Friends of the Library organizations have a definite purpose in helping libraries provide the best service possible. Friends groups extend the circle of contacts in the community begun by library board members. Often, it is from these loyal believers in and supporters of libraries that board members are chosen. The Friends extend their great enthusiasm, eagerness, and assistance in a variety of ways.
Friends groups work to help fund library programs that are designed to help achieve the library’s strategic plan. A library Friends group works to help meet the needs of the library, which in turn works to help meet the needs of the community. It is the responsibility of the board to work closely with the Friends, encouraging them and informing them of the library’s policies and programs. Part of this informational program may be to invite an official observer from the Friends group to the meetings of the board. In turn, the board attempts to keep itself informed of upcoming Friends programs.
Some board appoint one of their members to act as a liaison to the Friends to coordinate the Friends’ programs with the library’s strategic plan and policies. The library board as a unit and each individual library board member would be wise to avoid, even unintentionally, dominating the Friends group. An independent Friends group that is freely choosing to support the library can be much more effective in gaining widespread community support than one that is acting as a surrogate of the board.
The vital supplementary and supporting role that this concerned group plays in enhancing and enriching the library is reflected in their diverse activities as follows:
- Assisting with services: acting as tour guides within the library; assisting with projects to the handicapped, shut-ins; imprisoned; and hospitalized; offering clerical help; conducting story hours; developing attractive brochures; purchasing equipment; hosting special functions at the library; landscaping and general maintenance; assisting with scholarships and funding for staff development; and supply and arranging exhibits.
- Publicizing the library’s services: organizing Friends membership drives; informing non-users of library services; drawing attention to the library as the educational, recreational, and social focal point of the community; speaking at public meetings and to individuals about the library’s services, programs, activities, resources, and needs.
- Raising special funds: by sponsoring author receptions, musical events, house tours, tractor pulls, rodeos, book sales, antique bazaars, art shows, or plays.
- Other assistance: legislative communication to city and county governing authorities and state and national legislators; special projects; cultural programs; campaign for a new building or expansion or renovation of an existing building.
Informed Friends groups and library board members — working cooperatively with and through the library director — can be of valuable assistance in the total public relations efforts of the library.
Where no Friends of the Library group exists, the board may decide that a Friends group is needed and be instrumental in organizing such a group. If so, an early understanding of the relationship of the Friends to the board and to the staff can be established, reducing the possibility of later jurisdictional problems.
When a Friends volunteer to help the library, it is with assistance and cooperation of the library board, librarian, and staff, all of whom should have a part in discussing the needs that might be the subject of work by the Friends. Friends should not expect the staff to have unlimited time available to work on projects; the board and director should discuss and determine how much time, money, and personnel can be woven into the Friends’ efforts.
Remember: For the sake of intellectual freedom and patron privacy, is is always inappropriate for volunteers, including trustees, to perform circulation functions — checking materials in or out — or to have any access to the library patron’s database.
Library boards have legal governing responsibilities, including approving policy. The library’s director carries out the library’s policies and has charge of the staff. Library Friends must cooperate with both but interfere with neither. Generally speaking, library staff and board are encouraged to belong to the Friends group, as long as it is of their own free will.
However, neither the library’s current staff members nor its board should be officers in the Friends group, to avoid possible conflict of interest allegations.
Organizing Friends Groups
The library director and board usually decide together that a Friends group is needed. Sometimes, however, interested citizens approach the director to suggest the formation of a Friends group. In either case, the library’s board and director should be involved in setting forth the guidelines, roles, and structures of the Friends group.
First, the library’s director develops a small planning committee consisting of active and concerned patrons, representatives from civic organizations, community leaders, a library board member liaison, the library director, and a cross-section of the community.
United for Libraries has compiled Fact Sheets to help in creating the needed infrastructure of a non-profit Friends group.
Resources
United for Libraries, ALA’s association of library trustees, advocates, friends, and foundations.