[Publib] Re-invigorating Friends Groups

[Michael Golrick]

Hi Terri-

I'm sending this to the list and to you because it is an issue we often
have to deal with.

The Bridgeport Public Library was in the process of adopting a new
strategic plan when I became the City Librarian in late 2000. One of the
objectives was to create a Friends group. There had been two prior
Friends groups for the Library, one in the 1970s and another in the
0980s. Both had essentially been started by staff, and had large amounts
of staff involvement. I realized this when I looked at the history of
each.

This time we tried to do it differently, and the Friends are now about
to celebrate their 4th anniversary. We have a huge community parade, and
used our first participation in this to kick off the visibility of our
project. We handed out book marks with large peppermint single Life
Savers (TM) attached which read: "Be a Life Saver, Be a Friend." We
collected names for quite a while and then the following spring we held
a "get acquainted" event one evening. Our event was at the Carousel in
the Beardsley Zoo (an attractive location which we got use of at no cost
thanks to our friends there). We had the CLA President, State Librarian,
President of the state Friends group talk about the importance of
friends. Then staff worked the room and got a couple dozen folks to
agree to be the steering committee. They took it from there.

Here are a couple of our critical decisions: we are doing a system-wide
group, not one for each branch; we did identify some key potential
leaders to encourage; at the moment, we charge no dues (we are an aging
industrial city with poverty issues); we have staff who are liaisons,
but do not direct the work; we have an official liaison from the Library
Board of Directors, and the Friends President reports at each Library
Board meeting.

I hope that this helps. Good luck!

Michael


Michael A. Golrick              mgolrick at bridgeportpubliclibrary.org
City Librarian                  http://www.bridgeportpubliclibrary.org
Bridgeport Public Library	203/576.7777 (office)
925 Broad Street		203/333.0253 (fax)
Bridgeport CT 06604-4871
 
---Original Message-------
Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 11:30:00 -0700
From: "TERRI PILATE" <trpilate at msn.com>
Subject: [Publib] (no subject)
To: Publib at webjunction.org
Message-ID: <BAY105-F38B92578082A9BFAC24926C6930 at phx.gbl>
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Hello,

Does anyone have experience "growing" a Friends of the Library group?

I am a branch manager of a library whose Friends group has died.  We
have 
one couple who still take care of the accounting from our Friends used
book 
sale room, which brings in enough every year to finance our children's 
summer reading program and buying a large order of popular adult fiction

once or twice a year. This from a book room which is sadly neglected
from 
spotty attention. They really would like to pass this responsibility off

since they are getting on in years and health isn't what it used to be.

If anyone could take me through the steps used to attract new members
and 
find someone to take over presiding over the group, can you email me off

list?

Thanks,
Terri