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Sarasota News Leader October 19, 2012 OPINION CONSIDER BECOMING A FRIEND AT A SARASOTA COUNTY LIBRARY By Mary Byrd Guest Columnist The week of Oct. 21 has been cause for a cel- ebration! It has been National Friends of the Library Week, an opportunity to showcase the enormous contributions of our energetic, ded- icated Sarasota County Library volunteers. We applaud the 2,300 Friends' members who donated more than 96,000 hours of their time to our libraries in 2011. Our library system simply could not survive without them! Each of the nine Sarasota County libraries has established Friends organizations, and each of those is a separate nonprofit, 501(c)(3) orga- nization, working in concert with our library system and the community. The Friends organizations are dedicated to raising private money and increasing public awareness to support our libraries. Funds are raised by sales of gently used books in the Friends' bookshops; membership dues and donations; and special events. The Friends use their funds to support programs for chil- dren and adults; to purchase books, e-books and new technology; and to provide enhance- ments for which public funds are not avail- able. Are there other benefits to the libraries be- sides money that Friends provide? Absolutely. Friends are called "Friends" for a very good reason. The best libraries in the country have tremendous community support. When our li- braries work actively with Friends, powerful library advocates are grown. No one knows better than a Friend that strong libraries en- hance the quality of life in our community and create a positive legacy for future generations. We are very lucky to have such an outstanding library system. The Florida Library Associa- tion recognized it as 2012 Library of the Year for its innovation and commitment to custom- er service. The Friends play a vital role in defining the library excellence that we all can enjoy. Libraries need Friends now, more than ever. In this challenging economy, county library funding has decreased while usage and de- mand has increased – including 20,000 new li- brary cardholders last year. The Friends have been critical in helping our libraries weather these tough times. Volunteer hours were val- ued at almost $2 million in 2011 for services not funded by our tax dollars. Along with li- brary staff, the Friends are the backbone of our library system. Whether you are a library user or simply a sup- porter of public libraries as a part of a strong community, this is a good time to consider joining the Friends group at your local library. Stop by your nearest Friends bookstore or vis- it www.sclibs.net and click on "Friends." A fun and interesting Friends world awaits you. Page 74