Programming at the Sequim Library is once again a go this year thanks to efforts of the Friends of the Sequim Library.
At the group’s annual meeting on Jan. 16 in the Sequim Civic Center, volunteers donated $27,000 to Emily Sly, the library’s branch manager, to help with programming ranging from the Summer Reading Program to the documentary film series all offered free to the public.
Sly said programming wouldn’t be possible in Sequim without the Friends group’s annual donation.
“It’s really amazing,” she said.
Sly said the funds stay in the Sequim area and support a year-round lineup including the Summer Reading Program, Battle of the Books for fourth graders, the Summer outdoor concert series, documentary and movie showings, Kids Create Art, and more.
For several decades, the Friends group, formerly the Friends of Sequim-Dungeness Library, have supported the library with a monthly book sale and a permanent sale inside the library’s lobby still continuing today.
Friends’ president Liz Phelps, who was also reelected on Jan. 16, said in the last 10 years, the group’s sales have provided more than $340,000 to the North Olympic Library System’s Sequim branch including $150,000 to remodel the library in 2009.
Volunteers with the Friends group estimate they receive at least 5,000 items a month at its round-the-clock donation building behind the Sequim Library. You just need to slide open the glass window and place your items. Volunteers meet 9:30-11 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays to check and sort donations and can accept donations then too.
Due to the high amount of donations they receive, volunteers set donation guidelines to not reselling damaged books, encyclopedias, medical books older than 2008 and textbooks older than 2012, old paperback romances, magazines and video tapes.
Volunteers encourage donors to contribute items they would buy themselves.
Membership dues go to the library as well with $10 for an individual and $20 for a family or business/organization. They’ll receive a Friends’ reusable shopping bag and a quarterly newsletter.
Book sales always take place on the second Saturday of the month with the next sale set for 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10, behind the Sequim Library at 630 N. Sequim Ave. For more information, visit www.nols.org or https://sites.google.com/site/friendsofsequimlibrary/.
Contact the Friends of Sequim Library at friendsofsequimlibrary@gmail.com or by mailing Friends of Sequim Library at P.O. Box 1011, Sequim, WA 98382.
The Sequim Library is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday.
Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
