Agency Details:

Friends of the Mill Valley Library

The Friends of the Mill Valley Library is an all volunteer organization founded in 1967 to support the library.

Description:
The Friends are a group of Community members who believe that the Mill Valley Library is one of the key elements that makes our town a wonderful place to live.

While the Library's operating budget is primarily funded from the City budget, discretionary money for book and video purchases comes largely from donations. That's where the Friends come in. The Friends donate money raised through their frequent book sales, membership drives, and other activities .

The Friends promote volunteerism on the Library's behalf (and many of them are active volunteers). Friends sponsor cultural and informational events for the public.

With their newsletter and outreach programs, the Friends also work to ensure that the Community is aware of all the wonderful things the Library offers. Their informal interactions with the Library staff and the Board of Trustees help ensure that the Library continues to be aware of the needs of the Community.

To keep doing all this, The Friends need your energy, ideas, involvement and money.

The Friends are looking forward to your joining and/or becoming a Book Sale Volunteer.

History:
The Mill Valley Library Association was founded in 1967. The first meeting was held on September 21, 1967. The original Board members were Salem Rice, Babs Dreyfus, Mrs. Rice, Katherine Mills and Virginia Shearer. The purpose of the organization was to meet other people interested in the Library, to raise money for special projects, equipment and books not covered by the regular Library budget, to create public awareness of the Library and to speak out for the Library’s interest.

The name of the organization was changed to Friends of the Mill Valley Library in 1976. Membership was open to everyone and the current membership is between 700 and 800. The Friends are run by a Board of Directors, consisting of 15 to 21 members, who are elected annually.

Monthly book sales on the third Saturday of each month are the main source of income for the Friends. In September, the book sale is held on both the Saturday and Sunday that coincide with the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival. In addition, the Friends have a Preview Party sale for members on the preceding Wednesday evening, which includes a silent auction of special books. Membership fees also provide income.

The Friends publish Monthly Events Bulletin and a semi-annual Newsletter, hold an Annual Meeting and Party for members, and sponsor Special Events at the Library such as film series, musical presentations and speakers. They also fund programs for children, teens and adults that are put on by the Library.

Contact people:

Paulette Lueke, Marketing Director, (phone), (email) Jim Derich, Board President, (phone), (email) Lynda Chittenden, Recording Secretary, (phone), (email)

Address:

375 Throckmorton Avenue Mill Valley, CA 94941 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.millvalleylibrary.org/Index.aspx?page=299

Last updated on March 15, 2010