Who are the Friends of the Library?
by Anita Thomas and Perry Reed
Friends of the Red Deer Public Library
The Friends of the Red Deer Public Library are a registered nonprofit Society operated by a volunteer nine-member Board of Directors. The Friends are separate from the library itself. Their mandate is to advocate for the library and raise funds to support library projects that are not funded by municipal and provincial operating grants.
The Friends raise money through their bi-annual Book Sale, the Bookshop on the main floor of the Downtown Branch, a casino every 3 years, and other special events. A group of dedicated volunteers support these activities.
The Friends ask the library CEO, Shelley Ross, to recommend projects that the Friends may wish to support. The most recent project was a new book drop for the Collicutt Branch, opens a new window. The Friends Board voted to approve this and, once the book drop is purchased, the Friends will write a cheque to the library to cover the costs.
Presently, over eighty people in Red Deer belong to the Society of Friends of the Library. Anyone can join by paying the membership fee of $10 (or $20 for a family) which entitles them to come to the “Members Only” preview night at the Book Sale and vote at the AGM. You can join at the Circulation Desk downtown or at the annual AGM, which will take place on March 6, 2024, at 5 p.m.
For more information about the Friends, visit rdpl.org/friends
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