Library Friends: a Best Practices Manual

Since 1973, Friends of the Free Library of Philadelphia (FFL) has partnered with one of our most treasured institutions - the Free Library. Our mission to support the Free Library of Philadelphia is carried out by neighbors and library patrons who care about their communities and volunteer for their local library through Friends Groups. Friends are composed of hundreds of individuals who donate their time, expertise, and money in order to safeguard, promote, and raise awareness for this indispensable public institution. FFL serves as the voice of library patrons, and our vision is to have a vital library Friends Group at each branch of the Free Library system. FFL is grateful for and depends on the volunteer efforts of leaders, such as you, who inspire concerned citizens in your neighborhood to work effectively with dedicated library staff in support of your branch of the Free Library and the entire library system.

Friends Groups exist to support, promote, increase patronage, and augment the resources of their neighborhood library. To be effective and successful, groups develop and maintain close working relationships with the library staff to determine how to best serve their community. Together they set specific goals for materials, programming, beautification, and outreach. While the objective of both the library staff and Friends Group members is to have the best public library possible, the respective roles and responsibilities to achieve this differ. We believe that the best way to a positive and productive partnership between library staff and patrons is through on-going communication and an understanding of the different role that each plays.

Libraries transform lives. Scratch the surface in any neighborhood and you will discover inspiring stories: the dedicated librarian at a local branch who helped to open new worlds of career possibilities for a recently laid-off young father; the library's quiet space that enabled the concentrated study away from her crowded, noisy home that a student needed to get accepted to college and then law school. There are thousands of stories like these. Library Friends consider themselves to be stewards of free and equal access to information in every format and the advocates of life-long learning for all. Our inspiration comes from the belief that everyone in our community deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.

FFL's vision - a strong and active Friends Group in every Free Library neighborhood - is realized through the accumulated efforts of many dedicated volunteers. They, with the help of library staff, carry out all the large and small tasks needed to make exciting things happen, such as an open house, a book or bake sale, establishing a reading garden, organizing a book club, presenting computer learning classes, painting a mural, or staging a story hour or poetry slam. All require numerous planning meetings and the completion of many tasks so that items on to-do lists can be crossed off, the project finished, the job done, and a good time had by all. This manual is dedicated to you, Friends, who work so hard on behalf of your library. It is meant to help you along the way towards good operating practices and principles. So jump in. Whether you have just recently started a new group, have been active for 30 years, or are regrouping, we hope that this manual becomes a resource that you and your group turn to again and again. As the world, the city and neighborhoods change, bringing new challenges, we hope you can find practical solutions as well as some inspiration in these pages.

Library Friends: a Best Practices Manual
Download PDF (6 MB)