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Friends' Funding During the latter part of February and in March, our President and Treasurer have been working with the Chief Librarian and the Head of Adult Services to finalize the Friends' donations to the Library as agreed by our members during 1998 in the light of invoices now received. At our March meeting, our President formally presented a cheque for $17,823.48 being the balance of our contribution to the Friends Language Learning Laboratory funded by our December 1997 casino revenue. This brings our total contribution to this project to $33,031.16, a surplus on the $27,600 requested in 1997, which has been gratefully received by the Library. Our Treasurer formally presented our cheque in the amount of $1,000 expended by the Library on the acquisition of taped books for the sight impaired. This amount was donated to the Friends last July by the Kiwanis Club of Capilano for this purpose from their Casino revenue in 1997. Our President has written to the Kiwanis listing the items purchased, and our chief Librarian is informing the InterLink Libraries of Greater Vancouver, who share this service, with details of this acquisition. Children's Picture Book area expansion & Decoration Ann Goodhart told our March Meeting that the work and installation for this area has now been completed, with the exception of the signage - which is expected shortly. Again, our President will be formally approaching the Library Board Chairman in regard to the Friends official recognition for this contribution. The amount we have contributed to this area -$6,780 - represents the bulk of our annual book sale proceeds to which so many volunteer hours are dedicated. Book Cart for Continuous Book Sale During the previous month, we have been looking at ways in which the quoted cost of the two mobile book carts for the Friends' Continuous Book Sale might be reduced. Inquiries have been made of Libraries in the region in regard to the their monthly income of similar ventures. After review and discussion, our meeting took a vote to approve the expenditure of $2037.00 for the book carts. It was also decided that the Continuous Book Sale should commence immediately after Labour Day, on September 7. Youth CD-ROM Collection The request from the Library Board received last month that the Friends consider a donation in the amount of $3,000 for the purchase of some additional 60 to 70 CD's for the Youth Services circulating CD-ROM collection was approved at our March 24 meeting. Friends were shown how these computerized enclycopaedia are packaged and labels officially recognising our funding of this project will be affixed to each individual item. Access to Gaming Revenue Our application for Direct Charitable Access to Gaming Revenue was presented at our March meeting. This is comprised of a deceptively simple form, but requires nine attachments! The most important is the "Use of Proceeds" proposal and budget which was discussed last month. Our March meeting accepted this final presentation package and it was mailed to the Commission the following day. We know it has been received and being processed as a telephone enquiry from them was received some three working days later. As Friends will recall, the funding proposal is for two group study booths to be constructed along the east wall of the Library's main floor. As mentioned above, if this project is successful, then this area will be designated as a Memorial to Tony Scammell.