NB 956
Oct. 22, 2003
FREDERICTON (CNB) - Education Minister Madeleine Dubé today congratulated the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation and the Chapters and Coles bookstores for their new partnership that will boost the acquisition budgets of public libraries.
As a result of the partnership, Chapters and Coles bookstores have begun collecting donations from customers to fund new books and audio-visual material for the province's 62 public libraries and four bookmobiles. The New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation will receive and manage the donations, which will top up the new collections' budgets of all public libraries in the province.
"I am very pleased to see this creative partnership with the corporate sector that will work to the benefit of New Brunswick's public library system and its 210,000 cardholders," Dubé said during an announcement held at the Chapters bookstore in Fredericton. "I wish the Public Libraries Foundation and Chapters Indigo success in their work to support new collections."
From left : Tony Arnold, manager of the Chapters bookstore
in Fredericton; Education Minister Madeleine Dubé; Anthony Knight, executive
director of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation; and Susan Montague,
a member of the NB Public Libraries Foundation. They are showing the bookmark
that customers will receive in recognition of a donation to the Foundation to
support acquisitions by public libraries. (Large
photo.)
In addition to providing New Brunswickers with access to materials for recreational reading and research purposes, public libraries also play an important role in the province's literacy efforts, the minister said.
"Our public libraries offer a host of reading programs for all ages," Dubé said. "People must be able to read to succeed and public libraries are a key part of the province's literacy and lifelong learning efforts."
"The NB Public Libraries Foundation is very pleased to launch this partnership with Chapters Indigo," Foundation chair Roger Doiron said. "We believe the public will be receptive to this opportunity to support the purchase of new collections for all public libraries in the province."
"This program is a first for Chapters Indigo in Canada and we welcome this opportunity to be an active supporter of New Brunswick's public libraries," said Ianitt Yoo of Chapters Indigo. "This partnership makes sense for our business model and our community philosophy."
Chapters Indigo has agreed to have its Chapters bookstores in Fredericton and Dieppe and its four Coles bookstores (Dieppe and three stores in Saint John) collect donations from their customers in support of public libraries. Bookmarks that feature information on the public library system will be given to all donors who add $2 to their purchase at Chapters Indigo and Coles bookstores. The duration of the partnership is 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
Dubé said the donations collected are in addition to the Department of Education's annual budget for new collections.
"In support of this and other initiatives of the New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation, the Province of New Brunswick has dedicated $100,000 annually to match funds raised by the Foundation on a dollar for dollar basis," she said. "I am very pleased to see these investments made in our public libraries for new collections."
The New Brunswick Public Libraries Foundation is a charitable organization that raises funds in support of New Brunswick's public library system. The activities of the Foundation are overseen by a board of trustees who are responsible for the management of the Foundation's trust fund.
03/10/22
MEDIA CONTACTS: Steve Benteau, communications, Education, 506-444-4714; Anthony Knight, executive director, NB Public Libraries Foundation, 506-453-3442.
03/10/22
