The Friends of the Easton Public Library are pleased to announce our third year participating in the national “Library Giving Day” campaign. On Tuesday, April 4 townspeople all across the country will be supporting their local libraries with financial donations. Easton is proud to join the national effort to engage our town in supporting the library on Morehouse Road.
How can I participate? On Tuesday April 4, folks everywhere will be invited to support our Easton Public Library with a one-time tax-free donation. On that day, the Friends group will open up a donation link, and invite people to click on it to give as they wish. The link will be on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, and our website, eastonlibraryfriends.org. Checks or cash delivered in person or mailed to the library at Easton Public Library, 691 Morehouse Rd, Easton, CT 06612 ATTN: Friends) are also most welcome.
How much to give? We invite folks to give as they feel comfortable; no gift is too small and we look forward to full participation across the town. Donors of gifts over $20 will automatically become members of the Friend’s group at the appropriate level: Buddy $20 to 34.99; Friends $35 to 74.99; Family $75 to 89.99 and BFF $90 or more. In 2021 we had one generous gift of $1,000. All gifts are tax deductible.
This year the Friends’ have an exciting bonus in play: If we raise $2,000 or more on Giving Day or have more than 100 donors, an anonymous supporter will contribute a $500 bonus. If we reach both goals the bonus contribution will be $750.
Plus, donors of gifts over $100 will have the option of having a Friends’ bookplate in their name put in a new book from the library’s 2023 collection.
How is the money spent? Library Giving Day is one of the Friends’ largest fundraisers of the year, with nearly $10,000 raised in the past two years. Proceeds go to support programs and needs of the library that fall beyond the town’s budget allocation, and help fulfill the library’s mission: “To advance literacy, foster creativity, and enhance lives by connecting people with the world of ideas and information, while remaining responsive to the community.” In the past, this has included but is by no means limited to museum passes for our patrons, a renovation of the library’s back patio, books for our “One Book One Town” program, support for the summer reading program, purchase of “hot spots” on loan, and more. This year the Friends are also offering a few of their own programs as a service to the town: first up will be the CT Audubon Society’s Birds of Prey program, coming to the library Saturday, May 6 at 2 pm.
Can I join the Friends? Easton neighbors and newcomers are welcome to join our Friends’ membership group by making a donation. And we have a smaller subset of volunteers who plan and organize our events and programs. We meet monthly (usually but not always the fourth Wednesday evening of the month), sharing ideas and plans for future events. Already the Used Book Sale on Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1 and Holiday Market and Tree Lighting on Dec. 3 are on the calendar for the fall and we expect a few new things – even beyond the Bird of Prey program – later in the year. If you have a good idea – let us know. You can become a volunteer or member friend by going on to our website, eastonlibraryfriends.org.
“The beauty of the Friends programs is that we serve everyone in town, across all demographic lines: age, school, religion, political affiliation, sports programs, neighborhoods, even tenure in town” said Beth Cliff, the current Friends’ president.
“We’re all about supporting a great team of librarians and the programs they run, that in turn make our town enriched and engaged. And at the same time, we get to know fellow townspeople we might not otherwise have ‘bumped into’ as we meet and then work side by side.
“As someone fairly new to town whose children had already graduated from public school in Massachusetts, I found the Friends group in Easton to be a great entree into getting to know folks better here,” Cliff said. “I highly recommend it!”
Interested folks can contact the Friends at friends@eastonlibrary.org.
