08/31/2026
Who are the Friends of the Library?
📖The first community-based groups to support libraries date back to the Elizabethan era in the UK. These groups were first referred to as “Friends” in France around 1913, and the first Friends of the Library Groups started organizing in the 1920’s here in the US. These groups were founded to help raise money to add books to the library collections in their areas.
📖Friends Groups are typically non/not-for-profit organizations that raise funding for library needs not covered by the municipal, state/provincial, or federal/national budgets for individual libraries and library systems. FOSFL is a local non-profit that supports the Sneads Ferry Branch of the Onslow County Public Library.
📖Friends groups are comprised of a completely volunteer force that donates their time and various resources to support the library however local policy allows. They often help promote and advocate for library programming and funding as well.
📖For FOSFL, that looks like: fundraising through our annual book sale (collecting, sorting, and organizing book donations throughout the year), sponsoring the purchase of books for author visits, sponsorship of clubs like the Adult Book Club, volunteering to clean up and refurbish the outdoor patio furniture, maintaining the native pollinator garden, and filling funding gaps for library programs, materials, and equipment with the money we raise. For example, we provide additional funding for the Summer Reading Program/Events/Prizes, and community support like Back to School BINGO.
📖Our social media presence is one of the most visible and cost-effective (free) ways that we can support our local library branch by boosting their program offerings and events to make the community aware of what is available through our branch library. We know that most people are on social media these days, and this provides easy access to info exclusively for our branch. We also share relevant county and state resources, as well as educational and human interest content related to libraries, books, and readers, so don't miss our stories. If you know how social media works, then you know that consistent engagement is driven by regular posting that is relevant to what we do. It is very much a labor of library love. We are volunteers, so please remember that we have lives that do living things, and we occasionally need to take some breaks too.
📖Most of all, we just love libraries and library staff (and books, obviously), and this is one small way that we can do something good to support our local community.
📖Our current Board is comprised mostly of retirees. That is certainly not a requirement, but we do see a lot of people dedicate their time in retirement to causes that are dear to them, and that help keep them actively involved in their communities. We even have a retired librarian on the Board.
📖Anyone can be a “friend” of Sneads Ferry Library. Your annual membership fees add to the funding pool we use to help meet funding needs. Whether you choose to take an active or passive role, we appreciate all the support. We hold public meetings quarterly if you would like to come and see what we do.
📖Our only agenda is to help ensure that the Sneads Ferry Branch Library can continue to meet the needs of our community. A community that is growing faster than the plants in our garden. Thank you for helping us to meet these needs.
