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I've noticed talk in the other forums about starting a Friends group - this looks like it's going to be a hot topic, so I'm going to direct all further discussion here!

So far, folks have mentioned that friends groups can be good for accessing DiscounTech and other "deals" for non-profits. Folks have also mentioned that friends groups are really good ways to engage the community around funding - especially at the branch level. Here's one URL:

[url http://www.folusa.org ]http://www.folusa.org[/url]

but I bet there's more to be said on this subject!

I mentioned this in another post but we have an awesome Friends group here.

They run our annual book sale with proceeds often (not always) benefitting us in the areas of technology.

Chad

The DeKalb County Public Library (GA) has a great site for their Friends group which even has a schedule of upcoming Book Sales. What I think I like about this particular group though is that there is a section on the site called "How Do Friends Enrich the Library."

[url http://www.dekalb.public.lib.ga.us/friends/friends.htm ]http://www.dekalb.public.lib.ga.us/friends/friends.htm[/url]

Also, Via Library Support, there is a list of what you can do as a Friend to support your library including helping with funding!

And since Valentine's Day isn't THAT far away, "How to Declare Library Lover's Month": [url http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/how.html ]http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/how.html[/url]

Any other examples of Friends groups positively impacting libraries out there?

I saw someone asked about starting a Friends group. I had success getting ours started by looking for a core group of people who were already active library patrons, had a vested interest in continuing programs, and seemed to be able to get along with each other.

Who are these magical people, you ask? Well, maybe it's your toddler storytime moms, who are busy, but might not be opposed to getting together and doing work with other adults. For me, it was our monthly book discussion group. They were already meeting monthly, using the library often, and got along well (as evidenced by all the laughter in their meetings). I sweetened them up by using the small pot of money I had to buy a few copies of their next hot discussion book they could share with each other (then add to my paperback collection). I scheduled the first Friends meeting just a half an hour before their book club meeting, so they wouldn't even have to come the library an extra night that month. Fortunately, my plans worked and most of the book club members became official Friends. We moved the Friends meetings to a night seperate from the book club and we have added different members over time. That was five years ago and we're still humming along.

I thought I might pass on something our Friends group has been doing for the past year or so.
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The Friends, for a few years, had been putting together "welcome" bags that had library material in them. It also had info on schools, forest preserves, Chamber of Commerce maps, etc.
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The Friends partnered with the local Chamber of Commerce a year ago with something closer to a community Welcome Wagon: the Chamber solicits ad inserts and the Friends continue to stuff bags ... but now the Friends split the ad proceeds 50/50 with the Chamber.
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I think they got a $700 check last week.
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Here's the thing ... <b>new residents</b> are worth a premium to ad buyers but are hard to find since they don't immediately pop up on mailing lists. They do, however, tend to make the library one of their first stops when they move into the community ... so we had something valuable, initial contact, to sell.
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The Chamber and the Friends both win.

Who doesn't love chocolate!

What can a Friends Group do re: fundraising?

I started a Friends Group 10 years ago in Dallas, Texas. It was the 2nd branch in the city to get a Friends Group. Today most of the 26 branches in the city have a Friends group.

Our group Oak Lawn Library Friends raises money by the following:

a) membership

b) Kroger Care Card & Tom Thumb Reward card (each grocery store chain gives us a percentage of sales generated by our patrons who have cards at their particular store. We raised $100 by this method during the last quarter.

c) Annual calendar - every year we have a calendar with each month sponsored by a local business for $500 + a back page with 10 business size card ads for $100 each. Each business that sponsors a month gets 100 calendars to use how ever they wish. The smaller advertisers gets 20 calendars. We print 2000 calendars and try and sell them for $5 each. The advertising pays for the calendar costs so every calendar sold is pure profit which we use at the library.

d) Special events - this year we had a week of cultural activities with a printed program paid by local businesses and individuals and a silent auction of donated items. We cleared $4,000 from this festival.

Also, we have a recycling table where donated materials that can not be used by the library are set out for sale to the public. Prices range from $2.00 to $.10.
In a regular month, we can generate $400. All proceeds go directly to the gift fund for that branch. One board member and a staff member take care of the table. If an item does not sell after a month or so it goes into the bargain table at the end of the month for an even lower price. These funds allow the staff to continue buying new material during the summer when city funds have already been committed before the end of the budget year.

Last year our group raised $10,000. This year, we will raise in excess of $15,000.

Do any of your Friends groups pay an accountant to keep the books? If so what do you pay them?

We have a CPA on our board who is the treasurer.

Just letting people know that the Friends of Connecticut Libraries has just published a handbook on how to start and maintain a Friends group. It was created with Connecticut libraries in mind, but of course is applicable to any library. There is a lot of good basic information here. See: http://ct.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=14177