Friends of the Livingston-Park County Public Library

Friends of Livingston-Park County Public Library raises funds to support programming and preservation of the Livingston-Park County Public Library by providing enhanced services and resources not funded by tax dollars alone. The Friends help the Library throughout the year to purchase books, periodicals, furnishings, technology and fixtures, in addition to sponsoring interns and programs. FOL is an independent non-profit (501(c)3) whose members strive to raise awareness of and interest in the library.

The Friends of the Library is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting the library by advocating for its essential role in enriching the cultural and educational lives of Park County citizens and by raising funds to provide for materials, programming, and facility improvements.

The Friends, in recent years, have raised funds to renovate the Carnegie Library ($200,000), expand the library building ($2,000,000), replace the boiler ($40,000), outfit and decorate the bookmobile ($25,000), renovate the children's areas ($65,000), purchase new furniture ($22,000), upgrade the audio-visual equipment in meeting spaces ($27,000), and replace carpeting ($40,000). The net proceeds from the annual used book sales go to purchase library materials. The Friends co-sponsor two summer interns for the library. Funds are also used to support the summer children's reading program. The Friends sponsor the Carnegie Readers book discussion group. Funds provided by the Friends pay the subscriptions for the many periodicals available at the library and are used for technology upgrades and a myriad of other items not covered by the library budget funded by tax dollars alone.

Testimonials

"The public may be unaware of the role of the Friends' fund-raising efforts: subscription magazines, parts of the book collection, new carpeting, the Children's Room, or the audio/visual system in the Bev Steveson Room. These wouldn't exist without their financial support. It's an essential auxiliary to the library's resources." S Pilgrim

"Since 1997, Friends have been quietly raising funds, of which 100% support the library. As the building and collection ages, and costs increase, while on a fixed budget; the Friends play a vital role in filling financial shortfalls. Without the Friends, it is difficult to imagine that the library would be a vibrant, community-centered treasure." P Miller