Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Group trying to recruit younger members
Friends of the Library Vice President Guyla Vann thumbs through books at the North Mason Timberland Library on May 24 in Belfair.
If you see some art or participate in a program at the North Mason Timberland Library, chances are the Friends of the Library helped provide it in some way.
The Friends of the Library is a group that fundraises in order to promote fun, learning and social activities within the community.
Vice President Guyla Vann has been a member of Friends of the Library since 2007. She came to book sales and donated money while working full time, but after retiring in 2006, she started attending board meetings.
"At that time, there was only like two of us who were new, but we were old," Vann told the Journal. "I was retired and (Lynn) was retired, she joined around the same time and everybody else was older than us. It was always old women and it basically still is and that's a problem because especially book sales, we've got to lift all of those things and move them around and it's very difficult for us."
Vann said she wasn't a big reader until adulthood and her favorite books are novels, literary fiction and some westerns.
The group started in 1966 when the North Mason Friends was formed and advocated politically for the five-
county Timberland Regional Library system, which became a reality in 1979. The group purchased 8 acres of Sam Theler Trust land and two additional acres in 1979 for the library building. The group also helped pay for the sign on state Route 3.
Friends of the Library provides many things for the library, including book sales. Vann said the community loves the idea of finding good books for low prices and are available on carts inside the North Mason library. Book sales with a wider selection are offered the second Tuesdays of every other month, which is in tandem with their board meetings on the second Tuesday of every month.
Friends of the Library helped fund the makers space in the North Mason Library, which is a craft area in the corner of the library with supplies and a workspace free of charge for anyone to try and make some art.
The take and make craft bags offered at Timberland Regional Libraries are paid for by Friends of the Library.
In addition to helping people make art, the group has also helped get art put up throughout the North Mason library. The group also helps pay for the Books for Babies program, which puts packets of materials together for mothers of babies up to 18 months.
There were programs offered in the past that had to be canceled due to COVID-19, but some programs may come back at some point.
One of the biggest goals of the group is to encourage people to join. The group has about 60 members but wants more community members to get involved.
"There's a lot going on here but it's like the community doesn't even know," Vann said. "Lots of people don't even know we have a library. We just need to get the word out and build interest and I don't know how to do that. When we have a book sale, we have this gigantic banner we hang on the fence out front and people make U-turns and come back because our book sales are very good. We make like $400, but we have to keep making money because we help the library."
Vann, 77, plans to be with the group as long as she can.
"As long as I can keep breathing," Vann said. "The library is the only place you can go that doesn't cost any money. It never costs any money and we have programs and things for children."
Interested in joining Friend of the Library? Come out to a book sale and get a membership application while buying some books. Board meetings are 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of every month and the public is welcome. For more information, you can call 705-4636 or 1-800-562-6022.
Reader Comments(0)