Library Celebrates National Friends of the Library Week 2025

The staff of Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) would like to recognize and thank the FCPL Friends and Advocates as part of the 20th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 19–25, 2025. 

“The Friends do so much to support our mission and serve our community,” said FCPL Director Adrianne Junius. “Their generosity and dedication have an incredible impact on what we are able to achieve together.”

Over the past year, the Friends contributed close to $100,000 to FCPL through library grants, funds raised at the Ask Us desks, and contributions to the Friends Terrace at the Denmark Library. Since 1996 when FCPL became an independent, single county library system, the Friends’ total support has reached nearly $800,000. “That’s an extraordinary accomplishment that speaks to their commitment to our libraries and patrons,” Junius continued.

The Friends are an all-volunteer organization with over 100 volunteers and they provide an important service to the Forsyth County Community by accepting and selling gently used books and media at all five of our locations, seven days a week. In addition to providing one of the lowest cost options for used books in our area, the Friends’ work diverts over 60,000 books from entering Forsyth County’s waste stream each year through their partnership with Better World Books. 

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.

“FCPL had 8,918 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 Sarah Brubaker, Programming Manager. The Friends also purchase the festive Summer Reading Fun t-shirts our staff wear to help promote summer reading awareness.

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.”

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, media, and one coffee table book! 

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

Leslie Marinelli
FCPL Communications Manager