By Donna Clark, Director
Though we at the Cedar Springs Public Library have been celebrating our Friends for 22 years, this week is the perfect time to shout their praises and honor them from hearts that overflow with gratitude! When the Library Board hired me to begin work on February 1, 2001, one of the
six mandates they gave me was to “work with the Friends of the Library,” with the intention of fundraising and building a new library facility. Already the Board had initiated a feasibility study with the Breton Group and was in the process of putting a plan for a new building forward.
A new Friends’ Group for the Cedar Springs Library was born during that time and was already having monthly meetings when I arrived. I was delighted to join their monthly meetings. As I supported them, how could I have known how much their support would mean to me, and to our community moving through the next 15 years of fundraising. We started building in 2016 and moved in and opened the doors to whole families on May 8, 2017! Twenty years later the Friends are still fundraising and going strong.
Thousands of dollars have been raised over these years, but let’s zero in on the last two years. From May of 2018 to today, the Friends have donated $20,088 to provide such essentials as security cameras, handicap-door operator, security pads for staff and renters, chairs for the classroom, help with the electronic sign, money for programs and a new iPhone 11 for Online programming. This is just a snapshot of why our friends are essential to the growth and health of our library!
Not only have our Friends donated thousands of dollars, but over the years as we shared our needs, dreams, and program ideas, they have always been there for us, offering hands-on assistance and financial support to make our dreams a reality for you.
If you would like to join our vibrant and committed Friends Group, or if you only have time to be a “Fair-Weather Friend” and help with various projects or have a great fundraising idea to share, there is a place for YOU! For more details, check out our Friends Brochure on the Library’s website: cedarspringslibrary.org.
