Are You a Friend of KCPL?
Of course you know about the library. You check out books, join us for programs, and access incredible resources through our website. But do you know about the organization that helps make all this possible?
The Friends of the Kent County Public Library is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that has been supporting KCPL since before the library even existed!
We're delighted to be able to return the support by spreading the word about the great things they accomplish.
Keep reading to learn more about "The Friends," the great things they do and how you can become a Friend.
The Friends of the Kent County Public Library is an organization devoted to
- donating time, energy, and more to the library you love
- raising money for library needs not covered by the library budget
- providing enriching cultural programs
- raising awareness about the library and all it provides
- helping the community by encouraging literacy initiatives
How do these goals translate into action?
In the last 10 years alone, The Friends have donated over $100,000 to KCPL. This funding has covered many small expenses, as well as helping with several substantial initiatives, such as improving the physical spaces of all three branches. The Friends provided matching funds to remodel the "Yellow Building" meeting space in Chestertown, paid the architect fees for the Chestertown branch capital improvement project, and funded refurbishment and remodeling projects at the North County and Rock Hall branches. In 2006, The Friends gave $15,000 to make it possible for the doors of the North County Branch to open on schedule.
Over the years, The Friends have regularly supported the growth of KCPL's collection by providing funding for books, DVDs, audiobooks, and other materials. They have purchased new furniture and shelving for all three branches, provided a state of the art audio-visual system for the Main Branch meeting room, supported the Summer Reading Program, and joined KCPL as a founding supporter of the Chestertown Book Festival.
In addition to financial contributions, members have volunteered thousands of hours to sort, organize, setup and run the ever-popular book sales. Volunteers also provide support to library staff by cleaning, mending and re-shelving library materials to make them available to patrons as quickly as possible.
In these and many other ways, The Friends contribute generously to making KCPL the incredible resource it is. The library is thankful for their quiet dedication and ongoing generosity.
Do you want to be a part of making things happen at KCPL? Become a Friend!
In addition to supporting KCPL, when you join the Friends of Kent County Public Library you'll receive the following benefits:
- entry to the invitation-only preview night of Friends' book sales (the next preview night will be Thursday, May 12, 2011)
- an invitation to the annual meeting, featuring a speaker from the literary world
- entry to the Friends' annual cocktail party (become a member now and join us for the 2011 cocktail party on Saturday, March 26th)
- rewarding volunteer opportunities
- contributions made to the Friends are tax-deductible
Ready to Join?
To become a Friend, pick up a membership envelope at any branch of KCPL or download and return the membership form from the Friends of Kent County Library blog.
Tax-deductible annual membership dues begin at $10 for individuals and $20 for families.