Waterloo Historical Society
C/O Kitchener Public Library
85 Queen Street North
Kitchener, Ontario Canada
N2H 2H1
By email
ANNOUNCING: The Susan J. Hoffman Local History Fund
The Board of Directors of the Waterloo Historical Society (WHS) is very pleased to announce that in November of 2006 it reached an agreement with the Kitchener Public Library Foundation (KPLF) to honor long-time KPL local history librarian, archivist and WHS director Susan Hoffman.
Background:
Susan's professional affiliation with KPL began in 1976 when she was invited to join the staff at the local library. In time Susan began working with the highly regarded and respected Grace Schmidt in the library's local history department. Together they successfully raised the profile of both KPL's local history collection and WHS's substantial historical collection---so much so that in 1984, the library partnered with WHS to open The Grace Schmidt Room of Local History (GSR). Founded largely in part to honor and commemorate the contributions of Grace Schmidt, the establishment of the GSR also spoke to the increasing regard the local history collection enjoyed within the Region of Waterloo and beyond. Subsequently, under Susan's diligent leadership over more than two decades, the GSR has evolved to become one of the significant local history rooms within the province.
In July of 2006 Susan Hoffman retired from KPL…but not from the WHS. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors as well as editor of the WHS annual volume. In recognition of Susan's many years of dedicated service to both KPL and WHS, The Susan J Hoffman Local History Fund has been established. In November 2006, the WHS made an inaugural $1,000 donation and will consider annually its contribution level to the fund.
Purpose:
The purpose of the fund is fourfold, including to:
---honor and recognize Susan's substantial contributions to KPL and WHS;
---support the Grace Schmidt Room at KPL;
---complement (but not replace) other funds and fund-raising initiatives (including grant applications) in support of the work undertaken by the GSR; and
---- fund various GSR-related projects. These may included, but are not restricted to, purchasing collections, documents, maps, books, photographs, account books, etc., or archival storage materials, or GSR furnishings and equipment, or hiring contract staff to assist in cataloguing collections held by WHS and KPL. (Please note that donations to the fund will not be used for the maintenance of the physical plant, e.g., roof repairs or window replacement.)
How You Can Donate:
Checks should be made payable to the Kitchener Public Library Foundation (not to WHS and not to The Susan J Hoffman Fund) with a notation that the funds are designated to The Susan J Hoffman Local History Fund. Tax receipts will be issued by KPLF for donations of $10.00 or more. Your donation cheque may be mailed to: The Kitchener Public Library Foundation, 85 Queen Street North, Kitchener, Ontario, N2H 2H1.
Who can Donate?:
Anyone interested in the well-being of local history research, preservation and publication. The fund is not restricted to WHS members nor to residents of Waterloo Region. If you wish to make an anonymous donation, please contact the KPLF for advice regarding proper procedure.
Procedure for Use:
The funds will be utilized according to established KPLF regulations. The approval process firstly entails receiving recommendations (usually submitted by KPL staff). Then the recommendations are forwarded for approval by the KPL Board and next by the KPLF Board. In most cases, proposals for funding will originate with the library's local history specialist who, normally, is also the WHS archivist. It is expected that within the archivist's regular reports to the WHS Board she/he will provide updates on the fund's use.
Long-term Commitment:
This important agreement between the WHS and KPLF has been co-signed by the WHS president and the CEO of KPL. It is an ongoing, permanent arrangement and will provide long-term benefits to the GSR and to students and researchers alike far into the future.
KPLF website:
For further information see the Kitchener Public Library Foundation.
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