Friends of the Enterprise Public Library celebrates 25 years of service

The Friends of the Enterprise Public Library has played a pivotal role in helping the library serve the community for the past 25 years. An important goal of the Friends, a volunteer organization, is to generate funds for library support and improvement.

Through the years, Friends’ volunteers have devoted many hours toward attaining this goal. Book sales and memberships form the core of fund raising efforts. Although these efforts started small, the Friends now donate an average of $12,000 annually to the library.

Ways the Friends have aided the library include underwriting the cost of two important software programs used by the library and patrons for over 10 years: Atrium Books Systems and Camellia Net, Alabama’s Digital Library.

Atrium Book Systems is an automated software program that basically runs the library. It provides the library staff and patrons with a web-based system of accessing library materials.

Camilla offers patrons access to a selection of both ebooks and audiobooks purchased by a statewide library consortium. The Friends not only fund the program that allows library patrons to check out digital items, but also provides extra funding for the library to purchase digital items as needed.

The directors have relied on the Friends whenever applying for matching grants. The Friends set aside the required matching amount in the event the director receives a grant. Matching grants from $2,500 to $5,000 have made it possible for the library to apply for a variety of grants. Lighting renovations for the library, a computer and technology grant, computers, in house camera system, the children’s Summer Reading Program, and the 2019 literacy event at the housing authority are a few of the matching grants received by the library.

The Children’s Summer Reading Program has received thousands of dollars since 1995. The Youth Librarian has always known the Friends can be counted on to support the program.

The Friends underwrote the painting of the library by artist Jimmy Ables, a former Disney artist. He painted lovely murals throughout the library: an undersea scene on the second floor, a floral garden around the elevator on the first floor, a fairy tale motif in the former children’s story room, and a kitchen window view in the staff kitchen. Most of his artwork was concealed when the interior of the library was painted several years ago.

Every patron receives the much coveted library card and the Friends are there to fund the cost of these cards. The Enterprise Public Library has 30,149 active library cardholders. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought residents back to the library and 485 new patrons have applied for cards since March 2020.

The Friends not only provide library cards, they have financed the purchase of thousands of bookmarks provided free for patrons. Over the years, the Friends have also donated thousands of dollars to buy books, music CDs, books on CD and audio books, DVDs and more recently, digital games.

When the library needed extra lighting in the children’s section, a bike rack, exterior trash cans, welcome mats imprinted with the library’s new logo, the Friends were there with the needed funds.

The Friends have provided refreshments not only for numerous library events, but also for local, state and regional training events for library staff and staff luncheons. To insure the library director stays current on library issues, the Friends have underwritten her attendance at professional conferences.

The Friends provided $2,000 to update the library website as well as providing the funds for a toaster oven, smart TV, speaker microphone for library events and presentations, an iPad Air for patrons to search the library colletion and $1,500 worth of security DVD cases.

The Friends currently provide a standing order with Thorndike Press for large print books and the annual subscription to BookPage, a discovery tool for readers, highlighting the best new books across all genres, free to patrons.

Other Friends-funded items include Gale-E Reference, an online reference program; signage on the library entrance door; pressure washing the exterior of the library; tables and chairs for the Children’s Section; staff name tags; library book carts; computers for the staff; a popcorn machine for the children; two large easel boards for announcements; and custom designed desks and worktables for the staff work room.

Working together, the Friends help the library open its doors a little wider. It has helped to shape the character of our community by investing in an institution that values learning and discovery for everyone.