How to Help a Library with a Friends of the Library Group

A Friends of the Library group supplements a library's budget and staff with fundraising and volunteering. They also serve to promote and advocate for the library.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. If the library doesn't have a friends group, start one. The national organization for this is Friends of the Library - USA which has information for starting a Friends group. See the link below.

2. Once the organization has members and funds, the meetings can focus on ways to benefit the library. It's important to get input from the library director on what needs aren't being met by the library's budget and staff.

3. If the friends would like more programming in the library, there are several ways to do this. The organization can provide a programming budget for the library to pay for speakers and performers. They can provide refreshments for library events either using funds or getting members to bake things. If there isn't enough staff for programming, the friends group can organize book readings, book discussion groups and other programs at the library using friends volunteers.

4. If the friends group is particularly interested in children's services, they can provide volunteers to help with storytimes and after-school programs. They can provide funding for prizes for the summer reading club, and fund a standing order to buy children's books through a program like Junior Library Guild. It's important to consult with staff so that the funding and volunteers are put to the best use. They can fund a storyline where children can call to hear a recorded story.

5. If the group is particularly interested in local history, they can provide funds to have the local paper microfilmed for the library's collection. Volunteers from the friends can index the newspaper or assist with genealogy research that is to time consuming for the library's reference staff.

Resources

• Starting a library friends group

[ChrissLJ]

on 1/27/2009 I LOVE our Friends group. They have huge book sales to raise money for library programs. I'm usually able to buy my nephews about a hundred books per year through them for only .25-1.00 each. (They now have a bigger children's library at home than their hometown library.) They fund programs bussing kids into tour the library, mail personal books to kids, fund part of summer reading, etc. They are worth their weight in gold.

[blondehound]

on 1/27/2009 interesting, thank you, 5