The public library in Hay River has had another successful Christmas Book Appeal.
About $5,000 was raised to buy new books for the library during the fundraising initiative, which ran from the beginning of November to the end of January.
"It was very successful," said Marissa Oteiza, the program librarian with the NWT Centennial Library. "We usually range between $5,000 to $7,000 every year for donations. So it's $2,000 less than what we received the last couple of years, but we still consider $5,000 very successful."
Oteiza said the Christmas Book Appeal is the library's major fundraiser of the year, and it seeks personal, corporate and business donations.
"We ask for a minimum of $20 donations and it can range," she said. "We have people who donate $100, people who donate $1,000. It's up to the business or individual."
For every $20, a donor is recognized with a sticker that goes into one book. The stickers usually say “Donated by …” or “In memory of … .”
Oteiza explained the library seeks financial support instead of donations of books because books might just duplicate ones that are already in the library's collection.
With the funding, the library can also ensure that it has copies of popular books and those that are requested by library users.
"We had a couple of boxes of books arrive as early as last week and we are processing some now," Oteiza said on Feb. 11. "So usually the books get purchased in January and February, and then they're on the shelves by March."
With $5,000, the library should be able to buy between 150 and 200 new books, she estimated. "So this ensures that we're bringing in fresh books throughout the year."