Dear Friends of KPL:

KPL Foundation’s final activity of 2003 ended with a highly successful CBC reading of A Christmas Carol held at Victoria Park Pavilion on December 4^th.  All contributions went to the Foundation in support of our work to increase literacy in the community.  We were very fortunate to have the assistance of local actor Brian Otto and his friends who choreographed a magical evening of song and readings.  Rave reviews from near and afar hopefully encourage a repeat performance this year!

December marked another key milestone for the KPL Foundation.  We celebrated the retirement of CEO Peggy Walshe who had been at the helm of KPL for the past ten years.  While Peggy’s retirement was bittersweet for those of us who admired her visionary leadership, KPL Foundation is thrilled that Peggy is remaining on the Foundation Board of Directors.

The KPL Foundation happily welcomed the reopening of the café in the lower level.  Muses Café now operates the café space and their creative energies have been put to the test of serving our patrons with a wonderful blend of refreshments and gastronomies.

One of our Foundation’s outreach programs that you endow is the Creative Spark Program.  Each year library staff  identify ten elementary schools and visit the grade one classes with books and book bags for children,  leading them in a wonderful reading/story-telling activity.  Each of these classes is visited three times between February and June to enhance the love of reading through the provision of wonderful stories.  Our schools appreciate this outreach and community partnership in support of improved literacy. 

This spring our annual appreciation evening to say thank you to you, our donors and our hundreds of volunteers is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, 2004, at the Victoria Park Pavilion.  Mark your calendars and plan to attend this wonderful evening of appreciation. 

Your donations make it possible for KPL to continue its fine traditions of programs, resources and service to the entire community.  To all of you who make this possible, I thank you on behalf of our Foundation.

Sincerely,

Michael Schmitt, President

YOUR KPL FOUNDATION BOARD

Mr. Michael Schmitt, President

Mrs. Ann Kennaley, Vice-President

Ms. Lesa Balch, Acting Secretary-Treasurer

Mrs. Pat Wagner, Director, Planned Giving

Ms. Margaret Walshe, Director

Mrs. Sally Hahn, Director

Mrs. Ruth Gutpell, Director

Ms. Sherry Erb, Director

Ms. Gloria Grigas, Director

                                        Our Friends

                           ($10.00 - $24.00)

Elmer Domman	Helen Field	Marion Knight	Jeff Shank
Dennis & Wilma Ewald	Dana Jagt	Reginald Linder	Meg Slater
		(2 Anonymous)

                                              Our Junior Friends

Mariah Baldasaro	Laura McCallum	Meghan Regier	Kira Sianchuk
Brittany Leis	Tiffany Marshall	Katherine Ryder	Sarah Stilling
Sharon Leuzinger	Hannah Petunato	Jonathan Schriver	Amanda Vanderzanden
Kayla MacDonald	Megan Pickett	Meaghan Shewchuk	Thea Wheeler

                                          Our Sponsors

                               ($25.00 - $49.00)

Ian Campbell	Elizabeth Forest-Jones	Susan Malon	Paramed
Comcare Health Services	Gail & Brian Harper	Jane Martin	Slavko Petrinec
Community Care Access Centre of Waterloo Region	Grace Hartleib	Kathleen Morgan	Betty Schenk
Alysse Hastie	Susan Morgan	Rosemary Schmitt	Gordon & Agnes Dobson
Jackie Hayes	James & Nora Mosgrove	Sylvia Seschel	E.T. Now
Barbara Holmes	Fred Mueller	Pat Tennant	Marian Farris
Cynthia Jeanes	Julie Najjar	George Fast	Louis & Nancy Koppeser
Cynthia Odd	Karen Fletcher	John & Peggy Krzewski	Judith Parkes
		(6 Anonymous)

        Donations in Loving Memory Of

Bruce Douglas Ashe           Jack Lovell             Paul Meyer             Herbert Murphy           Edna Stahlbaum

Leave A Legacy & Make A Lasting Difference!

                          Our Champions

                                                                  ($50.00 - $99.00)

Jean Bassil	Lorne Ellaschuk	Jean Kress	Catherine Pauhl
Don Bastedo	Sherry Erb	K-W Home Learners	Jane Pfeffer
Sally Bastedo	Geraldine Gascho	Karen Lee	Lea & Robert Rahm
Carmen & Margery Bauman	Ruth Gutpell	Margaret Lehman	John M. Ryan
Karen Buhr	Caroline Hansen	Sandra Lendrum	Janice Sachs
Craig & Jane Campbell	Ksavera A. Horlor	Margaret Lewis	Jocelyn Schaffenburg
Jeanne Charron	Edith & Harry Janke	Maxine Lindsay	Christine Schnarr
Helen Daley	Alfreda Jarosz	Ada Lockstein	Kathy Telfer
Jean Davis	Sally & Roy Jefferson	Ron March	Valerie Truscello
Susan Doi	Karen Junker	Robert McCauley	Denise & William Weiler
Kathleen & David Donaldson	Trudy Klassen	Janey Meyer	Patricia & Robert Duncanson
Denise & Randy Klawitter	William Norman	Diana & John Whaley	Elinor Dunford
KPL Staff Association	Mary Pappert	Lorraine Williams	(6 Anonymous)

   Our Patrons

                                                         ($100.00  -  $499.00)

Gordon Ariss	Margaret & Edward Groanau	Mabel McKenna	Dr. J.&B. Thompson
Hilde Breitwieser	Jean & Richard Haalboom	rych mills	Erick Traplin
Dorothy & Dave Butterworth	Janis & Barry Hedrich	Leanne Moses	United Way
Charles Carney	Esther & Howard Hennig	Mary & Warren Ober	Debbie Valbracht-Hamilton
Janet & Wayne Childerhose	Susan Hoffman	Vruti Patel	City of Kitchener
Sherry Jantzi	Pauline Payne	Patricia Wagner	Sylvia Crichton
Jan & Dave Jaworsky	Eleanor Proctor	Margaret Walshe	Doris & John Darling
Sarah Jewett	Retired Teachers Association	Judy Ward	Karen Dotzenroth-Rickert
Fred Johnson	Mae & Lester Schildroth	Jean E. Wilson	Susan & Ted Follows
Ann & William Kennaley	Grace Schmidt	Richard Woeller	Raymond Fowler
Suzanne Kitchen	Betty Schneider	Carl Zehr	Sabina Franzen
Helen Ledger	Valerie Sibley	Shelley Zettler	Dorothy & Gerald Graham
Ruth & Al Lorch	Sports Canada	Patricia Greganti	Barbara & Lynn Matthews
Andjelco Tesic			(9 Anonymous)

Our Librarian’s Circle

                                                                     ($500.00 & more )

Bryan & Maryann Dunham            Stephanie Massel                      Michael & Deborah Schmitt                        

Kiwanis Club of K-W                                     Waterloo Wellington Autism Services

 A   NEW  MAIN  LIBRARY

The Kitchener Public Library presentation to City Council on the evening of Monday, February 23, was well received by Council members. The Board presented to Council the findings of five years of study, highlighting inadequate space for collections and services and inadequate parking, as well as other concerns with building mechanical systems.

The letter of support for a new Main library in downtown Kitchener, written by Michael Schmitt on behalf of the KPL Foundation, was presented to City Council at the end of the presentation.

We’re appreciative of the many library supporters who were present in the audience for the presentation, including staff, volunteers and members of the public. While there has been no firm decision on the proposed construction of a larger Main Library located in the downtown core, Council did vote to refer this item back to City staff and the Centre Block Steering Committee for study. Mayor Zehr stated that Council was sympathetic to the need for a new Main library at some time in the City’s capital forecast.

In the next phase of the new Main library project, we look forward to working with City staff to help them complete their review for Kitchener City Council. The reports and the presentation are available at all our library locations and on our website at www.kpl.org. The presentation to City Council and the reports documenting the physical deficiencies of the current library and summarizing our public consultation are available.

Lesa Balch

 CREATIVE   SPARK   PROGRAM

Every year, the Kitchener Public Library reaches out to beginning readers through a special outreach program called Sharing the Creative Spark.

The goals of this literacy program are to share the joy of reading with young students and to promote early literacy skills. Michele McBride-Roach, KPL’s School Liaison, will be busy sharing the creative spark with 400 students in Kitchener. Working cooperatively with both school boards, Michele will be visiting the grade one classrooms at: St. Joseph, St. Teresa, Howard Robertson, King Edward, Queen Elizabeth, St. Aloysius, St. Patrick and Country Hills. We will conduct 3 class visit programs at each location between now and the end of the school year, sharing stories, rhymes, songs, drama and introduce them to the resources at the public library. Each child will receive a special book bag filled with literacy activity sheets, book suggestions and early chapter book called Franklin’s Reading Club.

The Creative Spark program is made possible by the KW Montessori Endowment Fund for Children’s Literacy which is managed by the KPL Foundation. This fund was established in 1999 and is another example of the KPL’s commitment to serving the needs of our community.

The KPL Foundation understands that reading can open doors of literacy, imagination and success. Your donations to the Foundation help support children’s literacy programs like Sharing the Creative Spark and other outreach initiatives. Thank you for your generosity.

Sherry Erb