The Friends of the Library are the most underrated fund-raisers in the nonprofit sector.

-- Carolyn Toth

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At the Zelienople Area Public Library, a group helps prepare for a fund-raising auction. In the Butler Area Public Library, volunteers gather to sort through piles of used books in preparation for their 31st annual book sale, while in Bellevue, docents conduct tours of the Andrew Bayne Memorial Library mansion.

	Anita Dufalla, Post-Gazette Click illustration for larger image.

As diverse as these activities are, the volunteers, known as Friends of the Library, are working toward a common goal -- helping their local library to better serve its patrons.

Friends are organized library volunteers who usually do not check out books, restock shelves or assist patrons. The groups, most of which are registered with the state as nonprofit organizations, promote the library, help organize events and raise funds that augment the libraries' basic funding.

With the roughly 18 members of Friends of the Sewickley Public Library generating up to 50 percent of the library's materials budget, it's no wonder that Executive Director Carolyn Toth said, "The Friends of the Library are the most underrated fund-raisers in the nonprofit sector."

One reason they're underrated may be that their existence remains relatively unknown to patrons of the libraries they serve. Yet, anyone who has visited a library probably has benefited from their efforts, because most libraries in the Pittsburgh area, from independent community libraries to The Carnegie, have Friends of the Library volunteers. An Internet search lists Web sites for more than 100 Friends groups throughout the country, including Hawaii and Alaska, with additional listings for Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Brazil and Belgium.

In the Pittsburgh area, Friends groups have been around for a long time. The Friends of the Martin Luther King Jr. Reading and Cultural Center, a branch of The Carnegie in the Hill District, and the Friends of the Butler Area Public Library in Butler County have each been raising funds for more than 30 years.

Yvonne Addison, president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Friends, said, "We've supported the library since it was no more than a storefront reading room. Our funds were instrumental in getting the center built in 1988. [In March] we netted approximately $5,000 for our 16th annual fashion show, and this money will go to buy books and to fund activities."

Ginny Besterman, a member of the Friends of Butler Area Public Library, reports donations of about $10,000 annually to the library. Her group has about 50 members, with 20 most active.

While many Friends can boast of years of successful endeavors, new groups form wherever a need arises. Recently, some patrons of the Zelienople Area Public Library saw a need and organized a Friends group. In less than a year, its 15 members have raised more than $1,000.

Sharon Helfrich, director at Bellevue's Bayne Library, echoed the sentiment of other library directors about funding issues.

"In 2002, we were notified that the state's 2003-04 budget would cut funding for public libraries by 50 percent, resulting in a reduction of from $25,000 to $30,000 in annual operating funds," she said.

"For our library, and I'm sure for others, that could mean limiting the purchase of necessary library items. The Friends happened along at that time, secured their nonprofit status and pitched right in by holding a used book sale, although none of the members had ever organized one previously. I hope they're around for a long time."

The group, formed in 2003, has 17 members.

How long it will be around depends on the Friends' ability to attract new members. Although the U.S. Department of Labor reports that of the 64.5 million people who volunteered last year, the age most represented was 35 to 44 years, this isn't the norm for Friends groups. Many of the Friends are retired or nearing retirement age and the groups, always looking for new members, say that younger volunteers are definitely welcome.

Betty Smolen, a member of the Friends of the Woods Run branch of the Carnegie, which has about 10 members, said, "I joined the Friends to give back something to the library, which my children and I have used for years. But we need new members if we are to continue helping the library."

Friends' projects, which vary from library to library, offer a variety of events and programs that make use of members' talents and efforts. A sample of Friends endeavors includes food-tasting fairs, used book sales, flea market sales, letter-writing campaigns, grant proposals, speakers bureaus and children's activities and programs.

Linda Woshner, of the Friends of Bayne, said she joined intending to participate only until a specific project was completed. "I decided to stay on because there's a value and a satisfaction in helping the library remain viable in the community."

For more information about Friends of the Library, contact your local library. For The Carnegie, call 412-622-8821 or the neighborhood branch.