The Board of the Friends of the Ilsley Public library is launching a campaign to increase our membership.  We are calling this campaign “What are Friends For?”.  

The Friends of the Ilsley Public library was born on January 6, 1967, when ten women from the Middlebury Woman’s Club met to form a Friends of the Middlebury Library Association.  Over the following fifty-five years, the Friends of the Ilsley Public Library has held true to their commitment to advocate for and support the Library.  Membership fees, donations and book sales have been the basis of our funding support. As was stated in a May 2007 Friends newsletter, “The friends of the library support the activities, projects, and programs that help make Ilsley Public Library an outstanding community resource.” This mission remains the same today.

The Friends work provides funding for programming not included in the town’s library budget. During the last fifteen years, over $270,000.00 has been contributed to the Library through the Friends. Some of these programs include:

• free community access to the First Wednesday lecture series
• coverage of library card fees for out-of-town residents who are unable to pay, 
• books for babies, toddlers and early readers, a  project of the Imagination Library sponsored by Dolly Parton,
• materials for the “make and take” craft programs in youth services 
• Speakers for both children and adults
• Story time needs
• Museum passes
• Photo contest and program 
• a variety of furnishing upgrades (the big comfy chairs in the reading room).   

The expression “What are Friends for” is often said to the friend who has thanked you for doing something special for them. We are thanking you for doing something special for our community through your annual donation to the Friends.  

Please help us reach our goals by reaching out to friends and family who might be interested in joining us as a Friend.