Friends of the Library president: final 2025 book sale raised more than $2,000

Aaron Millis, president of the Friends of the Library, told the Library Board that the group’s final 2025 book sale “cracked the $2,000 mark, which is great,” driven by membership purchases and merchandise sales. He said memberships accounted for roughly a quarter of the sale’s revenue and described modest membership growth this year — about 15 new members and 16 renewals.

The Friends, Millis said, will participate in local events to promote membership and support library programs. He described a recent partnership that brought a senior center to a Friends book sale, where attendees received small free books and gift cards, and said the organization will staff a table at an upcoming community fair to raise awareness rather than sell items.

Millis also outlined preliminary plans for 2026 book sales, including a rare Saturday sale late in the summer and a January book sale scheduled for late January. He reported the Friends will again participate in Giving Tuesday as a fundraising opportunity but noted the organization has already secured most of its funds for the year.

The Friends’ next meeting is scheduled as the final 2025 meeting, on Tuesday the 18th at 4 p.m. at the library; the group will set its 2026 budget and hold officer elections. “If you want to get involved, just show up,” Millis said, noting nominations can be taken from general membership.

Millis said the Friends had been asked for leads on tailors or seamstresses for a library mascot costume but had no specific recommendations yet. He closed by inviting board members to share senior-center contacts for future outreach.

The report provides a snapshot of the Friends’ fundraising and outreach work and signals planned volunteer and membership efforts that will feed into the library’s programming budget for 2026.