6.7. LIBSR 03-22-2016 / .
Library Services Coordinator Report
To: Elk River Library Board
CC: Brandi Canter, PSS
From: Will Hollerich, LSC
Date: March 15, 2016
High $5 March fundraiser
During the month of March, Great River Regional Library has its annual fundraising campaign
during which front line staff at branches ask patrons to donate $5 (give them a "high five") to
show their support for libraries. Patrons who donate in cash or check at the desk can write their
name, someone else's name, or a message on a cut-out of a hand we put on the board behind the
front desk. This year we offer a bright green wrist bracelet that reads, "I AM A LIBRARY
SUPPORTER," for every $5 one chooses to contribute. We also allow credit card donations
through our website, under the "Support the Library" link on the left-hand side of our home
page, http://www.griver.org/. (If donating online, please be sure to add "Elk River" to the
Instructions/Comments box of your High 5 Campaign donation.) 50% of donations made as part
of the High 5 March fundraiser stay at the branch they're donated at for things like programs and
prizes. The other 50% become part of the general GRRL fund used for staffing, computers,
books and other materials and services around the region. So far we have received over $350 in
donations—of which $175 will stay here. Keep it up, Elk River!
Local Action Plan
The Elk River branch has decided that we would like to focus on bringing in more adults 55 and
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over in the next year or two. We have heard of retirees to Elk River who never lived here before
and aren't aware we have a library. Although this is anecdotal evidence, it suggests there are
more people in our target audience we could still reach. As a staff, we have been discussing ways
we can accomplish this. Some places we are looking to partner with are Elk River's Activity
Center and area senior housing communities. We are working with the Sherburne County
Department of Health and Human Services to try to have the county's top Public Health Nurse
give free monthly talks this fall at the library on some topics that may interest our target
audience, such as options for financing health care, being a wise medical consumer, etc. Our
library has many materials and services that could appeal to adults 55 and older, including print
newspapers and magazines, genealogical databases that can be accessed in and out of the library,
and generous selections of Large Print books and audiobooks on CD for the visually impaired.
We use volunteers from RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and many of our Friends
of the Library are long-time area residents, so volunteering to support the library one of those
ways can have social benefits for seniors as well.