Hi fellow residents and library patrons, I am Melissa Kessler, President of the Friends of the Huntington Woods Library. The Friends of the Library is desperately seeking replacements for vacancies on our board. It was just over 3 years ago that my predecessor, Toni Brandt, wrote a similar plea that brought in a slew of dedicated volunteers that re-energized our group and transformed our book sales. Due to members relocating, desires to travel and growing families, our group is once again at risk for dismantling. It is my hope that this letter reaches someone that has been thinking, “I should get involved,” and becomes the big push to do so.
Our greatest need is to establish a book sale committee. Jenn Faber, along with Linda Falkiewicz and past help from Sue Hamilton, has turned our book sales into a high-demand, book-selling machine. They have streamlined the process and devoted countless hours to improving each sale. These ladies are stepping down and are eager to train the next wave of bibliophiles! We currently do not have anyone to fill the huge void they will leave behind. This is the major source of funding for the Friends. These sales and our annual memberships provide funding for ALL programs at the library. Presently, we hold 6 sales a year on a bi-monthly basis. We have a large database of volunteers to help, but we need a small group of people (4-5) dedicated to sorting books, and organizing volunteers for setup, the sale and tear down. Please notify me by email at HWFOTL@gmail.com if you’re interested or would like additional information.
Our group meets the first Monday of the month, October through June (our April meeting will be postponed one week to April 8th) at 7pm in the library. Everyone interested in keeping our group, and library programming running is welcome to attend.
Along with our book sale committee, we are looking for someone to fill the role of Vice President and someone with knowledge of graphic design and marketing expertise. We have seen a recent boom of excitement about our library. We hope that energy will continue in the form of new faces to help the Friends.
I joined this group after reading Toni’s message. I believe the time I’ve spent working with this group and the people I have befriended has made me a better citizen, friend and mom. Without your help, an integral part of our library may be forever changed. It would be devastating to see a group fall apart that has given to the library for decades. Please, take a minute and reach out to us.
