EDITOR:

As we celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for the Friends of the Escanaba Public Library.

The Friends are a non-profit organization established in 1988 to support and enhance the library. In plain terms, the Friends are your neighbors, the people you see at Elmer’s or in church – people in your town that believe that a good library is worth having and are willing to contribute their free time to make Escanaba’s library better for everyone.

This dedicated group works behind the scenes to enable projects like the restoration of the drive-up window during COVID, the launch of the library’s new bookmobile and the continuation of the popular outdoor concert series, Live on the Lawn.

The Friends support digital learning by purchasing new computers and funding subscriptions to online tools such as Mango Languages and Ancestry Library.

They have enabled wireless printing and color copies, digitized local historical newspapers, embraced Lego Club, sponsored children’s summer reading programs and cultivated a teen book group.

Though the contributions of the Friends are too lengthy to detail in a brief letter, suffice to say that it is through their commitment and efforts that the library continues to thrive as a welcoming space for education, exploration and community engagement.

Please join me in saying thank you to our Friends and consider becoming a member. For more information on the Friends and link to a membership form, visit the library’s website at www.escanabalibrary.org

Carolyn Stacey

Escanaba