Next Friends Meeting — Monday, December 7 from 5:30 – 6:30 PM at the Library. New members are welcome!
…WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM OUR FRIENDS
The Friends of the Waterbury Public Library is a 501(c) (3) tax exempt organization which was organized in 1966 to promote and enhance the library, to be a liaison between the library and the community, to strengthen library services through financial contributions, and to provide volunteers for special projects and activities. Recently the Friends membership, the Vermont Secretary of State, and the IRS approved amendments to the Bylaws and Articles of Association to allow the Friends to raise money for a library building fund.
From the beginning, the Friends have been involved in improving Library facilities. One of the group’s earliest projects was bringing telephone service to the Waterbury Village Library in 1968. The Friends raised money to have the phone installed and continued to pay the Library’s phone bill for the next fifteen years!
The Friends bought the Library’s first computer, and more recently, helped purchase shelving and other furnishings and a new library sign. Ongoing projects include sponsoring Read for Life, the Library’s quarterly newsletter; the Books for Babies program, which gives a book to each child born to a Waterbury or Duxbury family; the annual landscaping of the Library grounds; staff the library table at the annual Home & Garden Show and Community Fair; and a summer book sale.
In the fall of 2005, the Friends published a community cookbook, Good Food Among Friends, available for $14 at the Library and at Stowe Street Emporium.
In recent years, the Friends purchased over 40 children’s audio books, adult audio Playaways, a button maker and paid the annual subscription fee to Net Library for downloadable audios and to Constant Contact for the Library eNews. The Friends also donated $1,200 to supplement the book budget for 2008, and pledged a sum of $1,000 toward a new set of encyclopedias.
Every year, the Friends also help fund the children’s summer programs (“Get A Clue” and “Catch the Reading Bug”), Chess Camp, and the annual Spring Tea at the Stagecoach Inn.
On November 12, 2008, the Friends held their Annual Meeting and elected the following officers:
President: Linda Siegel Vice President: Elise Werth
Secretary: Carmel Kelley Treasurer: Sandra Ershow
Believing that many hands really do make light work, the Friends always welcome new members. Please contact the Library (244-7036) for information about how you can become involved.
