CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. – The Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County (FPLCC) is a group whose stated mission is “To provide services and materials for the education, enrichment and entertainment of the people of Cullman County and its municipalities.”
FPLCC President Tanya Allcorn told The Tribune, “We want people to love the library and all it has to offer. It is a safe place for families and does not cost anything. The Friends group is here to help promote the library through fundraising and programs that are all free and open to the public.”
According to the group’s website, Friends of the Library may…
- Attend meetings to offer suggestions and support for specific library needs in the community.
- Volunteer to plan and carry out fundraising activities.
- Support and attend special events.
- Encourage community awareness by sharing their passion for libraries.
- Raise funds to support library services and programs.
- Provide volunteer services at the library.
- Enjoy 50% off book sale purchases.
Library Director Sharon Townson told The Tribune, “Becoming a member of the Friends of the Public Libraries of Cullman County is a great way to help support area libraries. The membership fee is a donation to the Friends group, which in turn provides for the public libraries. I am personally grateful to see the enthusiastic members of our recently reinvigorated group focusing on creating an engaging environment for our community.”
Adopt-a-Bookshelf program
In a promotional brochure, FPLCC announced the “Adopt-a-Bookshelf” program, saying, “This fundraising campaign is a great opportunity to support the future of the public libraries of Cullman County by donating $10 (tax-deductible) per shelf in honor of or in memory of someone. This donation ‘adopts’ a bookshelf for one year. Donations will be accepted until December 31,2019 for calendar year 2020. Your $10 donation adopts one shelf for one year, January-December. You may adopt multiple shelves. Shelves will be marked with a label to acknowledge contribution in honor or memory of.
“Donors may request shelves to be located within a certain collection (juvenile, adult fiction, large print, DVD, music, etc.) but we cannot guarantee specific locations. The number of shelves available for adoption is limited and will be assigned as requests are received.”
Townson said, “The Adopt-a-Shelf program is the first Friends’ group fundraiser and has a potential to raise over $13,000.”
Grinch Party this Friday
Following on the success of its Oktoberfest reading of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” FPLCC will host a “Grinch Party” Friday evening, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Cullman County Public Library, 200 Clark St. NE near Cullman City Hall. The event will feature crafts, games, prizes, hot chocolate and a reading of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
Originally intended to follow the city’s Christmas parade, the Grinch Party will remain on Friday evening, rain or shine, according to Townson.
Get involved
Allcorn told The Tribune, “The Friends group is always looking for volunteers and sponsors to partner with for our fundraising efforts and welcome everyone to our events. We would love to promote our Adopt-a-Shelf fundraiser to give our loved ones a special sense of belonging to the library by having their names displayed all year long.”
Membership in FPLCC is $10 per year, $25 per family; students $5 and clubs/civic groups $100. For more information, visit www.ccpls.com/friends.html or www.facebook.com/fotplocc.
Secretary Renee Welsh told The Tribune, “A public library is an enduring monument, not just a brick and mortar structure, a community that strives to invest in its youth and those who search for knowledge through reading. The efforts of the Friends group (are) to provide opportunities for all ages. Cullman has several family-oriented annual events; the Friends group is helping compliment these by adding activities.”
Allcorn added, “The Friends group is excited for others to experience programs at the library that go beyond just books (to) a sense of community through fun and educational programs. The group is planning for many wonderful upcoming fundraising programs to help provide additional resources for our local libraries. I truly feel if we can enrich our libraries, we will not only enrich others but impact our entire community. We have been met with such excitement from volunteers who want to give back to our library and the community itself.”
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