Danielle Dickinson Thaden, Gibson Memorial Library Director
and library staff
While you may buy their delicious Valentine cookies or shop their used book sale, you may not realize how much they contribute to our library and the community beyond.
Our Friends of the Creston, Iowa, Public Library raise thousands of dollars each year to support our library programming, contribute to books in our collection, and more, all to help our library. October 20-26 is the 19th annual National Friends of the Library Week, which makes it the perfect time to give them additional thanks for all that they do.
The summer is really their season to shine as they sponsor all our summer reading performers and prizes. This past year, they sponsored four different professional acts, ranging from a magician to an interactive science show, as well as our kickoff foam party. As these events cost hundreds of dollars each, they would be way outside our programming budget. Thanks to our Friends, though, we’re able to share these acts free of charge for local daycares, families, and summer clubs to enjoy.
Beyond that, our Friends help volunteer at special events when we don’t have adequate staffing to run activities, sponsor additional programs throughout the year, and even help supplement our book budget through their Scholastic Book Fair and other generous donations. In the past few years, they’ve helped us vastly expand our art book and board book selections and were a matching sponsor for our revamped children’s room play area.
During this National Friends of the Library Week, I encourage you to support our Friends by buying a membership, donating money or books for their annual used book sale, following their Facebook page, or just saying thank you to a Friend. Our library truly couldn’t serve our community as we do without their generous support.