Join the Friends

When I was president of the Pleasant Valley Free Library Board of Trustees, now more than a decade ago, one of my fervent desires was to re-start a Friends group.  I was told that the Library had once had an active Friends group, but because of some disagreements over how to allocate money raised, the Friends had been disbanded and the Trustees had taken over all fundraising. I thought that while the Trustees might do some fundraising, it ought to be in the hands of volunteers who had that as their main function, not a sideline--which is what the function of a library Friends organization is.

It did not happen immediately, but the new Library Director I hired agreed with me on the need for a Friends organization, which was formed finally by a Trustee who had used up all her available terms and retired from the Board. The original organization was somewhat shaky, but improved greatly with a second president--but she moved away because of a change in her husband's job.  The current Friends president has been doing a terrific job (she is another retired Library Trustee).  She is aided most of the year by a very few volunteers who help plan and some other volunteers who sort donated books, fetch and carry boxes, paint signs, and generally help out.  The Friends run several book sales each year (the next one scheduled for late February) and raise several thousand dollars--primarily from sales of donated books--that they dedicate to making the Pleasant Valley Library better in ways great and small.

But it would help if there were more volunteers, especially on the planning end.  The same four or five persons have been keeping things afloat for several years now.  If you would like to help the Library without making the kind of weekly commitment volunteers who help the staff need to make, consider joining the Friends of the Pleasant Valley Library.  A good way to start would be to attend the next planning meeting, which will be at the Library at 7:15 p.m. on Monday, January 24.  If you cannot attend that meeting, just email me at bryanhbunch@gmail.com (note the address at the top of the blue border) and I will get your name to the current Friends president. Also, you can leave a comment on the comment line below.  Just remember that any blog reader can also read the comments.