Letter from the President

Dear Members

We have had a most successful year.

Just consider what we have achieved. The cataloguing has been completed, the shelving has been finished and no more books are left in crates or boxes. Then the trustees no longer have the unlimited liability that pertained to being an unincorporated charity. We are now officially the Plymouth Proprietary Library Association – a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in which the members and trustees are protected like the directors of a limited company.

I acknowledge the efforts of our Honorary Librarian, Sue Bartlett, who has supervised the work of students from Italy, France and Germany who are with us on the Erasmus Scheme. She, with some help from the information assistants, Chloe Adams and John Horton, rapidly moved books around and found the best place for each collection. We are also appreciative for the work of our vice-president, Elaine Henderson, who has spent many hours classifying and arranging our historic crime collection. John and Pat Newman have enthusiastically offered us advice about future outreach, so we can be sure that there will be a full programme for 2020.

Keeping the business side in order has been our acting treasurer, Peter Smerdon, and our Honorary secretary, Sandra Greenhalgh. Without their detailed input and competent handling of the files, we would be left struggling to keep the show on the road. Camilla Blackman has a very long association with the library and a traditional business training; she has provided insights from the past that will enable us to honour our founders and benefactors. David Kent is no longer able to be a trustee, but together with Kevin and Sue Warley, he gave us invaluable practical help with the flat, locks, windows and gutters. Sue Howing-Nicholls has greatly encouraged us with her smile and her cakes; she is assisted by others mentioned above in this bulletin! It is sad that David Stark, our previous treasurer, is no longer able to be hands on, but he must be thanked for his professional guidance at North Hill and subsequent encouragement to us in the new building.

The two small gardens in front are maintained by Jean; they are no longer a tangle of weeds and unpruned shrubs. With the Spring around the corner the presentation of the building and surroundings will be vital in attracting new members.

Finally we are grateful to all our members and friends who have continued with us after the move. The heavy spade work is complete; we look forward to new growth and outreach.

GC President