Our Community, Our Library: 2023 Endowment Fund Campaign
Our Community, Our Library
2023 Canmore Public Library Endowment Fund Campaign
The 2023 fundraising campaign for the Library Endowment Fund is running this November and December and has the theme “Our Community, Our Library”.
A number of Canmore residents have stepped forward to serve as Library Champions for the campaign. Their backgrounds and interests are diverse, but they share a love of the Canmore Public Library.
Please join our Library Champions in their support of the Canmore Public Library by making a donation! You can make an online donation through the Banff Canmore Foundation.
The Library serves the whole community and looks to preserve its unique role as a community hub and resource centre well into the future. This year, during our Endowment Fundraiser Campaign, the Canmore Public Library is saluting our community and all of the support we have received in the past 52 years.
There are many ways that the community acts as supporters of the Library. More than 7800 Canmore residents hold library cards. More than 16,700 individuals have participated in library programs in the last year. Library card holders and non-members alike participated in surveys and focus group discussions that informed the Library’s new Strategic Plan of Service.
The Canmore community’s financial support of the Library also makes a huge difference. The Friends of the Canmore Public Library are at the forefront in championing the Library. The Friends are celebrating 30 years of fundraising and volunteering in 2023. Perhaps best known for the ever-popular Friends’ Used Book Sales, they have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Library, helping to pay for many items in the collection and many projects outside of the Library’s regular budget. The Friends were also founding donors of the Canmore Public Library Endowment Fund. Their ongoing contributions to the fund build a legacy that will continue their impact for future generations of Library users.
That’s true of all supporters of the Canmore Public Library Endowment Fund. It was established through the Banff Canmore Community Foundation in 2019 to allow the Library to strategically plan for the future and to innovate and adapt when a community need is identified.
Meet Library Champion Kayla Weller
Meet Library Champion Kayla Weller. Kayla is an Assistant Principal at a local school. In addition to using the library to access resources for students in the classes she teaches, Kayla borrows books for her monthly book club. She finds that the Library strives to stay relevant, modern and inclusive and appreciates the displays that provide information on current events and issues.
“The Library feels like the heart of the community,” she says. “I love that the library is within Elevation Place; the building is always buzzing with activity! On my way in I often see people I know on their way to various activities. The Canmore Library is a calm and welcoming oasis within the hustle and bustle of our active town.”
Meet Library Champion Jasmine Wolf
Meet Library Champion Jasmine Wolf. In her words, “I enjoy reading, dancing, volleyball, basketball, playing hockey with friends, math, and listening to music. I go to school at OLS, I was born in Canmore, my favourite colour is green, and I love dogs as well as baking. I love sports in general, but those listed above would be my favourites if I had to choose. I love going to the Canmore Folk Festival and just being around all the people there along with listening to the music.”
A keen reader, Jasmine has taken part in Library programs herself and has also volunteered to read to little ones during the “Wiggletime” program. For a time she maintained a Library bulletin board of book reviews and recommendations.
Jasmine says that the Canmore Library helps her feel part of the Canmore community because she enjoys attending programs with friends, or just hanging out or reading at the library.“I run into people there who I would not necessarily see in other places,” she said.
Meet Library Champion Check Sam
Meet Check Sam, a retired dentist and avid user of the Canmore Library. Check came to Canada in grade seven and was influenced by a teacher who stressed that libraries are important and are places to expand one’s mind and to learn. With multiple university degrees and extensive experience volunteering on dental outreach trips in developing countries, learning is important to Check. He likes to study in the Library, reading books about caring for the planet and each other.
“I like the quietness of the library and the fact that the librarians are helpful and friendly. The library does so much for the community through programs and resources and by being a place where people can share ideas,” Check said when asked about his favourite aspect of the Library. “I hope that the Canmore Library will continue to be a place where we can all find answers to life’s problems and where we can make connections with others.”
Meet Library Champions Hilary Wood and Kyle Henderson & Family
Meet Kyle and Hilary, proud business owners in Canmore, along with their two remarkable children, Veda (age 6) and Odin (age 4). Part of the Canmore community since 2011, this family shares a deep-rooted love for their mountain home and cherishes the moments they spend together while nurturing a close-knit bond through their adventures.
“Our favorite thing about the Canmore Library is the warm and welcoming atmosphere that makes us feel safe and at home,” they say. “The Canmore Library makes us feel part of the Canmore community because we believe that stories and books have a unique way of bonding people together. We’ve witnessed the profound impact it has had on our lives as children and now as parents. Watching our kids grow, we know that the library will continue to play a vital role in shaping their lives, connecting them to our library and our community.”
YOUR CONTRIBUTION WILL BE MATCHED UP TO $34,000.
Please celebrate 30 Years of the Friends of the Canmore Public Library by amplifying their support of the Canmore Library Endowment Fund!
Your donation goes further due to the generosity of a group of donors who are matching the first $34,000 in donations – our thanks to Margie and Elliot Bingham, Carla Cumming Sojonky, the Baker Family, the Carling-Bain Family and the Friends of the Canmore Public Library.
“The Canmore Library is a vital part of our community providing programs and resources, both traditional and non-traditional, that are varied and that meet the needs of our unique population. The Friends of the Canmore Library provide additional funding for special projects and resources. In addition, through our ongoing support of the Endowment Fund, we provide a sustainable financial resource for the future of our Library. The Friends of the Library are proud to support our warm and welcoming Library now and into the future. “
Linda Korsbrek, President, Friends of the Canmore Library society
SECURING YOUR TRIBUTE THROUGH THE BANFF CANMORE FOUNDATION
The Banff Canmore Foundation (BCF) allows the Library Board to harness BCF’s administrative and financial investment management power. It also helps both organizations strengthen relationships with a wider network of community-minded people. Working together, it can only get stronger.
To contribute online: Banff Canmore Foundation – Canmore Library Endowment. Your contribution will be Matched up to $34,000!
If you would like to include the library’s endowment fund in your will, please contact Laurie Edward, BCF’s Executive Director, at ledward@banffcanmorefoundation.org to discuss how you can create a permanent legacy via your estate.
To learn more about our Endowment Fund and how it works, visit this page on our website.
We appreciate your support!
“The Canmore Public Library is an amazing resource for Canmore residents and visitors. The Library provides much more than books and information – it’s a gathering place and a place to make connections. We are grateful to the Town and Province and to all the Library’s donors and supporters for the funding that makes this possible. We look to the Endowment Fund to sustainably meet growing community needs and interests and to provide the Library with the opportunity to evolve and adapt.”
Glynis Carling, Chair, Canmore Public Library Board