Benefits to the Library and the Community:
* A Friends group adds direct value to a library by providing financial support for summer reading, author visits, book clubs, exhibits, and other library programs.
* Friends are willing to volunteer at library events, and can also plan and carry out their own innovative programs.
* Having a diverse group of volunteers expands the library’s network of connections and provides new opportunities for both collaborative projects and links to new donors. By representing multiple perspectives from the community, Friends can also help provide insights and ideas for services that cater to a wider range of ages and interest areas.
* The more Friends you have, the more positive “word of mouth” the library receives in the community — a kind of marketing/promotion that can’t be bought.
* Because Friends groups tend to be stable over time, they can help provide continuity between staff and/or trustee changes. The Friends are rooted in the history of the library but also supportive of progressive updates.
Benefits to members:
* Many Friends groups offer incentives for joining, including early-bird access to book sales, book sale discounts, fine forgiveness, Friends newsletter subscription, and membership incentives such as a book bag or other gift.
* Joining the Friends brings the satisfaction of contributing to something bigger than oneself that benefits the entire community.
Benefits to Friends volunteers:
* The opportunity to learn more about how the library works. Working alongside the director and staff, Friends volunteers have an inside track to learn about collection development, book challenges, budgets, and more. This in turn strengthens the volunteers in their role as library advocates.
* Volunteers have the pleasure of working with like-minded people who are passionate about the importance of libraries.
* Members bring their own unique skill sets (technology, graphic design, organizing and setting up book sales, gardening, cooking) and appreciate the good feeling that comes from being a part of a bigger, successful endeavor.