Friends of the Elk City Library

05/05/2026

05/05/2026

Read with the children in your life 15-20 min. each day. Visit your local public library for new books to share.

Elizabeth Bruce Hardwick was an American literary critic, novelist, and short story writer.

05/04/2026

Discover the joy of reading at your local public library.

Toby Reynolds has worked in children's publishing in the UK for 20 years.

05/04/2026

Families are a child’s first teachers. And it doesn’t take perfect routines or lesson plans.

Long before school starts, learning is already happening at home: talking during car rides, reading a favorite book (again and again), letting your child tell you the story. When reading becomes part of your routine, it becomes part of how children grow. from Reach Out and Read

You'll find materials, programs and more for your whole family at your local public library.

Holmes-Ware, Erica. "Families as First Teachers: Building Strong Literacy Habits at Home." Education and Career News - See the full text at the link below in Comments. 🔗

05/04/2026

It's Monday. Drop Everything And Read, D.E.A.R.! Find those small, flat, rigid squares of paper miracles called BOOKS at your local public library and let them sing.

Anne Lamott is an American novelist and nonfiction writer. Lamott's writings, marked by their self-deprecating humor and openness, cover such subjects as alcoholism, single-motherhood, depression, and Christianity.

05/02/2026

Plan some time for reading today. "Nothing beats reading." Explore new books at your local public library.

04/30/2026

In 2012, the Tough Guy Book Club, a network of men’s book clubs that meet in pubs, began in Melbourne, Australia. The idea was simple: bring conversation back to spaces where it had disappeared. According to the club’s own philosophy, pubs had become places filled with distractions: screens, noise, and small talk, but very little meaningful discussion.

Instead of treating books as something academic or elite, the club treats them as tools, as ways to understand people, explore ideas, and have better conversations. Not polished conversations, either. Messy ones. Loud ones. Honest ones. The club has grown into an international network with chapters across multiple countries, all run by volunteers. And everywhere it goes, the goal stays the same: get men talking, build friendships, and create stronger communities.

Ramm, illie. "This Book Club Meets in Pubs and Turns Reading Into Real Camaraderie Among Men." 1000 Libraries (27 April, 2026) See the full text at the link below in Comments. 🔗

04/30/2026

The Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library (AR) for Earth Month is partnering with Keep Jonesboro Beautiful to distribute litter kits with a set of litter grabbers to community members, encouraging the Jonesboro community to take an active role in keeping their neighborhoods clean.

Community members can pick up litter kits, along with the companion book “Otto the Otter and The Great Arkansas Mystery” by Keep Arkansas Beautiful. This initiative supports a shared goal of fostering community pride, responsibility, and environmental awareness throughout Jonesboro during Earth Month and beyond.

"Library Partners with Keep Jonesboro Beautiful for Earth Month Litter Kit Distribution." Jonesboro Right Now (22 April 2026) See the full text at the link below in Comments. 🔗

04/28/2026

Read with the children in your life 15-20 min. each day. Let your children discover books at your local public library.

04/27/2026

The Meeker Public Library held its 25th anniversary on February 14, 2026. So many local people have stated, "I didn't know Meeker had a library;" so the Library Friends had shirts printed. On the front the shirts had: "Meeker has a library?" And on the back was: "Yes, for 25 years." They had lots of fun wearing the shirts. Over 75 people signed the guest book. So many stories and memories were shared.

Four of the founders were able to attend the celebration. Left to right: Ida Smith, Terry Holland, Ella Mae Gallaway, and Cletta Kinnear
- Donna Weber, President, Meeker Friends

"Thank you" to the Friends of Meeker Library for their ongoing FOLIO membership and support.

04/27/2026

At the FOLIO Annual Meeting on March 13 in Tulsa, board member and Best Friends Award Committee Chair, Melinda Howard, presented the 2025 Best Friends awards of $1,000 each.

The 2025 Oklahoma Best Friends Award, which recognizes a Friends group in a city or town with a population in excess of 10,000, was presented to the Bartlesville Friends of the Library. Their Friends group donated $6,500 to the library for the Summer Reading Program and a Lego contest. They also donated funds for materials for the library’s Literacy Services, which provided tutoring to 59 Adult English Language learners and two Adult Basic Education Learners.

One English language learner from Russia was able to receive her citizenship. The Bartlesville Friends group operates a store in the library that sells used books and other items. It is open when the library is open and attracts approximately 200 patrons a month.

Pictured are Diana Dunn from the Bartlesville Friends of the Library and Dr. Melinda Howard. Photo by Eugene Earsom. Thanks to Dr. Howard for the article.

"Thank you" to the Bartlesville Friends of the Library for their ongoing FOLIO membership and support.