About the Friends
Updated December 18, 2020
The Friends of the Jones Library System, Inc.
is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in 2001.Since 2018, the Friends have been the single fundraising arm of the Jones, Munson Memorial, and North Amherst Libraries. Last year (FY2020), the Friends raised over $140,000 to supplement the library’s operating budget. The Friends contributions are used to purchase books, audiobooks, movies, magazines, newspaper and research databases (available in both analog and digital formats), as well as for free or reduced admission to area museums, public computers, children’s reading activities, lectures, classes, poetry readings, films, ESL tutoring, and more.
These funds are raised by:
- private support from members of the community through the Friends annual appeal
- annual and ongoing book sales
- a popular library-based mini golf tournament
- publication and sale of historically significant postcards and other library-related merchandise
- sale of withdrawn materials through a local bookseller
As a member you can:
- Join the used book and DVD sale team to help with the annual and year-round sales
- Join the hospitality team to welcome people attending library programs and Friends events and to support library staffers
- Join the Friends Executive Board to help steer the organization
- Join the Friends annual appeal Fundraising Committee
- Work with Friends to create new and fun programs to highlight the library’s offerings in the community
- Work with the library's Special Collections department to collect and organize the Friends history since its inception
For more about the Friends:
- Read our most recent fundraising letters — September 2020 (PDF) and November 2020 (PDF) — and letters from local authors Cammie McGovern (PDF) and Catherine Newman (PDF)
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or read our blog
- View our 2020 report of giving (PDF) and tribute gifts list