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

Establish a good volunteer base

◦ 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

Establish a good volunteer base

◦ 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.