The Friends of the Addison Township Public Library is hosting its first annual general membership meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 at the Addison Township Hall.
The meeting is open to the public and input from the community is more than welcome.
Friends President Claudia Von Drak is expected to give an overview of the group’s first year accomplishments and goals for 2004.
Von Drak said the Friends major accomplishment since incorporating in December 2002 was the rapid growth of its membership, which has allowed the group to become “self-sufficient.”
The group began with nine members, but now boasts an impressive 60 members, “which tells us the community is very, very interested in supporting, maintaining and growing our library,” she said.
Von Drak said the group was also quite successful at “raising public awareness” about it and the library through special events such as the Plant Exchange and Garden Workshop in May and Book Sale at the Leonard Strawberry Festival in July.
“We really worked to get our name out there,” she said.
The Friends goals for 2004 include “encouraging” existing members by showing “appreciation” for them and “tapping into their talents,” while at the same time continuing to increase new memberships, Von Drak said.
In the coming year, Von Drak said the Friends wishes to maintain and strengthen the “very, very close relationship” it’s developed with the Addison Township Public Library Board of Trustees.
“We really want to continue working closely with them,” she said.
Generating “awareness in the community about the need for a new, larger library” will also be a top priority in 2004, Von Drak said. This will be accomplished largely through “word-of-mouth efforts,” she added.
Using Friends’ funds to help expand library services is another goal for next year, according to Von Drak.
“Developing a large print section” and instituting some type of “mobile library” to visit and serve “home-bound” residents are just two of the ideas being explored by the Friends, she said.
Following Von Drak’s presentation, the Friends will elect new board members for 2004. The slate of nominees will include spaces for write-in candidates.
The entire meeting is expected to last about 30 minutes, after which outgoing Friends Vice-president Joan Lasonda will conduct the first “Just Between Friends and Neighbors Live Auction,” consisting entirely of donated items.
Attendees are encouraged to “look around their houses” and bring a nice item or two to donate that night.
There will be no minimum bids and participants can expect to find some great bargains.
The township hall doors will be open at 6:30 p.m. to set up and view auction items.
All auction proceeds will be used to support and promote the Addison Township Public Library.