Support the Library – Become a Friend!

“What exactly do the Friends of the Library provide?” someone asked me the other day at the Circulation Desk. He was filling out a ticket for the Friends summer raffle, for a chance to win a Keurig Coffee Maker and a gift card to Burton’s Grill.

I told him he could find the Friends listed as sponsors on everything from museum passes, to the children’s singalong,Music with Dara VanRemoortel, to evening book discussions, to a recent family concert with David Polansky. The Friends fund many activities and services not covered by the town’s operating budget.  

“Sponsored by the Friends” is a vital tagline on almost all library events for children, teens, and adults.

According to current President Adrienne Callahan, “The Friends have also made a special effort to help the library keep up with changes with new paperless information systems.”

They have purchased a Nook and Kindle reader; support website design; the online newsletter Books & Beyond; and occasional workshops on current tech topics, such as social networking for businesses. Here is a selected list of what they have supported in the past few years.

The core of the Friends of the Library is a small group of dedicated residents who work to raise money and help out at a wide variety of events. Two book sales, held in November and May, are a primary source of income. A recently established partnership with Big Hearted Books, owned by Kevin Howard of North Reading, has streamlined the book sale effort.  

How can you help? First, by becoming a Friend. September is a traditional time to join or renew your membership. “We rely on our money from membership dues,” says Adrienne. It’s only $15 a year for an individual membership. You can encourage family, friends and colleagues, to join, too. Another simple way you can support the Friends is by going through their Amazon portal to do your online shopping; a portion of the proceeds goes to the Friends.

The Friends have partnered with several local businesses and hope to work more closely with the schools to promote learning. They are looking for volunteers to help with the book sales and to help out at some of the larger programs each year. They welcome all who want to be involved. New volunteers bring new ideas.

The Friends invite you to stop by their table at the Apple Festival on Sept. 17. You'll  have an opportunity to chat with members of the Friends, browse through the children’s books for sale, and buy raffle tickets. The winning ticket will be drawn that day.

For the library's latest, please visit www.flintmemoriallibrary.org or follow the library on Facebook.