Numancia Municipal Library - Status Report

Status Report: February 1998

Since the previous Status Report - April 1997 - the organization has made the following progress:

Granted California state tax exempt status as a charitable organization.
Renovation of room in Municipal Hall to house library completed.
Received $2500 in grants and an additional $968 in individual donations.
Granted federal tax exempt status as a 501(c) private foundation.
Received donation of a Macintosh computer and purchased an accompanying printer.
Director's trip to Numancia and Manila.
Full-time librarian and part-time manager hired.
Opening Ceremonies
Library open to the public.
Various book purchases in Manila.

The months that followed the last status report were quiet ones for the foundation as renovation work was undertaken in Numancia. The organization continued work on the legal side achieving a designation as a California Public Benefit Corporation with state and federal tax exempt status.

In November we received word that the renovation work had been completed and plans were made for a Director's trip to occur in time for the Opening Ceremonies scheduled for January.

Inspired by this major milestone, a mad scramble occurred around the end of the year to pick up and configure a long promised donated Macintosh IIci computer and to purchase a secondhand printer. I carried the computer and printer with me as I passed through Manila and went on to Numancia arriving just in time for the annual Ati-Atihan Festival.

The next eleven days were busy with meeting with local officials, purchasing chairs, fans, etc., making hiring decisions, training the newly hired librarian on the computer, opening bank accounts and planning for the opening ceremonies. Time was also found for a bit of partying at the Kalibo and Ibajay Ati-Atihans.

The opening ceremonies were held the morning of Saturday, January 24 with much fanfare and a great deal of satisfaction for me. The library was scheduled to open Feb 1, a week after my departure.

I then returned to Manila and spent six days meeting with publishers, procuring books and furthering the relationship with CyberCafe. I was also interviewed by Paulynn Paredes Sicam - a speech writer for Cory Aquino and a columnist for the Manila Times - which resulted in an article being published a couple weeks later.

Gregg Butensky
Director