Who and what are the Friends of the Library?
Friends of the Library groups bring together people of all ages and backgrounds who love to serve their community by supporting and promoting their local Timberland library as an essential resource in their town or city. Anyone can be a Friend!
Friends of the Library have a meaningful positive impact on the quality of their library's programs and resources, which benefits the whole community! The fundraising efforts of the Friends of the Library support projects, programs, and items that are not ordinarily covered by each local library’s budget.
Funds raised by the Friends help supplement and provide:
- Programming for all ages by funding supplies and performers.
- Summer Library Program special events and resources.
- Support for improvements to the library’s physical spaces.
- Funding for special projects.
- And much more!
How to donate to and support your Friends of the Library:
Friends groups are happy to accept financial donations and are grateful to receive gently used books, audiobooks, music CDs, and DVDs in good condition. These donated items will be sold at Friends of the Library book sales and the proceeds are donated to the library to fund special projects and library programming.
They cannot accept:
- Items that are damaged, dirty, moldy, or mildewed
- Out-of-date materials such as old travel books, old computer or technology books, encyclopedias, etc.
- Magazines
- Textbooks
Some Friends groups may have additional requirements for donations or may be unable to accept book and media donations. Connect with your local library or Friends group for more information about donations, memberships, and other ways to support.
FAQs
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Timberland Regional Library welcomes interest from community members in volunteering at one of our local branches. Each TRL branch considers applications for open volunteer positions as needs arise, and we encourage you to contact your preferred branch to inquire about available volunteer opportunities. Visit our Locations page for a list of branches and contact details.
Additionally, local Friends of the Library groups are always glad to welcome new members.
All volunteers must complete a Volunteer Application as well as an annual Background Check. These forms can be obtained by contacting any TRL branch.
Please contact Public Services Coordinator Chris Chrzan at cchrzan@trl.org, opens a new window with questions or call your local library.
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Friends of the Library are people of all ages who love to serve their local community by supporting the Timberland library in their town or city. Efforts by Friends group members help children, teens, and adults enjoy the many benefits of a great library. Friends know that the library is an essential part of their community’s quality of life.
Your local library is a branch of the Timberland Regional Library (TRL) system, a property tax-supported institution providing library services at 29 libraries in five counties. While we are fortunate to be part of a regional library system, many important programs and services are not covered by TRL’s budget. That is where the support of Friends groups comes in.
Friends groups raise funds to support special projects, library programs, and activities that support the entire community through used book sales supplied by community donations. Friends also promote the use of the library’s services and materials, serve as community advocates for the library and encourage gifts, endowments, and bequests to build the collection and fund special projects.
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Call or visit your local library to find out the date of the next Friends of the Library meeting and learn how to join your local group. Many Friends of the Library groups can also be found on social media, such as Facebook, where they share information about upcoming meetings and volunteer opportunities.
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Visit our job opportunities page, opens a new window to view open positions and submit your application.
Contact information below for current Friends of the Library. Each Friends group operates independently. Contact your library if you have questions.
Aberdeen Library
Amanda Park Library
Centralia Library
Chehalis Library
Hoquiam Library
Ilwaco Library
Lacey Library
McCleary Library
Montesano Library
Mountain View (Randle) Library
Naselle Library
North Mason
Ocean Park Library
Olympia Library
Packwood Library
Shelton Library
South Bend Library
Winlock Library
