New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

[William Yuan]

Hi everyone,

This is Yuanling speaking. I registered an account on Wednesday but it is still currently in the moderation queue to be added to the forum. That's why I'm using my dad's account to post this.

Last year, I was a Canadian Chess Olympiad member, and CFC gave me lots of support. Now I think it's time for me to do something for the chess community in Canada. I have always tried to promote chess as much I can. I am currently the President in my school's chess club, and I organize the teams to play in the high school tournaments. Recently, I have also joined the Executive Committee of the Toronto Schools Chess League to promote chess furthermore.

Now I have found an excellent idea for promoting this game widely. For the past month, I have been working hard to start up and promote a program called "Chess in the Library". The very first library that will run this program is at the Brookbanks site. In the future, I hope to expand this program in all Toronto libraries, and then perhaps across Canada. This program is like a chess incubator in your local library, that tries to encourage more and more people of all ages to play this game in the grass root level. By doing so, the chess community in Canada will be getting better and bigger.

We play casual chess, Blitz and CFC rated games. The program will be at the Brookbanks Library (210 Brookbanks Drive, Toronto, ON) every Saturday 10am-12pm starting from Jun 20th, 2009. Everyone is welcome to come!! :)

I would also like to give credit for our sponsors: Brookbanks Library, Scarborough Chess Club, Victoria Park C.I. , Toronto Schools Chess League and the Greater Toronto Chess League. Without them, this program would have not been possible.

Feel free to give me all your opinions, suggestions and any support (money, sponsors are all welcome :p).

Thank you!
Yuanling

[Bob Armstrong]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi Yuanling:

Great initiative - best of luck in developing it - it is the kind of thing CFC should be doing: chess marketing !!

Bob

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Bravo! Nothing to add.

[Luke Campbell]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Congratulations on your achievement Yuanling!

[William Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was the very first meet of the "Chess in the Library" program. Surprisingly, we still had around 20 kids and a couple of adults come to play chess regardless of the bad weather. The librarian and I were both very happy that everything turned out to be quite successful. Not only people who lived in the local community came, many parents brought kids here all the way from Scarborough and other areas. I organized a Blitz tournament that day, dividing the players into two sections. Although we didn't have time to finish the tournament, everyone had a great time. They were a quiet group who followed all the rules that I announced. All my worries of having to deal with behaviour problems of the kids disappeared at once. Looks like this program is going to run smoothly after all! :)

One reason I chose the public library as the location for this program is so that the chess players can be surrounded by a safe and quiet environment. Another important reason is that the library is where the resources are. Learning from reading books is something that not a lot of boys like to do. It's a fact that there are more girls coming to the library than boys. Therefore, to get the boys to read more books, we had a couple of chess books on display and after the program was over, a lot of kids not only borrowed the chess books but also other ones!:)

After the program was over, I was obviously very tired. The 2 hours of walking around, doing the pairings and helping the kids mark their result was not an easy job. However, even though I was so tired that I fell asleep when I got home, I still believe that this entire project (from first contacting the library to finalizing the flyer and to promotion) was definitely worth all my effort and time. Canada needs to promote this game a lot more and I'm glad I can be a part of it.

My dream is that one day most of the public libraries in Toronto will have this program and each have about 20 sets kept there. And week at every library location there will be around 20-30 people to come to play chess regularly. Each library will have one or more student volunteer to organize the program. Then every week I would be able to visit a different library and check on them. Our own website will be professional with lots of people viewing and checking for upcoming events. I could go on and on and tell you guys this entire picture of the kind of future I wish to see with all the details but then I think I would have to keep writing until tomorrow. :p

Everything in my dream is not something impossible to achieve. I think the only problem is the money to buy all the sets. The library's budget is very limited and the librarian told me that they can only afford to buy one set a month. I really don't want to charge the people coming to play chess money either. All I want is to see chess in Canada grow and that chess can be a game everyone will know how to play. Other countries can do it why can't we? So if your dream is the somewhat similar to mine, I hope you can help this program by sponsoring some sets or some money, anything is greatly appreciated by me and all Canada's future chess players.

If you are a kind person who wishes to donate to the "Chess in the Library" program, you are more than welcome to contact me at yuanling_1@yahoo.com.

Thanks for everyone's support!! The future of chess in Canada depends on all of you! :)

Yuanling

[Jean Hébert]

Re : Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

The library's budget is very limited and the librarian told me that they can only afford to buy one set a month. I really don't want to charge the people coming to play chess money either ...

Why not ? Why is this so difficult to ask a few bucks from those who benefit from your services ? I am quite sure that they would gladly contribute 3 or 4$ knowing the need to buy the much needed chess sets and other material. What do you get for free these days ? Most of these people are about to send their kids to summer camps and pay for every minute of it.

Also if you need more ideas on how to better organize these meetings, I suggest the following link: http://www.chessville.com/instructio...b_Meetings.htm

[William Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi Jean,

If my memory serves me right, I remember that it was you who lent me a clock last year at the Canadian Open in Montreal. :) Thank you again for that and also the website that you gave me. It is really helpful!

I appreciate you giving me your suggestions and I totally agree with you. Actually, ever since half a year ago when I started to think about this program, I have been debating with myself. It seemed like I had a tiny elf standing on each side of my shoulders. The elf on my right shoulder would tell me exactly what you mentioned. Charging a small fee each time to purchase chess sets should be pretty reasonable to many people. However, the elf on my right shoulder would argue and say: “It should be completely free of charge! Even though the average income in Toronto is more than $70,000, there are lots of low income parents who cannot afford to send their kids to summers and other activities that cost money. Canada is a rich country, but food banks still exist here to help the people who cannot afford to eat in restaurants.” Listening to what my right elf said, I realized that I must think in the eyes of needy people. He also added: “If the ‘Chess in the Library’ program charges money, then isn’t that like saying ‘Buying a book in Chapters cost you $15 so paying $2 to read a book in the library is very reasonable right?’. A library resembles free of charge and since my program’s name is “Chess in the Library” not “Chess Club”, I think I should try not to charge any fees.

I provide services such as private lessons which cost $35/h but this service I provide for the “Chess in the Library” program is different. I’m a volunteer student who just entirely wants to help the kids who cannot afford many things to come and just enjoy the benefits of playing this game. I think if the program charges money, then it will defeat the purpose of starting up this program in the first place.

Right now this program is only held in one library and the space is very limited. That's why I want to expand this program so that there will be room for everyone and some people can just go to their local library instead of coming all the way here to the Brookbanks site. I greatly appreciate the fact that Scarborough Chess Club has lent me numerous chess sets to start up. But if I want to expand, I will need the chess sets for every library. If we buy it from wholesales, each library will need 20 sets which only cost around $250.

I really don’t believe that here in Canada nobody would want to donate to help this cause. In the past, I’ve met tons of kind people who donated to me and other kids for our tournament expenses. When I went to WYCC in 2003, there was this anonymous person who donated $1,000 each to the kids in Ottawa who played in the WYCC and I was one of them. My school, my neighbors, Scotiabank, people from the RA center all donated to me. Last year when I got the top girls ranking, a guy from Windsor sent me a check to encourage me to keep working hard. I won’t mention any names here but there’s one thing in common, I will never ever forget these people. :) I believe that the kids who are participating in the “Chess in the Library” program will never forget anyone who donates to them just like I do.

I really hope that I won’t be forced to charge these kids money. So once again, I’m seeking for donations from anyone who has the same vision and dream as me. It doesn’t have to be a large sum, something small to show that you care is good enough. :)

Thank you for your support!
Yuanling

[Jean Hébert]

Re : Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

I’m a volunteer student who just entirely wants to help the kids who cannot afford many things to come and just enjoy the benefits of playing this game. I think if the program charges money, then it will defeat the purpose of starting up this program in the first place.

With the aim of helping out needy kids I cannot but wholeheartedly agree with what you are trying to accomplish. With that kind of sound judgment and determination there is little doubt that you most certainly will succeed. I wish you lots of success and sponsorship!

[Yuanling Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi everyone,

The second meet of the "Chess in the Library" program held yesterday at the Brookbanks Library was a huge success! We had about 50% more players than last week, which brings us to more than 30 players this week!!! :D I seriously didn't think that there would be more people than last week. I guess good news spreads fast!:) Another good thing is that this week there were 2 volunteers helping me. They are Jimmy Wang from my current high school, Victoria Park C.I. and Yutong Luo who was from the same junior high as me, Pleasant View JHS. Both of them were in the school's chess team and I was proud to be their coach. I would like take this opportunity to thank both of them here, and without them I couldn't have pulled it through. I believe from now on, at least one of them will always assist me in organizing this program.

It was a busy day for all of us. Parents started to bring in kids at around 9:50 and in 10 minutes, the check-in line went all the way outside the door. We very extremely busy checking people in, getting newcomers to fill out a registration form and also doing the pairings at the same time. We had 7 sections in total, the top section being the strongest, with kids who have a CFC rating. In that section we had 6 kids in total and out of the 6, 3 were from Scarborough Chess Club! :) Now for the rest of the kids, I divided them into groups of 4 according to their age. We played round robin in each section and it turned out to be pretty successful. What motivated the kids to win was that if they got first place in their section, they would receive a chess certificate and once they got enough, they can exchange it for a secret chess prize!

Since there were 3 people in charge this week, the group was more under control. However, even though I had "quiet please" signs on the wall, we still had to remind them to keep the noise level down once in a while. But overall, I think it went really well. We also had a lot more older kids (gr 8 and up) this week and I was happy to see that. The librarian was almost shocked to see that many people coming in because the maximum amount of people they had coming in for other programs was just a bit over 20. :p

I am extremely happy that there was such an incredible turn out for the program so far. I'm looking forward to the expansion of this program very soon so that the chess players would be more spread out. I will also get the program's own website done as soon as possible. :)

Once again, I thank all my dear sponsors for making this possible: Brookbanks Library, Scarborough Chess Club, Victoria Park C.I. , Toronto Schools Chess League and the Greater Toronto Chess League. I hope you guys will continue to support me and this successful program.

When I expand this program, I will definitely need at least 2 people to take care of each library. However, they must first be in training just like the 2 students who helped me this week. Right now I'm seeking for more responsible high school volunteers. Do you like this game? Are you looking for opportunities to learn some leadership skills to prepare you for the real world? Do you want to give some commitment to your community? Do you need volunteer hours? If you answered yes to all those questions, then this is your chance! Contact me at yuanling_1@yahoo.com for more information.

Hope to see you all next week in the library!
Yuanling

[Jean-Pierre Rhéaume]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi everyone, (...)
Hope to see you all next week in the library!
Yuanling

I was wondering if I could somehow see that young person who has so nice and generous ideas. Yes I can !

I foresee a beautiful future for you, young lady, in chess as well as away of the chessboard.

(Using the ''Preview Post'' function, I realize the picture is too wide, but it was not so when I saw it here :

http://www.chess.ca/newsread.asp?article=76



Jean-Pierre Rhéaume

[Jean-Pierre Rhéaume]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Please Larry, erase this empty post.

JPR

[Yuanling Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi everyone,

The third Chess in the Library meet ended yesterday at the Brookbanks Library. This week, the turnout was better than I expected! Even with the Hart House tournament running and the US holiday, 29 kids came to play chess!! I was very happy that the maximum limit was maintained. A great improvement from last week was that by making the table further apart, and with one less volunteer, we still managed to control the noise level much better. :) Again, I must thank that volunteer, Jimmy Wang, for helping me lots and making this possible.

Just like last week, we had long line ups but the check in table wasn't as busy. That's because on the day before, I created a Chess in the Library member's database which was sorted out by grade and last name. So when they come in, all we had to do was check their names off (much easier to find as well :)) and add the new members to the list. It definitely saved us at least 10 minutes this week!! Another new thing we had this week was a reading table full of chess books! So if someone had a bye or finished playing, they would be sitting at the reading table and reading chess books. This prevents the kids from being bored and ending up running around. I think it's a pretty good idea! :)

I'm overwhelmed that these three weeks had been amazing so far. However, to maintain this current situation is only a small step toward my long term goal. Before I just said that I will want to expand to many more libraries but didn't give any details. Now I have a very clear goal ahead of me. In my next 3 high school years, I hope to expand to 30 Toronto Public Libraries and maintain the level of having 500 kids playing chess in my program each week. I'm sure everyone who's following my program's update more or less will have some doubts about my organization skills and if I will be able to actually reach this goal. Well, you all have the right to doubt, after all, in many of your eyes, I'm just a girl who just turned 15. However, seeing all those kids having fun playing chess gives me the confidence and the motivation to make this program bigger and better so that chess in Canada would become more and more popular.

Recently, I received a donation of more than $500 to buy the first 100 chess sets which are going to be used in 5 libraries. On behalf of all the kids at this program, I would like to thank this kind anonymous donor for supporting the Chess in the Library program. It really means a lot to all of us and also the chess community in Canada. Thus, I've already started contacting 2 other libraries and by the end of this summer, I hope to have 3 libraries running this program smoothly. I also hope that there will be more kind hearted people who will donate to this program.

If you want to support the Chess in the Library program by donating or volunteering (students only :p), then contact me at yuanling_1@yahoo.com

Thank you!!

[Egidijus Zeromskis]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Well, you all have the right to doubt, after all, in many of your eyes, I'm just a girl who just turned 15.
---
Recently, I received a donation of more than

These two things do not match :)


Yuanling, I noticed that you're leaning more to kids chess, aren't?
It seems that kids keep you very busy during these hours. Do you have time to give them any advices? The idea with books is really sound. Keep going.

[Yuanling Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Hi everyone,

I now have my own blog! :) I have transfered my previous posts to it and from now on, I will be blogging at Yuanling Yuan - Chess in the Library at least once a week. This week's update is posted on there too! There are some pretty amazing news so don't miss it!!

Also, keep checking for updates because our own website is going to be uploaded soon! It looks pretty awesome to me so far :) Next week I'll have some Chess in the Library pictures uploaded on my blog !

Egidijus - Yup, I'm sure learning tons of things! Something new every week! Umm...what exactly do you mean by advice? I mean if I do when they are playing each other, wouldn't that be cheating for them? They mainly play each other the entire time anyway. Thanks for your support!

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer!
Yuanling

[Yuanling Yuan]

Re: New "Chess in the Library" Program by Yuanling Yuan

Great news everyone!

Michael Kleinman, CFC rated 2096 has joined the organizing team of the Chess in the Library program! Welcome Michael!! :)

Also, the second library (Pleasant View branch) has confirmed with me that the starting date of the Chess in the Library program there will officially start on Aug 1, 2009. Hope the turnout will be just as good as Brookbanks!

Everyone is welcome to come! Read my blog for details on location and more information! Yuanling Yuan - Chess in the Library

Any donations or volunteers can contact me at yuanling_1@yahoo.com :)
Yuanling