Chocolate and book sales may be what comes to mind when we mention the Friends of the Library, but there is so much more!  This month we’ll shine a spotlight on the Friends and the many things they do for our library.

What is the Friends of the Library?  Ever since it was first organized in 1951, the Friends of the Fort Smith Public Library has been a significant source of volunteer and financial support for the library.  In 2025, the Friends provided over $80,000 in funding for the library. 

Who are the Friends of the Library?  Friends of the Library members are people like you, who believe in and support the Fort Smith Public Library as a valuable community resource.  Anyone can join the Friends.  No library card is required and members don’t have to live in Fort Smith.  Individual memberships are only $10 per year.

Do Friends members receive any special benefits?  In addition to the satisfaction of knowing your membership helps support the library, there are a couple of other membership benefits.  Friends members get access to a special members-only shopping event before the Fiction Book Sale in May and the Non-Fiction Book Sale in August. In addition, when your membership confirmation is sent to you in the mail, you also receive a coupon to use at a future book sale.

How do the Friends raise money for the library?  Through annual memberships, fundraisers such as the annual Chocolate Festival, the used book shop at the Main Library, and several book sales each year, the Friends raise thousands of dollars for the library.

How are Friends funds used? Here are just a few examples of projects and resources the Friends have funded:  large type books, children’s books, DVDs, author visits, programs for children and adults such as magician Tommy Terrific, eBooks and audiobooks on Libby, digitization of historic Fort Smith newspapers, TumbleBooks eBooks for kids, the BookPage monthly newspaper available free to library customers, snacks at library programs, materials for crafts and other programs, and nearly everything associated with our annual Summer Reading Program.  The Friends help the library in nearly every aspect of what we do!

How does a person get involved?  Join the Friends!  The Friends membership year runs January 1-December 31, so now is a great time to join. If you’re already a Friends member, you’ll get a renewal notice by mail in the next few weeks.  If you’re a new member, membership forms are available at all four FSPL locations or you can join online.  Since the Friends of the Library is a non-profit organization, your membership may be tax-deductible.  (Consult your tax adviser.)

We love our Friends of the Library members and can’t imagine what our library would be like without them. Thank you for being a Friend!

Jennifer Goodson

Library Director