Booth Friends Newsletter Cited By State Group

By Jan Howard

The Friends of the Cyrenius H. Booth Library newsletter, Booth Bylines, has won the 2001 Outstanding Newsletter Award in the medium population category from The Friends of the Connecticut Library.

The award was made in June. Friends President Mary Maki was notified of the newsletter’s selection in a May 2 letter from Elizabeth Burdick, awards chairman of The Friends of the Connecticut Library.

In her letter, Ms Burdick wrote, “We feel your newsletter has achieved a level of presentation that is both informative and appealing to its readers.” She added, “We feel you provide such a well planned and interesting format it would better serve your readers to be offered 3-4 times yearly. Unfortunately, our award does not include monetary support but perhaps small advertisers would help to cover extra expenses.

“We feel you have a wonderful resource for your library members, and we encourage you to expand even more,” Ms Burdick wrote.

Mrs Maki submitted the newsletter for consideration for the award in March. In her letter she said the Friends “take our newsletter publication very seriously, and know that our newsletter is a work in progress.”

The fall 2000 newsletter had “an updated look, a changed format, and incorporated a new section devoted to library staff and programs,” she noted.

The Friends of the Connecticut Library runs a different contest every year, Mrs Maki explained. “It was newsletters this year.”

Booth Bylines is a six-page newsletter that covers information about the library and the Friends of the Library. Published twice a year in the spring and fall, the newsletter “highlights different aspects of the library,” editor Marian Wood said, such as information about the library’s Genealogy Room and Harlan Jessup, who helps genealogists trace their roots, featured in the spring newsletter.

“The newsletter is a constant work in progress, and we keep striving to make it a library and Friends informational/promotional resource for our town,” Mrs Maki said.

Graphic designer Dana McKinney helped The Friends develop their ideas for an expanded newsletter. The Friends intend to incorporate a section that would help patrons understand services offered by the library, particularly in the area of technology.

Joanne Zang began the newsletter in 1993 at the same time the Friends group was regrouping for the second time.

“From 1987 to 1993 there was no Friends of the Library,” Mrs Zang said. “There was not much interest at the time in Friends.”

Then in 1993 there were “rumblings” of interest, she said. “All of a sudden I got together with a few people for a Friends group, and since then it’s been gangbusters.”

There was no newsletter published by the previous Friends group, she said.

“We were a small group, and we wanted to get our message out to the people, and the newsletter became the venue to do that,” Mrs Zang said.

The original newsletter contained columns by the director, children’s librarian, reference librarian, and rare books expert John Renjilian.

“We have continued her vision,” said Mrs Wood, who has edited the newsletter for about five years. “I took over after Joanne. I continued her policies and built on her legacy.”

Mrs Wood praised Scott Baggett of The Newtown Bee for his help. “Scott taught me how to do this bulk mailing. I have to give him a lot of credit. The post office has also been very helpful.”

David Klang, a graphic designer, designed the first newsletter and the original masthead, Mrs Zang said.

According to Mrs Maki, several months before printing, she and Mrs Wood discuss topics, gather material, do interviews, request items from the library staff, and then meet with Ms McKinney to determine layout and need and use of photographs and graphics. Once this is completed, it is sent to the printer, Typ-Hi in Bethel.

“Dana came on board and took ideas that Marian and I had and made them happen,” Mrs Maki said.

Ten thousand newsletters are printed. After determining there have been no changes in postal regulations, a group of Friends volunteers label the newsletters and prepare them for mailing to residents.

Preparation of the newsletters for mailing is much easier than it was years ago, when it took days to put labels on, Mrs Maki said. “Marian has brought it down to a science.”

“Now it takes hours,” Mrs Wood said.

The cost of printing and mailing the newsletter is covered by membership donations, Mrs Wood said. “There are people who also send a little more, and the book sale also helps.”

Two additional pages have been added to the original newsletter. “It was Mary’s idea to expand to six pages,” Mrs Wood said. In contrast to the original, the current newsletter contains photographs and graphics.

“The newsletter expanded as the library expanded,” Mrs Maki said. “It’s not a moneymaker. It’s a PR vehicle. “

“It’s a service,” Mrs Wood said. “There is something for everyone in it.”