Friends   <<  Support Your Library

• Who are Friends of the Library?
• Why does the Library need Friends?
• How do Friends enrich the Library?
• How can you become a Friend?
• Friends Groups at DCPL.
• Book Sales.

Who are Friends of the Library?

Friends of the Library are people who know that a community with a first-rate library is a better place to live.

Friends of the Library bring together involved, caring people who are willing to work for excellent libraries.

Why does the Library need Friends?

The public library is one of the main cultural and informational centers of the community.

Libraries are tax supported, but there are many important items that are not included in the library's budget, such as storytelling programs for children, Building Blocks programs for parents and their babies, adult book discussion groups, and author programs. Friends of the Library help to provide funding for these extra services and programs.

The ideas and voices of individuals are needed to support and promote one of our community's great assets.

How do Friends enrich the Library?

The Friends of the Library groups are non-profit organizations dedicated to supporting the public library system by:

Encouraging volunteer opportunities within the library,

Focusing public attention on library needs and services,

Sponsoring cultural activities in many areas of the arts and literature as a means of broadening community awareness and use of library services and resources,

Stimulating the use of the library through special programs,

Receiving and soliciting gifts, bequests and endowments to the library, and

Supporting the freedom to read as expressed in the American Library Association Bill of Rights.

How can you become a Friend?

Contact a branch near you that has a Friends group. Fill out a membership form, indicating which category of membership you prefer (Individual, Family, Organization). Membership fees vary from group to group and are all tax-deductible. Indicate on the form whether you would like to be a working member or simply contribute to library programs with your financial support.

Attend quarterly Friends meetings to get to know other members and find out about the needs of your library.

Friends Groups at DCPL

The following Libraries currently have friends groups:

• Brookhaven Library
• Chamblee Library
• Clarkston Library
• Covington Library
• Decatur Library
• Dunwoody Library
• Embry Hills Library
• Flat Shoals Library
• Lithonia-Davidson Library
• Northlake-Barbara Loar Library
• Redan-Trotti Library
• Scott Candler Library
• Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library
• Tucker-Reid H. Cofer Library
• Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library
• Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library

Book Sales

One popular fund-raising activity conducted by most Friends groups is the book sale. Any book donated to the Library which is not placed in the Library's collection, plus books donated specifically for book sales, are made available to the public at Friends of the Library book sales. Donations may be left at any branch.

A schedule of upcoming book sales is available.