Friends of the Library groups across the country support libraries with their fundraising and advocacy efforts and are recognized during the American Library Association’s National Friends of Libraries week Oct. 16-22.

Friends of Sequim Library (FOSL) is the local nonprofit organization, separate from the Library, that offers generous financial support to the Sequim Branch Library, part of the North Olympic Library System.

FOSL donated $25,000 to the Sequim Branch Library in 2022 to support library programs like weekly storytimes, author talks, Summer Reading Program and Battle of the Books, a countywide partnership with schools reaching fourth grade students.

If you’ve been to the monthly book sale held on the second Saturday of each month at Rock Plaza, you may be familiar with the Friends of Sequim Library. FOSL volunteers process thousands of donated books each month — lifting boxes, sorting donations and working at the booksale. It takes a lot of dedication!

Donations of books, puzzles, DVDs and audiobooks (all in good condition), can be made to FOSL on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon at their location in Rock Plaza, 10175 Old Olympic Highway. They are unable to accept donations on the Wednesday before the Second Saturday sale.

Please visit the Friends of Sequim Library website (sites.google.com/site/friendsofsequimlibrary) for detailed information about donations.

This Saturday, Oct. 8, the book sale is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. There’s always an interesting selection to choose from and the sales support library programs. All programs offered by the library are available for everyone in the community to attend for free.

Here are a few upcoming programs financially supported by local Friends of the Library:

• Evening Family Storytime, offered from 6-6:30 p.m. on Mondays inside the Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave.

• Second Annual Indigenous Peoples’ Day Poetry Reading, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10, at ʔaʔkʷustəŋáw̕txʷ House of Learning, Peninsula College Longhouse in Port Angeles.

• Teen Board Game and Art Night, an after-hours program just for teens from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, at the Sequim Library.

• Intentional Aging Monthly Discussion Group, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, on Zoom. This month’s discussion topic is advance care planning and end-of-life choices. Register at nols.org for the Zoom link.

• Visit the Program Recordings webpage to view past programs at nols.org/nols-recordings. Available presentations include: “After the Blast: Mount St Helens 40 Years Later”; “Intentional Aging: Movement” with Katy Bowman; Olympic National Park Perspectives: “Elwha Fish Tales,” and “Tiny Tapestry: Coast Salish Weaving” with Jamestown Tribal Library.

More info

The Sequim Library, 630 N. Sequim Ave., is open 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Fridays and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays. Get in touch with your friendly library staff by calling 360-683-1161 or email to discover@nols.org. The library is always open at nols.org.

Emily Sly is Sequim Library manager.