The Greenwood Public Library brought in over $20,000 in net income in 2020.
Announced at its annual general meeting Thursday, April 29, last year’s fiscal feat reverses the roughly $5,000 income loss the library posted in 2019.
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Treasurer Jocelyn Nega, who stepped down along with board chair Anne-Rayner Gould, explained in her final report that, “the community came to our rescue. They managed to save us in a way that I personally didn’t think could happen.”
Revenue jumped from around $50,000 in 2019 to over $75,000 in 2020, thanks largely to volunteer fundraisers who worked around pandemic restrictions and departed residents who left parts of their estates to the library. Then there were donors like Richard Casperson, who spurred others’ generosity by matching $5,000 in community donations.
Sales of quilted face masks, fashioned from 50 bolts of fabric left to the library by the late Lori James, raised $6,200. Nega estimated the returns would have been much smaller had it not been for the five area businesses who donated sale proceeds to the library. Roegan Lloydd’s ongoing bottle drive meanwhile brought in a further $6,500.
“The face masks and the bottle drive really put us over the top,” Nega said, noting that the library’s bake-less bake sale also helped.
Rayner Gold, who stepped down for health reasons, said she was happy to have served two two-year terms as chair.
“Long may the Greenwood Public Library thrive and serve its community,” she said.
Voting members then elected new board chair Susan Harris, new vice-chair Roegan Lloydd and new treasurer Lori Huberman. Leslie Smith will continue in her role as acting library director and secretary to the board. Jocelyn Nega will continue to serve as a library administrator.
Greenwood mayor Barry Noll and city councillors congratulated the library in a letter to staff and 2020 board members Friday, April 30. “Your creative approaches to solving financial problems in these uncertain and difficult times is commendable, the achievements are awesome,” they wrote.
Library circulation over 2020 came in at around half of pre-COVID levels, which Smith said was impressive, given pandemic constraints.
Last week’s AGM was held via Zoom.
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