that the books and information shared have been instrumental in helping them in raise their young ones.

We enter 2012 with the plan to start a Book Club. Director Cherrel Turner will spearhead this project and several books have already been identified for reading. Check our website, www. fostpl.org and local media for more information on how you join the club.

Annually the Friends supports the Read on the Green event hosted by the Department of Education. This past year was no different; we volunteered our services for different events, registered new members and sold books.

The aim and focus for the organization during 2011 was to raise financial support and community awareness for the new Regional Library in Tutu Park. The Keys to Knowledge campaign has raised more that $7000 towards the purchase of books and resources for the new library through the kind and generous donations of our community. The annual Gathering of Friends was held on the grounds of the Legislature Building last year. The SUPPORT OUR LIBRARIES rally was planned so that we could tell our legislators and governor that we, the people, want and need libraries that are well staffed, well equipped and offer services at convenient hours. The group that gathered, though small, made a visible presence and their voices heard. Despite the opening dates that had been promised to the community, the Regional Library still sits dormant in Tutu. What a waste of a precious resource. The economic recession the Virgin Islands are facing is not a reason to stall the library opening; it should be the impetus to get the facility up and running. It would provide a place of refuge for individuals to search for employment opportunities—in online computer searches; it would be a place of entertainment—in a good book, in the mini theater; it would be beacon of light that shines and would draw curious children and adults to the repository of knowledge located there. Once inside the edifice, its beauty and the immensity of the collections would quite probably ignite or rekindle a flame of passion for reading in all who enter. Children’s minds are shaped from young; the opportunity for parents, teachers, and community organizations to carry children for a visit to library is sure to leave a positive impression on their young minds. Library visitations will begin nurturing the seeds of reading and literacy that need to take root in our youth, as well as adults.  It is not a secret that libraries are one of the most valuable assets in any community. Does the government of the Virgin Islands realize that, economic recession or not? In failing to open the doors of the library last year the government is stating that increasing literacy rates among the children and the people of the Virgin Islands is not a top priority. It has been said that where there is a will there is a way. If the will is to increase literacy then the way should be to stop the excuses and unlock the doors of the Regional Library with a full complement of staff to run the facility. A state of the art fully functioning library will benefit the island more than one could imagine. I would like to reiterate, the Regional Library should have been open long time ago.

The year 2012 for The Friends of St. Thomas Public Libraries should be one that continues to advocate for the opening our the Regional Library. Our motto “raising visibility of our libraries to the community” holds us to the fire. We must strive together to bring to reality this dream of a new library that has been deferred.

Thank you very much.

Submitted by:



Judy King-Edmeade
President

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