Friends of the Library | Weeks Public Library

Friends of the
Weeks Public Library

The Friends File

May Friends File: The Meaning and Mission of Libraries

Greetings! Did you hear?!

As a result of an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and
Library Services [IMLS] inter-library loan services, which are largely funded by IMLS, are
likely coming to an end. We are living through a time when libraries and librarians are under
threat as never before.

The mission of the Friends is to support the work of the library and the efforts of the library
staff. In this time our effort and work has never been more important. Consider the meaning and
mission of libraries:

A public library is a cornerstone of community:
It offers open access to knowledge and resources.
It is an inclusive haven where people of diverse
ages and situations and backgrounds
can engage in lifelong learning.
Public libraries are not merely book archives,
important, indeed critical, as those are.
They are vibrant, dynamic, inclusive places
that support their communities unfolding needs:
promoting open access to information,
empowering citizens in a democratic society
deepening and stretching our capacity for understanding.
In an era where information is widespread yet disparate
and community spaces are dwindling,
public libraries stand out as essential institutions.
They provide open access to knowledge and resources:
pathways to insight and wisdom
for people from all walks of life.
Public libraries are not merely in local communities.
They are of them: they form their foundation and framework;
they enable individuals to become part of the wider community
and the wider community not just to survive but to thrive.

The work of the Friends has never been more needed. If you are not already a member of the
Friends please join now. If you are already a member please considers making an additional gift.
Donate any amount: $10, $15, $25, more. Your Friends membership helps us support our library
– and so helps the library nourish our whole Greenland community.

The Friends File

Archive:

Information about the Friends:

The Friends of the Weeks Public Library is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization comprised of volunteers dedicated to encouraging and promoting our beautiful new library and enhancing its many services.

We cordially invite you to join the Friends. We meet the second Monday of every month (except for July and August), at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Conference Room.

The Friends of the Weeks Public Library provide:

Museum passes
Annual Summer Reading Program and reading incentives
Youth programs and holiday events
Adult programs that contribute to Greenland’s educational and cultural life
Ongoing book sale
Public support and good public relations for the library

We are independent of the library’s Board of Trustees and focus our energies on providing financial support for items not covered in the town budget for the library. Since our beautiful new library is now four times larger than before, those needs are greater than ever. Please help us ensure that the Weeks Public Library delivers the services, resources, and programming that we have all come to enjoy. Won’t you become a member?

Would you like to join the Friends? To view our brochure, click here.

National Library Workers Day

We recently celebrated National Library Workers Day on April 25th, and the Friends of the Weeks Public Library presented our staff with a nice plant and a gift card! We cannot thank our beloved staff enough for their loyalty & dedication to our library, and we're "Forever Grateful" to the Friends for their continued support & recognition of our wonderful staff!

Awards

On Nov. 17, 2022, Katrinka Pellecchia of the New Hampshire Library Trustee Association presented the Friends of the Weeks Library with the 2022 Sue Palmatier Award for Friends Group of the Year. Friends Stuart Bauder, Debra Miesfeldt, and Phyllis Picha gleefully accepted the award. This award was in recognition of the Friends' successful "Bookmarking the Future" Campaign to raise funds for the renovation and addition to the Weeks Public Library in Greenland, NH. The reception was held in the living room of the library's newly renovated historic building.

Fundraisers

We are Forever Grateful! The Friends of the Weeks Public Library are pleased to announce that we received a February grant of $6,156.78 from The Fabulous Find in Kittery! We were thrilled to be the recipients of such a generous donation which will be used to provide enhanced library services to the Greenland community. The Friends of the Weeks Public Library is so grateful for this amazing grant and honored to be part of The Fabulous Find’s long tradition of giving back to the community. We cannot thank them enough for selecting our library as a grant recipient and know that our library patrons will also be thrilled.

Fabulous Find is a boutique-style resale shop at 139 State Rd. (Route 1) in Kittery that identifies non-profits to support with the boutique’s income. All profits from the boutique are donated each month to local non-profits. The busier the month, the greater the donations back to the community. You can learn more about The Fabulous Find at their website: http://www.thefabulousfind.org.

The Weeks Public Library is located at 36 Post Rd. in Greenland and offers a wide array of library materials, programs and ever-increasing services to Greenland’s youth and adults. We have recently greatly expanded our facility and are expanding services and programming to satisfy the growing need. Our grant received from The Fabulous Find will assist us in those efforts. Please stop in soon or visit us 24/7 at weekslibrary.org.