1. Drafting the
Blueprint
Building Friends
Brought to you by
Minnesota Association of Library Friends
2013

2. Today
Morning
9:30-12:00
Part 1: Building Friends:
Break
Part 2. Finding Friends
Afternoon
1-2 Panel
Beyond the Book Sale
Break
2:15-3:15 Panel
Keeping the Flame Alive
3:15-3:30
Wrap-up
12-1:00
Networking Lunch

3. Minnesota Association of
Library Friends
MALF connects Friends of Library
organizations, provides valuable
resources to support their work, and
is a strong voice for Friends of Library
groups and libraries throughout
Minnesota.
Background
Image:
Image:
'Where
I
Teach'
h4p://www.flickr.com/photos/47325272@N00/2541408630
Some
rights
reserved
by
Todd
Ehlers

4. MALF Offers
• Start-up Support
• Connecting & Sharing
– Social Media
– Newsletter
– Web site
– Board Expertise
– Workshops & Training
• Recognizing Great Practices
– Evy Nordley Award for Best Project

5. BUILDING FRIENDS
Part 1.

6. ALL LIBRARIES ARE
DIFFERENT
All Libraries are the same

7. "Libraries are society's
workhorses, making available
what is good and worthy and
open to all who need
information, reassurance or a
kick in the imagination. A town
without a library is
irredeemably impoverished."
Bill Peschel, Author

8. Common Library Features
• Staff
• Space
• Organized Collections
• Cooperation/collaboration with other libraries
• Programming

9. Differences
• The community
• The governance structure
• System membership
• Size of staff, collections
• Diversity
• Available resources

10. ALL LIBRARIES WANT TO
SERVE THEIR COMMUNITY
IN THE BEST WAY
POSSIBLE
Key similarity

11. What makes Minnesota
libraries work
• Local support
• State support for cooperation
• System membership
• Sharing resources
• Willingness to work as a group to improve services
• Strong Friends

12. What’s Ahead for MN
Libraries
• Demographic shifts
– Many “seniors”
– Many under 15s
– Not so many in the middle range
• Fewer Taxpayers, greater demand
• Fewer to volunteer, more opportunities

13. Usage Changes
• Demands for meeting spaces
• Demands for wireless
• Demand lessening for access to desktop computers
• More programming
• Technology changes mean patron training

14. Continued Demand
• Resources of all types—print, electronic, new formats
• More hours
• Mobile access
• Trained staff to teach info access
• Programming

15. Libraries will need
• To create adaptable tech-friendly spaces.
• To build for the future.
• Diverse &nimble staff that can quickly adapt to change.
• More resources & increased efficiency to meet
demands.

16. Friends Questions
• What will be the impact of more ebooks on book
sales as fundraisers?
• How will Friends keep up with library trends?
• What are Friends’ contributions to libraries’ future?

17. FRIENDS ROLE IN
STRONG LIBRARIES

18. Why Do We Need Friends?
• To help improve the library
• To have organized library supporters
• To promote connections to the community
• To raise money
• To maintain a source of library volunteers
• To meet a specific goal—building, remodel, special
collections…

19. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE
OF FRIENDS?
Advocacy
Fundraising
Public Relations
Volunteers
Event Planning &
Special Project(s)

20. Advocacy
Advocacy means communication, as an
individual or group, with decision makers
and others in support of or opposition to
specific issues.

21. Value of Friends as
Advocates
• You are not paid staff of the library.
• You are strong customers/supporters of the
library.
• You see the public library from the user’s viewpoint.
• You are active in the community, understand the
power structure, & are connected to other local
groups and civic organizations.

22. Friends’ Role as Advocates
• Library advocacy should be tied to the library’s
mission, goals, & ongoing public relations program.
• Successful advocacy combines lobbying activities
with marketing & public relations skills to tell the
library’s story.

23. How To Advocate
• Work with the your director to implement the
library’s advocacy plan.
• Help identify supporters that can tell the library’s
story.
• Help develop a message that is short but powerful
and can be easily remembered and identified with
your library.

24. Where to Advocate
• At every opportunity, talk to people about the library’s
role in the community.
• Approach decision-makers in person, by telephone, by
fax, by letter, or by e-mail asking for his/her support for
the library’s program in the community & throughout
the library systems.
• Attend local budget hearings to show support.
• Attend MLA/MEMO Library Legislative Day.

25. WORDS TO REMEMBER
Advocacy is year round, not
just at budget time or in a
crisis.

26. Fundraising
The process of soliciting and gathering voluntary
contributions as money or other resources by
requesting donations from individuals businesses,
charitable organizations or government agencies.

27. Friends’ Role
• Fundraise to support library’s mission & vision.
• Tell the story of why the money is needed.
• Friends may be able to apply for funds libraries cannot.
• Decide how to spend money after conferring with
Director & Board.

28. Goals of Friends’
Fundraising
• Capital campaigns for building, remodeling
• Supplement library’s budget
• Collection development
• Programming
• Equipment
• Special projects

29. Ways to Fundraise
• Membership dues
• Memorials
• Special events
• Grants from foundations, government
agencies, other sources
• Corporate sponsorship

30. WORDS TO REMEMBER
Donors don’t give to institutions.
They invest in ideas and people
in whom they believe.
Successful fundraising speaks
to an identified need in the
community.

31. Public Relations
Increase public awareness of the library
and its services.

32. Friends’ Role in PR
• Tell the library’s story to family, neighbors, others.
• Partner with the library at various events, such as displays
or with conjunction with other organizations.
• Keep library & Friends in public eye with Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, or other social media.
• Represent library at other groups you belong to.

33. How to Represent the
Library
• Know what’s going on at the Library.
• Keep Friends social media up-to-date.
• Have a library success story or two to tell.
• Promote library programming.

34. WORDS TO REMEMBER
Friends who tell the library’s story
keep people thinking about the
library in positive ways.

35. Volunteers
A person who freely offers to take part in
an enterprise or to undertake a task
without seeking any rewards.

36. Friends’ Role
• Volunteer in the organization as officer or board
member.
• Volunteer at library events.
• Volunteer at community events as library
representative.
• Recruit other volunteers of all ages for Friends & library.

37. Recruitment & Retention
• Clearly define volunteers’ roles.
• Be clear about what volunteers can & cannot do.
• Keep volunteers informed & active.
• Provide feedback.

38. Volunteer Success
• Have specific event in mind, let them know exactly
how they can help, how much time their task will
take.
• Plan well in advance.
• Thank your volunteers in the library’s newsletter and
at your Friends meeting.

39. WORDS TO REMEMBER
Volunteers don't get paid, not because
they're worthless, but because they're
priceless. Make sure yours know they
are appreciated.

40. Event Planning &
Special Projects
Event planning is the process of creating a festival,
ceremony, competition, party, or other special event.
Event planning includes identifying all the elements of
the event, creating a budget, & implementing the plan
to meet its goals.

41. Friends’ Role
• Determine goals of event in keeping with the Library’s
goals & mission.
• Create the “Plan”.
• Find collaborators.
• Day-of work battle plan
• Follow-up.

42. Types of Events
• Book Sale
• Literary Festival
• Author Readings
• Auctions—Silent or otherwise
• Legacy Programming

43. Successful Events
• Plan events well ahead of time.
• Be ambitious , but realistic about what volunteers
can handle.
• Use relationships with other groups to find
volunteers & attendees.

44. WORDS TO REMEMBER
The first step to planning an event
is determining its purpose.

45. The Ten
Commandments
for building a successful
Friends Group

46. 1. Library Support
• Library Director must be in favor of a Friends group.
• Library staff must be willing to work with Friends.
• The Board or other governing body must recognize
the Friends.

47. 2. Understand the
Partners’ Roles
• Each partner must understand its role
– Director/Staff
– Board
– Friends
• Be sure new members & staff understand the roles.
• Evaluate roles as things move forward.

48. 2. Stay Organized
• A committed core group is needed to start things &
keep them going.
• Have mission/vision statements, by-laws, meeting
schedule, committees, officers.
• Have plan for officer succession, committee
management, & other pieces.
• Hold regular Board meetings to keep business on track.

49. 4. Manage Resources
• Friends must have resources to support its
activities.
• The Library must agree on which of its resources
the Friends can use.
• Friends have separate accounting & finances
should be audited regularly.

50. 5. Communicate
• Friends must communicate their plans & activities to
Director & Board.
• Library must keep Friends informed of its plans, too.
• Both keep the community informed via social media,
newsletters, web, flyers…

51. 6. Manage Time
Commitment
• Time matters: Everyone must understand the time
commitment involved.
• Plan & hold effective meetings.
• It takes time to be a success.

52. 7. Nurture Relationships
• A good relationship should be established between
the Friends Board & the Library Board.
• Work to develop relationships with other community
organizations.
• Work with other Friends groups in the region.

53. 8. Focus on the
Volunteers
• Have job descriptions for all jobs big & small.
• Write policies.
• Be welcoming to everyone and value people’s
ideas.
• Show appreciation informally & formally.

54. 9. Be Willing to Learn &
Share
• Attend trainings for Friends.
• Be active in larger Friends community.
• Share what you have learned.
• Apply for the Evy Nordley award!

55. 10. Evaluate & Evolve
• Evaluate success of events.
• Evaluate the Friends organization.
• Evolve & change as needed for continued growth.

56. 11. Stay Informed About Libraries
• OCLC Research Reports
– http://www.oclc.org/en-US/reports.html
• From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America
– http://www.oclc.org/en-US/reports/funding.html
• Libraries in the U.S.: A Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives
– http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/us-libraries/214758usb-A-Snapshot-of-Priorities-and-
Perspectives.pdf
• Perceptions of Libraries, 2010: Context and Community
• http://www.oclc.org/en-US/reports/2010perceptions.html
Bonus!

57. Pew Internet & American Life Project:
Libraries
– Younger Americans’ Reading & Library Habit
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/10/23/younger-americans-reading-and-library-habits/
– Library Services in the Digital Age
http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/library-services/
– The rise of e-reading
– http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2012/04/04/the-rise-of-e-reading/
– More
– http://libraries.pewinternet.org/

58. MetroBriefs
• Aimed at Twin Cities library staff
• News & information about all types of libraries
• MN, National, & International
• Every other Monday via e-mail

59. Marks of Success
• Great support from your Library Board & staff
• Willing volunteers
• Attendance at events
• A feeling of accomplishment
• Recognition in the community

60. WORDS TO REMEMBER
The most successful groups are
those where everyone feels their
contribution is important to the
group’s success.

61. BREAK

62. Part 2.
Finding New
Friends

63. Who are the Friends
Now?

64. Silent Generation
born between 1925-1945
• Range of lifestyles from fully engaged to deep
retirement.
• Values: loyalty, self-sacrifice, faith in institutions &
institutions.
• Engagement is motivated by
– Tradition
– Loyalty to key issue or group
– Joint work ethic

65. Boomers
born between 1946-1962
• Fully engaged. Carrying most of the social,
economic, & political responsibility.
• Values: entitlement, skepticism about authority/
institutions, youthfulness.
• Engagement is motivated by
– Sense of making a difference
– Change the world
– Be part of the action

66. The Recruits

67. Generation X
born between 1963-1980
• Early-mid-career, family responsibilities, beginning
to take leadership roles
• Values: independence, self-reliance, informality, fun.
Little loyalty to institutions or organizations
• Engagement motivated by
– Want to be valued by the organization for independent
thinking & individual contribution
– Maintain work/life balance

68. Gen Y or Millennials
born between 1981-2002
• Just starting out. “Emerging adults” starting jobs.
Politically active.
• Values: Work/life balance, confidence, social
commitment, “connected”, networking/collaboration,
tolerant
• Motivation
– Make a difference with their peers
– Recognition for new ideas & expertise
– Opportunities for civic engagement & collaboration

69. Even Younger
Teens/Tweens
Generation Z or Net Generation
• Hyper-connected
• 24/7 approach to life
• Global
• Likely to have diverse friends
• Realistic about the future
• Not “joiners”

70. WHAT ELSE IS GOING
ON?
Take a Look

71. Friends
• Growing?
• Shrinking?
• Turnover?
• Same old activities?

72. At the Library
• Same for the Library?
• More users? Fewer?
• Who are the users?
• New services?
• New staff?

73. Your Town
• Growing in population? People
moving away?
• Demographic changes? New
Americans? Lots of kids?
Lots of seniors?
• Industry shifts?
• More service organizations?

74. GET READY TO RECRUIT

75. Hard Questions
• Why do you want new people to
join?
• Why would new people want to
join your Friends?
• If new people did join, would
they actually be/feel welcome?

76. Why
• New ideas for programming
• Need specific skills
• Revitalize a dormant group
• Aging out of current membership
• Need more volunteers
• Changes in library &/or town

77. Why the Friends?
• Support an organization they use
• Support an organization they believe in
• Fun events
• Easy to understand what is needed

78. Are they welcome?
• Only long-time members with fixed ideas?
• Up-to-date ideas visible to potential members?
• Programming that appeals to younger community
members?

79. WORDS TO REMEMBER
You may need to revitalize how you
operate and how your members think
in order to get young adults involved.

80. Develop a Plan
• Who is on the Recruitment Committee?
– Experienced members?
– Younger members?
– Community members?
– Library staff?

81. What do we want?
• How many new members?
• Any specific skills or abilities we need?
• Financial support?
• Event volunteers?

82. Target Groups
• Young Professionals
• Young Parents
• Newcomers to town
• Singles
• Non-users
• Who else?

83. Finding Recruits
• Begin with the obvious—your own relatives &
neighbors
• Talk to staff
• College/University
• Other service groups
• HS with service requirement

84. Recruit at Events
• Book clubs
• Programming
• Social gatherings
• Go where they go

85. Know what you are selling
• Civic engagement
• Fun events/service opportunities
• Leadership opportunities
• Group participation
• What else?

86. Marketing Strategies
• Word of mouth
• Library publications
• Local media
• Web sites
• Social Media
• Other groups
• Schools

87. Be Findable Online
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• Tumblr
• Your web site
• On library’s web site
• On town web site

88. Follow-up
• Collect email addresses
• Collect cell phone numbers for text messages
• Be patient--May take time for people to join

89. Focus on What Works
• Flexibility in the plan
• Go where they go
• Sell to them—what do they want
• Keep track and report back
• Live & learn & adjust

90. Examples from ALA 2013
• We Are the Champions: 20s-30s Library Advocacy
• Late Nights at the Library
• Genre-X

91. Sacramento Public Library
www.altlibrary.com

92. Programming for “Hipsters”
• Started with book club
• Exercise with catchy titles-Zombie Aerobics
• Raw Foods
• Herbal Mixology
• Speed dating for booklovers

93. Alt+Library Friends
Grew from connections made at programs
• Focus on fundraising & advocacy
• 5 board members
• Meetings at coffee shop
• Alt+Friends ask friends to join

94. Social Media to Connect
• Meetup to promote/publicize events
– http://bit.ly/16pY0qb
• Web site/Blog
– http://altlibrary.com
• Facebook
– https://www.facebook.com/AltLibraryFriends
• Twitter
– https://twitter.com/altlib_friends

95. Fundraising
• No book sales
• Craft event every month
• Business partnerships

96. Advocacy
• 20-30s care about politics
• City Council appearance
• Get “action alerts”
• Participate in the “Big Friends” political education
committee

97. Why it works
• Enthusiastic staff that are same age as audience
• Imaginative programming where audience is
• Major support from library administration & Board
• Support from big Friends
• Planning & thoughtful execution

98. Oak Park Public Library
• Genre-X
• Late Nights at the Library

99. Genre-X
genre X is a twenties and thirties book discussion group facilitated by the Oak Park Public
Library. The group meets every fourth Tuesday at 8:00 pm at Molly Malone's (Upstairs) on
Madison in Forest Park.
h4p://genre-­‐x.com/

100. Events

101. After Hours at the
Library
• Fundraising events
• Aimed at adults, not families (usually)
• All ages, but focus on young adults
• Ticketed events

102. Programs
• Learning about something
• Learning how to do something
• Opportunities to meet people share an experience
• Opportunities to do something

103. Why It Works
• Membership development tool
• Perks for members
• Changes perceptions of libraries
• Aimed at young adults
• Staff

104. WORDS TO REMEMBER
If they are younger than you & they join, they will
do it with enthusiasm and commitment.
But
They won’t do it the way you would or as “it has
always been done.”
Get used to it.

105. Whatshouldwe
talkabout?
WH
LUNCH!!
• What is one thing you learned?
• How has [something] worked in
your Friends Group?
• What works to recruit volunteers?
• Any issues to discuss?
• What is your most successful
project?
• What’s the next project?

106. Panel 1
Beyond the Book
Sale Image:
Friends
of
the
Clearwater
Library
Booksale
2012.
Some
rights
reserved
by
Clearwater
Public
Library
System.

107. Strategies that Work
• Most money
• Most fun
• Most satisfying
• Most unusual
• Other successes

108. Panel 2
Keeping the Flame
Alive Image: '84/365 Chanukah [Explored!]'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64636777@N03/6559435351
Some rights reserved by martinak15 Some rights reserved by martinak15

109. Strategies that Work
• Recruitment
• Retention
• Volunteer management/ appreciation
• New programming
• More

110. Resources
• Library Friends: Building Relationships, Making Connections. Dr. Charles Hanson,
Kettering University Library.. ALA 2013. http://ala13.ala.org/files/ala13/HansonPresentation%206-28-2013.pdf
• A Little Help from our Friends. Presentation by Dorothy Macnaughton, President,
Friends of Canadian Libraries.
• Minnesota Library Futures Initiative http://mnlfi2025.org
• Perceptions of Libraries, 2010. OCLC.
– http://www.oclc.org/content/dam/oclc/reports/2010perceptions/2010perceptions_all.pdf
• All OCLC Reports http://www.oclc.org/en-US/reports.html
• Pew Internet & American Life Project: Libraries http://libraries.pewinternet.org/
• MetroBriefs http://conta.cc/Tm4tYw
• We Are the Champions: 20s-30s Library Advocacy
– http://altlibrary.com/altlibrary-friends/
– https://www.facebook.com/AltLibraryFriends
– https://twitter.com/altlib_friends
– http://www.meetup.com/altlibrary/
• Late nights at the library
– http://genre-x.com
– http://oppl.org/sites/default/files/ALA2013_Late%20Nights.pdf

111. Ann Walker Smalley
• Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/annws
• Twitter @annws
• Pinterest http://pinterest.com/annws/boards/
• Email annsmalley@mac.com
• 612.805.7930
At Work
Metronet
ann@metronet.lib.mn.us
651.646.0475
Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike CC BY-NC-SA
Creative Commons License