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Friends of the Libraries are nonprofit groups that support libraries in their communities. They consist of volunteers and exist throughout the United States and around the world. In general, most Friends groups work to advocate for the library at the local level and provide direct financial assistance for needs not normally covered by the library’s operating budget.

Friends of the La Conner Memorial Library was officially formed in June of 1988 and had its 100th member by that October. Friends raised thousands of dollars, paid the mortgage on the current property and ran the popular Thrift Store; always keeping the attention on funding a new library.

Today, Friends of the La Conner Swinomish Library is a small group of dedicated individuals looking to the future and reimagining their function meeting the needs of the new library, as its board and foundation define the role of our library in a rapidly changing world. Libraries are community hubs. They connect people to information and people to people. They are safe havens for children.

What can our Friends of the Library do and how shall we do it? The library director, Jean Markert, pondered these questions and has a few things on her wish list. The library’s website needs to be developed further, possibly as a vehicle to provide more information via email subscribers and social media. This project is one the Friends could directly fund. The creation of a library newsletter similar to the Lincoln Theatre and Seaport Books is another possibility. Along these lines, help with “tech night” which allows community members to stay engaged in a digital world is also on the list. A building maintenance committee is another idea. Now is the perfect time for this. We want to preserve both the beautiful interior and exterior of our extraordinary new library building.

Now, how shall we do it? The Friends of the La Conner Swinomish Library is currently a very small group. We are looking to the future and looking for members. We intend to be innovative, organized and focused. We launched the Book Nook at the library in July and it has been more successful than any of us imagined. It is a tight fundraising operation and takes very little work to maintain. Selected books are available at no charge with only a requested donation.

Over the years Friends of the Library have enjoyed many monthly potluck lunches at the Civic Garden Club, which resulted in convivial conversation and new fund raising ideas. The emphasis of today’s Friends may now be more on operation, assistance and a forum for innovation. We now even have a meeting room in which to do this!

If you are interested in joining Friends of the La Conner Swinomish Library please contact the library at [email protected]. You can donate directly to the library through its foundation: laconnerlibraryfoundation.org.