The end of January will mark the one-year anniversary of the Friends of the Nan Boothby Memorial Library, a charitable organization focused on raising funds for Cochrane’s library.
The past year has been a busy one for the group, reflected Anne Beck, chair of the organization. Over the past 12 months, the group has held a book sale, hosted photography shows and promoted its ongoing “coin catcher” campaign.
“The library is a very vibrant place already, but if we can provide more to the collection or provide little details — like park benches — it adds to the appeal,” said Beck, who spearheaded the group. “The library is a hub in the community.”
The organization has added to that vibrancy by purchasing CDs for the library’s collection, putting up a covered bulletin on the library’s exterior and ordering benches for residents to sit outside of the building. The benches should be arriving this spring, said Beck.
The organization is separate from the library board, but does contribute funds to the board’s fundraising initiatives.
The group, which currently has about eight members, raised about $12,000 in the past year. The coin catcher program alone — which operates similar to a penny drive — collects between $100-$150 each month, said Beck.
“Our main purpose is to raise funds to maintain and improve things at the library,” she said. “The last year has been successful. We’ve been really focused on addressing the smaller things and providing the extras that aren’t provided by other forms of funding.”
Next on the docket for the club is the development of a teenage area within the library. As it currently stands, the young adult section is mixed in to both the children’s and adult’s section, said Beck. The group is hoping to add a few tables and chairs to give local teens their own space.
The funding for this project will likely come from the coin catcher program, she added.
Going forward, Beck said the group is looking to continue with their fundraising efforts, but are limited by the number of people involved with the group.
“We’ve had a great year, but I’m worried about burnout,” she said. “Right now, every member has to work on every project. We have had a lot of suggestions and ideas to move forward with, but we don’t have the manpower to execute them.”
Anyone interested in joining the Friends of the Nan Boothby Memorial Library can join the group at their first meeting of the year, held on Jan. 24 in the boardroom of the library. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month.
