The S. White Dickinson Memorial library in Whately.
The S. White Dickinson Memorial library in Whately. Credit: Matt Burkhartt

What do Friends of the Whately Library do? That is a question that is often asked and not always easy to answer.

Friends (support and fundraising organizations) are important to libraries. They are influential to the success of a library. Be it with helping to fund programs such as the Summer Concert Series in Whately or annual book sales. Friends are volunteers who give their time to help promote the well-being of the library.

The general mission of these groups is to help support the library with maintaining and enhancing facilities, providing resources and services for patrons, focusing public attention on the library and encouraging gifts or donations to the library. But most importantly, their mission is to support the freedom to read.

Here is an example of what some local library friends groups do. In Sunderland, the group pays for the technology that is used by the patrons, as well as all their programs. In Leverett, they promote local artist who create bags, mugs that help promote the library and community as a whole. In Bernardston, they provide snacks for storytime’s and materials for different library programs such as craft workshops. Here in Whately, our Friends group generously purchased a telescope from the Aldrich Astronomical Society that is available for any CWMARS patron 18 or older with a library card in good standing.

Friends groups also help with the dummer teading programs by providing prizes that are awarded as well as any supplies that might be needed. It was thanks to Friends groups that most libraries were able to have the StarLab from the Springfield Museum come as part of the dummer reading program.

Friends are also important to fundraise for libraries with annual book and/or plant sales, aqppeals, library Giving Day. In Whately, they hold an annual holiday craft fair.

Cynthia Steiner is director of the Whately Public Library.

Upcoming eventsat local libraries

Whately: Sept. 26, Marvelous Meatless Meals with Leslie Cerrier at 5:30 p.m.; Sept. 29, tag sale in connection with the town’s fall festival. Table space is available for $10. Call the library at 413-665-2170 to register.

Bernardston: Sept. 21, book and bake sale at the Bernardston Town Hall, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Leverett: Tuesday music gatherings. Every other Tuesday from 6:20 to 7:50 p.m. Introductory dates, Sept. 24 and Oct. 8 and 22; Birding in Costa Rica, Sept. 29, 2 to 3 p.m.

Sunderland: Short story reading by professional actors, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m.; Climate change film screening, “Paris to Pittsburgh,” Sept. 25, at 6 p.m.; Kamishibai storytime, “Paper Plays,” translated from Japanese into English, Saturday, Sept. 28, at 10:30 a.m.; Fall Friends of the Library book and bake sale, Oct. 19, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.