Do you love reading? Do you love helping others? Have you ever thought about being a Friend to the Beatrice Public Library?
Friends of the Library is a group of volunteers who organize themselves independently to support their local library. They support the library in many ways. Generally, the group is in charge of the Book Sale where many donated and withdrawn books are sold. Membership drives are also a way in which the Friends group raises money. They handle the finances and work closely with the library director. Friends’ funds should supplement, not replace money that is normally provided by the city for library operations. The Friends donate a portion of the finances to Summer Reading Programs or some other large project.
Friends groups also help as community “ambassadors” and help with advocacy in the community and state. They help facilitate and promote library programs in the community.
Here are some fun facts from the ALA website:
- There are more public libraries than Starbucks in the U.S. – a total of 16,568, including branches.
- Nearly 100% of public libraries provide Wi-Fi and have no-fee access to computers.
- In 2016, there were 1.4 billion in-person visits to public libraries across the U.S., the equivalent of about 4 million visits each day. That’s 2,664 per minute.
- There were 113 million attendees at public library programs in 2016, more than all Major League Baseball, National Football League, and National Basketball Association games combines. That’s 16.5 million more than in 2013.
- Libraries play a critical role in a community’s quality of life. States that spend more on libraries, parks, and other public goods are shown to have happier residents.
(All facts compiled in 2019. For more information about sources, contact the ALA Library and Research Center: alalibrary [at] ala.org)
More friends are needed! Over the years the Beatrice Public Library’s group of volunteers have dwindled. I would like to see our community come together to support this wonderful library! If you are interested in joining this group, complete the interest form here!
More information can be found at www.ala.org/united/altaff/friends/friend-your-library
Joanne Neemann
Beatrice Public Library Director