Following is a list of the responses received from the ARLIS-L question
about Friends of the Library groups in museums. Some respondents asked to
be anonymous so I am making all of the responses anonymous. I must also add
that I received far more responses from librarians thinking about forming
Friends groups and wanted to know what others were doing than from those who
actually have been involved with Friends groups.
Here goes:
Library 1 - Does not have a Friend's group but other groups such as the
Docent Council and Costume Council are assessed a small fee each year, which
goes to the library to purchase books.
Library 2 - No friends group but has a group of volunteers who organize an
annual used book sale. Funds no longer go to the library, which has
dampened their motivation.
Library 3 - Does not have a group and probably will not due to large amount
of work involved and small monetary return.
Library 4 - Raises about $3,000 annually with a lecture followed by a lavish
dinner.
Library 5 - Show and tell programs focusing on different areas of the
library collection, and guest speakers like NYT critic, collectors, and
scholars.
Library 6 - Just beginning to organize a group. Has begun drafting a
mission statement and define organization.
Library 7 - Thinking about restarting an earlier group. Political problems
between some members in the past and fund raising projects have not always
been completely profitable.
Library 8 - Declined to organize Friends group because it would compete with
other fund raising groups within the museum such as curatorial collectors
circles.
Library 9 - Cincinnati Art Museum - Had group which ran from 1990 to 1996.
Held 3 successful book sales but when profits were diverted from the library
volunteers refused to continue. Held book club and lecturs by children's
book illustrators. Education department decided to organize competing
programs of the same nature and since their programs were fully funded and
not expected to raise money library could not compete.
Mona Chapin
Head Librarian
Cincinnati Art Museum
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