Each year VPL staff submit projects for funding. The Friends Board reviews the requests and makes recommendations to all Friends members. These recommendations are voted on at the annual general meeting. This year the following funding was approved by the membership and a description of each project can be found below the table.
Allocation of Funds for 2018:
| Branch/Department | Title | Funds |
| Britannia Children and Teen Services | Services Britannia Teen Space Redesign | $6,000 |
| Children and Teen Services | Children’s Felt Story Collection Update | $2,500 |
| Children and Teen Services | Ink Teen Journal | $2,500 |
| Children and Teen Services | Writing & Book Camp | $8,000 |
| Children and Teen Services | Digital Literacy Materials | $9,500 |
| Children and Teen Services | 5 New Language Fun Storytime Kits | $2,700 |
| Central and West Point Grey | Block Flooring for Storytime | $1,300 |
| Inspiration Lab | Improved Filmmaking Equipment and Programming | $3,100 |
| Joe Fortes | Book and Toy Storage Unit | $2,300 |
| nə́ca̓ ʔmat ct Strathcona | Digital Creation Programming in the Bud Osborn Creation Space | $4,800 |
| Neighbourhood Services | Branch History Artwork | $2,000 |
| Programming & Learning Services | Writer in Residence Program – 2018 Residency | $20,750 |
| Systemwide | “First Nations 101″ Program | $2,200 |
| TOTAL | $67,650 | |
Descriptions of the sponsored projects:
- Britannia – Teen Space Redesign:
Changes to the location of the Britannia Secondary and Elementary School’s library collection as well as a new service desk created a natural opportunity to reconfigure the branch to include a teen space. This space will appeal to Britannia Secondary School students who come from the Grandview-Woodland and DTES neighbourhoods. - Children’s Services – Children’s Felt Collection Update:
The funding will support the purchase of indigenous felt stories aimed at babies and toddlers. This will be distributed system-wide. Although the VPL has many board books by Indigenous authors and illustrators, they are often too small to successfully read aloud with large storytime groups. Having indigenous felt stories will support the VPL’s goals to provide inclusive storytimes for all their patrons. - Children and Teen Services – Ink Teen Journal:
ink is the VPL’s new writing and visual art teen journal for writing and visual art. This magazine will offer teens a platform to share their stories across the city and around the world. ink is an opportunity for the VPL to not only showcase local content but also to give teens the confidence they need to pursue their literary and creative endeavors. - Children and Teen Services – 2018 Writing & Book Camp
The Writing & Book Camp has been an annual event at the VPL since 2000, attracting over 100 campers from ages 11 through 16 each year. It is a week-long event packed with writing workshops, presentations and creative activities. Local writers, illustrators and publishers are invited to be workshop experts, keynote speakers, and writing mentors. At the end of the camp, each participant will have created work for inclusion in an anthology which is published and distributed by the library.
- Children and Teen Services – Digital Literacy Materials
The VPL will use this funding to improve their digital programs with the addition of new programming software and hardware. The VPL is committed to offering a range of programs, resources and lifelong learning opportunities so that young Vancouverites can build the new skills and literacies they need to succeed in the 21st century. - Children and Teen Services – Funding for 5 New Language Fun Storytime Kits
Language Fun Storytime is a collaboration between Vancouver Public library and Vancouver Coastal Health’s speech pathology department. The program matches a children’s librarian with a speech-language pathologist to deliver a special program to children who are speech delayed and their families.
- Central and West Point Grey – Block Flooring for Storytime:
This will fund 20 sets of non-toxic foam blocks in order to provide a welcoming, safe, clean, and comfortable area in which children and their caregivers can participate in library programs and connect with other families. Having foam block flooring will give patrons an more comfortable, safe and hygienic user experience. - Inspiration Lab – Improved Film Making and Equipment Programming
Funds will be used to increase the film-making equipment available in the VPL’s Inspiration Lab and complement the existing equipment. The addition of a new green screen, an upgraded lighting kit and mobile recording equipment would support the completion of more complex film projects in the lab by patrons. This new equipment would also allow for the development of new Inspiration Lab programs and workshops. - Joes Fortes – Book and Toy Storage Unit:
This project would provide a wheeled storage unit to house board books and play items for young children, including building blocks, interactive games, puzzles, and puppets. During storytimes and other programs, it can be closed, minimizing distractions and creating a more inclusive space for children who struggle with sensory and anxiety issues. At other times, the unit could be rolled out into the central area of the children’s section, providing a focal area for play, away from the collection. - Neighbourhood Services – Branch History Artwork
This funding will support additional artwork, posters and wall decals to brighten up the branch and create a more welcoming ambiance for users. - nə́ca̓ ʔmat ct Strathcona – Digital Creation Programming in the Bud Osborn Creation Space
This funding will support hands-on workshops to be held in the Bud Osborn Creation Space. It will also enable Inspiration Lab staff from Central Library to train branch staff and develop a greater capacity at this branch to offer similar public programs more regularly. - Programming and Learning Services – Writer in Residence
The Writer in Residence program, now entering its 14th year, has been one of VPL’s most successful ventures. The program provides a selected author with a paid, full-time, sixteen-week residency. The author spends 40% of their time working on a personal writing project and 60% of their time sharing their expertise through workshops, one-to-one mentoring of aspiring writers and creating memorable public events. - Southwest Branches – “First Nations 101″ Program
To continue to act on the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, this funding will support programming introducing the community to Reconciliation and similar themes. Library staff would prepare a series of programs to deliver across multiple branch locations.