Hello everyone!
I am Doug Schwartz, the current president and a board member of the Wells Branch Friends of the Library (FoL). It has been a while since we updated the FoL website. Let’s time travel back a bit to catch up on what has been happening with the FoL.
A few years ago, the FoL had been preparing for another Neighborhood Garage Sale. And then, the COVID pandemic hit. All those plans had to be tossed out the window and people yelled, “Shut that window! What’re you trying to do? Let the COVID in?!”
When the pandemic faded and it was finally okay to open the window again (and the world), the FoL asked, “What about the Neighborhood Garage Sale? Are we still doing that?” As much as people wanted another Neighborhood Garage Sale, most of us involved did not want to go through all the effort of organizing another one. The FoL board sent me forth to ask the library for their opinion. This is what I learned…
A percentage of taxes on local Wells Branch businesses is allocated to help fund the Wells Branch Library. This tax eliminated the need for the FoL’s biggest fundraiser. In other words, everyone who supports places like Branch BBQ and Malone’s Coffee provide much better support for the library than our garage sale with much less effort. Besides, the pandemic introduced Wells Branch to the Buy Nothing program (essentially organized dumpster diving) which has been a fine alternative for the garage sale.
Don’t get me wrong, the library still very much needs its Friends of the Library. The Wells Branch Library is growing and working towards providing even more functions, programs, and services. I have been an active member with the FoL for several years and I am still surprised by what our library has to offer. At events, I meet people who only think the library only loans out books, and other people ask, “Wells Branch has a library?!“
The library appreciates the FoL, but because not everyone really knows what the Wells Branch Library is all about and has to offer, the library needs its Friends to also be Ambassadors!
I recently took down the posts about the garage sale, so I can proudly assume my new role as an Ambassador of the Library to revive this website by starting a blog to tell you more about our wonderful Wells Branch Library. I cannot wait to tell you more about all the incredible people who work with the library and all the amazing things the library has to offer. I might even be able to provide the occasional peek at things to come!
Would you like to be an ambassador, too? We would love your help reaching out to people in and around the Wells Branch area to teach them more about the library. If you are not that adventurous, please share what you love about the Wells Branch Library so I can capture it in a future blog to share with other people.