Importance of Friends

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Sunny South News

Everyone knows the value a friend can bring into your life. The library is no different.

Since 1998, the Coaldale Public Library Friends Society has been supporting the work we do in a variety of ways.

Sometimes, the work of the Friends involves helping out with special events. One example in Coaldale is the support given to our art gallery.

We are very proud of the local talent we are able to showcase in the McCain Gallery.

The Friends play an important role by hosting receptions for each artist and providing an opportunity for the artist and the public to interact in a relaxed social setting.

Often, we rely on our Friends for financial support. Sometimes this comes in the form of direct funding. For example, our Friends group recently purchased new musical instruments for use by our Small Wonders story time programs.

Each year our Friends top up our acquisitions budget by several thousand dollars allowing us to purchase more books and new release DVDs, than we could normally afford.

More often, the Friends enable us to secure grant funding. Through their willingness to provide matching funds, and by allowing us to show we receive tangible support from the very people who use and benefit from the library, we are more competitive in the grant application processes.

There will never be enough public funds to support all of the competing programs and institutions within a community.

Friends are also very important as advocates for us.

Our Friends serve because they believe in the value of libraries. When a case needs to be made for the library, either formally or informally, our Friends speak up.

The most significant fundraising event the Coaldale Library Friends undertake is our annual sale of donated and discarded books.

Visit us beginning this Saturday at noon to fill up your own library by purchasing books from ours.

We have thousands of items priced at $1 or less in all genres and for all age groups.