2008 Adopt-a-Book campaign the ‘best-ever’

The final numbers are in and Western Counties Regional Library’s 2008 Adopt-A-book campaign has been an enormous success.

“This is the best one yet,” says Trudy Amirault, regional director for the library.

Held every two years, the campaign is the best-ever in terms of dollar value – $30,220.22 – surpassing the 2000 total of $24,190 and the second best-ever in terms of books adopted – 1,372. There were 1,536 books adopted in 1998. That means 1,372 new books on the shelves of the library’s 10 branches giving the public that much more choice and fresh selection to borrow.

Amirault points to several factors she believes are behind the successful campaign

“I think there was a renewed enthusiasm,” she explains.

Amirault believes the expanded Adopt-A-Book April Fool’s Trivia challenge was instrumental in the success of the campaign. It helped bring in over $2,200, bolstered by a $500 donation from TD Bank and symbolic of the greater corporate involvement in the challenge. Other organizations including financial institutions, municipal governments, drug stores, chartered accountants and sponsors battled it out while supporting the cause.

She says the library’s financial difficulties in the past year may have helped boost support for the library.

“Perhaps it was because of our funding difficulties last year,” she says. “People realized how important it was to support their library.”

Corporate backing was also a big factor, led by CJLS’s sponsorship that provided public service announcements, weekly updates and live onsite broadcasts promoting the campaign. CJLS came on board for the initial campaign in 1996 and has been there ever since. The region’s media as a whole, especially the regional newspapers of Transcontinental Media, was extremely supportive in keeping the campaign in the public eye, Amirault adds.

Support came from all areas of the Digby, Shelburne and Yarmouth – corporations, community organizations and individuals.

From the initial big boost of the Trivia Challenge on April 1 to an individual donation of over $450 from Carl Hudd in Barrington in the final week, the support for the library was overwhelming.

This year’s campaign was a different animal with businesses like Boston Pizza taking on a big role in helping the library promote the program, holding a library celebrity night and being big supporters, adopting more than $285 worth of new books. There were evenings of entertainment where musicians and storytellers performed, auctions, raffles, and yard and plant sales in support of the library.

The Friends of the Library groups were massive supporters donating thousands of dollars to the campaign.

“The Friends groups were really, really strong,” says Amirault.

Many other companies and groups came through to make it work. But the goals would not have been exceeded if not for the individuals.

“There were weeks when we had some big donations, but then the overall weekly total was even higher than expected,” says Ian White, public relations manager and fundraiser for the regional library; “We would have a $28 adoption here and a $68 donation there and then $100 and ‘boom’ the goals were exceeded.”

The library staff worked very hard across the 10 branches and headquarters. A perfect example of this is in Digby where the staff organized and ran a silent auction that brought in $805, adopting 30 books. The staff in Digby also had great support from local artists who donated the auction items. In Pubnico the staff had a gift basket draw for Father’s Day bringing in close to $300. Veronica Hubbard from Headquarters staff coordinated the staff gift basket draw that helped bring in hundreds of dollars.

“It was an incredible campaign made possible by the giving nature of our communities,” concludes White. “Best of all, the new books are gifts to anyone using the library, and anyone can use the library.”