Overview:
The Friends of the Athol Public Library have celebrated 45 years of supporting the library with programs, the building, and more. The group, which has between 300 and 350 members, funds programs suggested by library staff, including popular events such as the comic book festival in October and performances by the Delvena Theater Company. The Friends were also instrumental in fundraising for the renovation of the library in 2012. They provide financial support for the purchase of materials, museum passes, promotional materials, refreshments for library programs, speakers and workshops.
ATHOL – The Friends of the Athol Public Library recently marked 45 years of support for the town’s library, from its many programs to the building itself.
Friends Co-Chair Lynn Carpenter said that the library was established in 1981, and now has between 300 and 350 members. Membership fees for the Friends – which is $5 for an individual and $10 for a family – are used to underwrite programs suggested by library staff.
Carpenter said Library Director Jean Shaughnessy and other librarians come up with programs for adults, teens, children, and toddlers, and provide a list of what they would like funded. She said the Friends usually fund everything that is recommend.
“They (library staff) are excellent at seeking activities that people really, really enjoy,” Carpenter said. “The programs we fund for them are generally very well attended. They are really creative; the staff gets all the credit, all we do, really, is fund the programs.”
One of the most popular events, especially for teens, Carpenter said, is the comic book festival in October.
“That’s always a home run,” said Carpenter, adding that other popular events include performances by the Delvena Theater Company. “They recently did a murder mystery cruise night, and that was a big hit.”
Carpenter added that the Friends were also a big part of the renovation of the library in 2012 through its fundraising.
“They added the whole back section to the library and bought the parking lot from the church,” she said. “I know the Friends were instrumental in doing a lot of fundraising for that.”
Shaughnessy praised the group for its years of support to the library.
“I’m not sure what we would be able to do without them, because they provide so much funding for all of our programs; both funding and a lot of manpower for some of them,” she said. “It’s kind of a fundraiser, but one of the fun things they do is the accessory sale they hold in December….Everything is a dollar, so kids come and shop and buy presents for mom and dad for a dollar. They have also done the Cop Swap and the Junk in the Trunk. They have sponsored lots of programs.”
This summer the Friends is sponsoring the summer reading program. The theme, said Shaughnessy, is Plant a Seed Read.
“We’ll be doing some gardening,” she said. “McMannis Florist is going to come and do some sort of flower arrangement or planting. And we’re having the escape room back.”
In addition to programs and special events, the Friends provide museum passes, promotional materials, refreshments for library programs, speakers and workshops, and financial support for the purchase of materials.
Donations to the Friends can be made by going to the library website and clicking on the link to Friends of the Athol Public Library. In addition to individual and family memberships, individuals can become a sponsor for $25, a patron for $50 or a sustaining member for $100.
“People really think this if phenomenal,” said Carpenter. “They think it’s the best $5 they’ve ever spent.”