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Tips from United for Libraries

• Assist the Friends in getting the proclamation signed by your city or campus official.
• Offer a prominent location in the library where the Friends can coordinate a display and/or a membership table during National Friends of Libraries Week.
• Include information in the library's newsletter.
• Use this opportunity to evaluate how the library currently helps promote the Friends. Look for additional opportunities to promote the Friends on an ongoing basis, including membership, programs, and fundraisers. Consider a bulletin board in a prominent location, brochure holders at the circulation desk, bookmarks distributed by the circulation staff, and other simple ways to promote the Friends to all patrons.
• Tell your city or campus officials how important the Friends are to the ongoing success of the library. Use this opportunity to convey to officials how the Friends raise money, promote the library, and volunteer in many ways.
• If you submit a monthly article or information to the mayor, city council, or college officials, be sure to talk about the contributions of the Friends. Make it personal and quantify the support whenever possible (amount of money donated, number of volunteer hours, number of programs supported and number of people who attended, etc.).
• Submit an article to a citywide or campus-wide publication. Tell the personal story of a longtime volunteer with the Friends, the impact of Friends support on programs, services, and/or collections, or how the Friends supported the library in another way.
• Create a large "Thank You" card to post near the display or membership table coordinated by the Friends (if they decide to do this). Ask staff to personalize the card and/or sign their names.
• Ask staff to write "Love Letters" to Friends that can be posted throughout the library showing their support. Include quotes in the library's newsletter and/or on the library's website. Personal recognition makes volunteers feel appreciated!

Good Ideas from the Network: Libraries

Send your good idea for National Friends of Libraries Week to united@ala.org.

Owensboro, Ky
Daviess County Public Library hosted an Open House on Saturday, October 29, 2018 in conjunction with National Friends of Libraries Week to celebrate the 2nd floor renovation of its Children’s and Teen areas. The Friends of the Library hosted the welcome table in the lobby where, they welcomed visitors and recruited new members. Free gifts were given to the first 100 attendees. Estimated total attendance was 300, with lots of families and children of all ages.