Library Celebrates National Friends of the Library Week 2023

The staff of Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) would like to recognize and thank the FCPL Friends and Advocates as part of the 18th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 15-21, 2023. 

Friends Bookstore Leaders: Jodie Barger (Friends President), Meg Leiveille (Sharon Forks Bookstore)
Sharon Jones (Post Road Bookstore), Kelly Esbeck (Cumming Bookstore), Jan Parsons (Post Road Bookstore), Abbey Harkrider (Cumming Bookstore)

Since the FCPL Friends and Advocates were established in 1995, they have raised nearly $640,000 through used book sales, membership fees, and other donations to fund special programs, materials, and resources beyond the library's regular budget. 

The Friends sell gently used books and media at all four of our locations, seven days a week, with volunteers numbering more than 100. There will also be a Friends Bookstore at the Denmark Library which is expected to open in late 2024 or early 2025. 

“Our Friends and Advocates group provides so much more than financial support to libraries. There is a tremendous amount of organization and physical work involved in receiving and sorting donations, boxing and shipping unsellable items, and managing the bookstores. It’s an amazing, all-volunteer organization that provides an important service to the Forsyth County community,” says Library Director Anna Lyle. 

The FCPL Friends and Advocates also sponsor the Library’s annual Forsyth Reads Together and Summer Reading Fun programs. Their generous donations have enabled FCPL to bring bestselling authors to Forsyth County, hire professional performers, and provide prize books and other incentives that have helped to increase participation and enthusiasm levels among children and teens.

“The Library had 7730 readers participate in Summer Reading Fun this year and providing incentives for that number of patrons is no small cost. We are very fortunate to have such an active and generous Friends group supporting our library,” says Kim Ottesen, Programming Manager. The Friends also purchase the festive Summer Reading Fun t-shirts our staff wear to help promote summer reading awareness.

FCPL Friends and Advocates volunteers share their time and commitment to the library and set an example for all in how volunteerism leads to positive civic engagement and the betterment of our community. 

When asked about the favorite part of her job as the FCPL Friends and Advocates President, Jodie Barger said, “Making connections and watching someone’s mood change for the better. Our buyers are ages 3 to 93 and we (volunteers) enjoy finding books they want. I also like encouraging people to volunteer because I know how good it is for the soul. Being a good environmental steward is very important to me. But THE best part is knowing that our hard work provides cultural and literacy programs for EVERYONE for free.”

Friends leaders Meg Leiveille (Sharon Forks Bookstore) and Jodie Barger (Friends President) selling books and promoting the Library at the World of Art Festival in downtown Cumming last month. 

Forsyth County Public Library encourages everyone to join the FCPL Friends and Advocates, shop at the Friends Bookstores, and thank the Friends volunteers for all they do to make our library and community a wonderful place to live, work, play, and read. 

This week the Friends are hosting their annual Bag Sale. For just $5, shoppers can purchase a Friends' paper bag and fill it to the top with any combination of adult fiction and nonfiction books, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks! 

To learn more about the FCPL Friends and Advocates, please visit forsythpl.org/friendsAdvocates.