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Enhancing Your Library in Your
Community

President, Friends of Canadian
Libraries (FOCAL)

? Is a non-profit volunteer organization
supporting Friends groups and libraries
across Canada
? Offers information and resources
? Provides opportunities for networking and
sharing ideas
? Provides a useful website
(www.friendsoflibraries.ca)
? Produces a newsletter twice a year

What Friends groups can do for their libraries:
? Advocate
? Increase public awareness of the library and its
services
? Raise funds, over and above the library’s
operating budget
? Fund materials for the library’s collection and for
special collections
? Assist with the library’s fundraising, particularly for
a capital campaign

? Help fund costly library equipment or furniture
? Sponsor programming
? Provide support for library programs or special
events
? Establish a good volunteer base

Advocate
? The library will have an established group of advocates,
ready to act at short notice
? Friends have a network of supporters
? Whenever the library needs support, Friends can be
called on
? When services are threatened
? When branch closures are imminent
? When budgets are in danger of being cut
? When funds are needed for a new facility

Increase public awareness of the library and its
services
? Friends hold events in the library and in other locations
throughout the community where they promote what the
library offers
? They partner with other organizations, raising the profile
of the library and of the Friends
? Friends garner media attention for their activities that
brings the library to the public’s attention
? They sponsor library programs with funds; sometimes
Friends’ volunteers assist with refreshments

Raise funds, over and above the library’s operating
budget
? Most Friends groups raise money for their library; the
amount raised depends on the type of fundraisers they
are able to undertake and the number of active
volunteers
? Many Library Directors come to their Friends with a “wish
list” of items they would like the Friends to fund

How do Friends raise funds?
? Book sales
? Book stores
? Yard sales
? Bake sales
? Plant sales
? Bingos
? Lotteries
? Raffles
? Special events
? Gift shop

Assist with the library’s fundraising, particularly for a
capital campaign
? Friends can capitalize on their contacts within the
community to approach businesses and organizations
for donations to the library’s capital campaign
? Helping the library raise significant funds demonstrates
to the community the strong partnership and
collaboration between the library and the Friends
? Plan special gala events where the Friends provide the
“people power” to make it happen

Sponsor programming
? Books for Babies
? Other children’s programs
? Teen programs
? Book clubs
? Author readings
? Speakers
? Gardening programs
? Art shows

Provide support for library programs or special
events
? Prepare and serve refreshments
? Assist with special library events, such as
Doors Open, 50th or 100th Anniversary events
? Provide materials for library draws for summer
reading programs, etc.
? Adopt-a-book program
? Fund Visunet Canada Partners program

Fund materials for the library’s collection and for
o Special collections
o Books
o Books on CD
o Large print books
o Music CDs
o Special collections
o Digital audio books for people with a print disability
o Books on a specific topic

o Donate wall hanging or artwork
o Donate patron baskets
o DVDs
o Descriptive DVDs
o DVDs with closed captioning
o Magazine subscriptions

Help fund costly library technology, equipment or
furniture
? Fund computers
? Fund computer work stations
? Fund adaptive equipment for people with a
print disability
? Donate a walker
? Pay for furniture for children’s section of the
library
? Pay for chairs or a chesterfield

? Volunteer for Friends activities
? Many Friends volunteers also assist the library in other
ways
? Taking shifts in a café
? Courier service between branches
? Outreach services to seniors in their homes or in
nursing homes
? Helping with other library events, displays or
outreach activities

? Recruit and retain an established volunteer
base which the library can utilize for other
activities, events
? Build up a network of committed library
supporters
? Encourage student volunteers who may come
back again when they are older

Friends and the library can partner with other
community organizations for public awareness
events
? Displays or events with community service
organizations, like the CNIB, Canadian Hearing
Association
? Displays or events with consumer groups
? Joint fundraisers

Friends and the library can partner with other community
organizations for public awareness events
? Recycling events
? Horticultural society
? Genealogy society
? Art gallery
? Heritage groups
? Parades
? Summer festivals

? Friends can approach businesses or other
community organizations to suggest they become
involved in sponsoring a specific activity
? Friends can approach a business for donations for
a silent auction or draw prize – establishes a
connection with businesses that support the
library, literacy or access to information

? Friends can be instrumental in bringing new users
in to the library
? Friends are welcoming
? Friends are in a unique position to promote the library
to the public
? They can be the first contact for people new to the
community
? They can offer students a unique volunteer experience;
students who may not have used the library much in the
past

? Friends love their library.
? Friends love books.
? Friends are dedicated, committed volunteers.
? They want to help the library thrive.
? Friends enjoy what they do.
? Friends provide added value to the library.

? Friends are the library’s best advocates and
their most valuable partners.
? Friends tell others about what their library
means to them.
? They have chosen to give their time and energy
to an organization that contributes greatly to the
community. Many Friends volunteer for more
than one organization.

? Appreciate and value what your
Friends group does for your library
and your community.
? Don’t wait until you need advocates,
additional money or support, nurture
those people who believe in the
library and they will not let you down.

? "The best time to make friends is
before you need them." -- Ethel
Barrymore
? If your library doesn’t have a Friends
group, think about staring one. You
will reap the benefits for many years.

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Saskatchewan Library Association conference, friends of the library, enhancing your library in your community

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