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Friends Groups for Small & Rural Libraries...
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Friends Groups for Small & Rural Libraries...
2:32 PM EST 11/9/05
Do you have an amazing Friends group that you can share about? What makes them great? What makes them successful? Looking forward to getting some great ideas....
Re: Friends Groups for Small & Rural Libraries...
1:00 PM EST 11/10/05 as a reply to Michelle Huber.
To get some ideas flowing, you can read some good Friends Groups stories in [url http://webjunction.org/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=719&tstart=0 ]this thread[/url]. It doesn't seem to matter how large or small your library is. The link to the Fossil (OR) story is a great example of a small but enthusiastic community where "one out of every four people in town is a dues-paying member of a group called Friends of the Fossil Library." (!)

I'd love to hear more stories like that. What can you tell libraries that don't have a Friends group about how to get that energy going?
Re: Friends Groups for Small & Rural Libraries...
3:11 PM EDT 7/27/06 as a reply to Michelle Huber.
I am wondering if any of your Friends groups has ever hired an accountant to oversee and manage a capital campaign? We are interviewing for a part-time accountant to oversee the books and to file the necessary 501(c)3 forms each year. We would still have in in-house treasurer who would take care of the day-to-day check writing and receipts from the book sale, etc. Any suggestions on what one would pay for this service??? THanks. Ann
Re: Friends Groups for Small & Rural Libraries...
2:12 PM EST 11/8/06 as a reply to Michelle Huber.
3 of our 5 branches have Friends and each is unique. I was VERY surprised that in a town of less than 1000 people they are able to have a succesful Holiday Home Tour each year. One of the groups never holds in person meetings but instead uses email and phone to organize whatever they do. Each group raises $1000-2000 for it's specific branch.
As for the accountant question...we can't even afford one for the library district I'd not see doing it for the Friends...but then in Illinois we have the option of joining a library directors group that is a 501 and can be used for clearing our charity grants/funds. Maybe your state system could look into that (it's free for us to belong)