Friends of Oakton Library Votes in New Board

The Friends of Oakton Library voted in the 2011 Board of Directors and enacted the first adjustments to the bylaws in the organization's 10-year history Tuesday.

About a dozen FOL members met at for the annual general meeting, where attendees not only voted in the new board, but also reviewed 2010. Branch manager Jerilyn Polson also presented her wish list for what she hopes FOL will provide the library in 2011.

Maya Mann and Carol Fay joined the board as second vice president and secretary, respectively.

Fay did not only get voted to the board, but also joined FOL as a new member. Her friend and outgoing FOL secretary Corinne Savage Oliverio talked with her and convinced her to become involved.

"I really want to see this library be all it can be, especially for young people," said Fay, a retired English teacher. "I have grandchildren now and they love libraries. I want them to always know that this is a safe harbor of sorts."

Mann could not be present at the meeting, but Tooley Milstead, president of FOL, said the group is thrilled to have her join the board.

"She's much younger than the rest of the board. That makes such a difference," Milstead said. "We want to attract new and younger people to our group, so she's a great start for us."

The members also voted on changes to the bylaws, which reflected more of how the board was already functioning, Milstead said.

"We realized we were mistakenly breaking some rules, and we don't want that," said Milstead, who will be serving as president for the second year in a row. "So, we made a few tweaks to make sure the bylaws reflected the best interests of the group moving forward."

Some of the changes included permitting a president to succeed oneself with the consent of both the board and the president, defining a quorum as one-twentieth of the membership rather than one-fourth of paid members, and allowing people to participate in FOL without paying dues.

"Our group has always been split on dues," Milstead said. "Some feel dues will compel people to put forth more effort because they've already put money in; others feel dues discourage people from getting involved."

In the end, it's all about the betterment of the group that formed in 2001, six years before Oakton Library even opened.

In the last year, FOL raised about $14,500 in the spring and fall book sales, along with about $1,300 in the ongoing book sale at the library. It also raised $8,000 to go into the general collection fund, which benefits the Fairfax County Public Libraries system, not just Oakton Library.

FOL also provided some furniture for the library, money to retain its periodical and newspaper subscriptions—which would've ended because of county budget cuts—and books and other materials for programs throughout the year.

Looking forward, the group wants to figure out the best way to fundraise and attract more people to the library's activities.

"I think the best thing about our library is how it brings the community together," Milstead said. "I love walking around the library and seeing familiar faces, or even unfamiliar faces who are friendly and warm. To bring new people into this community is what it's all about."

President: Tooley Milstead

First Vice President: Ann Balch

Second Vice President: Maya Mann

Treasurer: Fred Pitman

Secretary: Carol Fay