Our Organization
The Friends have been supporting the J.V. Fletcher Library for more than 50 years.
Overview
The Friends of the J.V. Fletcher Library – established in 1972 – is an independent, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to financially supporting the library. The financial assistance the Friends’ organization provides supports nearly all the children’s, teen, and adult programming, the Friends’ Bestseller Collection, dozens of popular museum passes, downloadable and streaming services, and so much more.
The Friends – governed by a Board of Directors – is responsible for raising money to enhance what the library is able to offer. The library is one of Westford’s most valued community resources. The Friends help the library by raising money to support programs, materials, and services that may not be covered by the town budget. In addition, the Friends’ organization lends its considerable support to advocacy efforts for the library.
Mission
The Friends help the library serve the community. The Friends support the library through advocacy, volunteer service, and fundraising in order to enhance resources, facilities, and services.
The Friends’ organization does this by:
Maintaining an association of persons interested in supporting the library
Stimulating the interest of the community in the services and needs of the library by engaging in appropriate programs and fundraising activities
Fostering a greater realization of the importance of the library to the future development of the community
Attracting bequests and gifts of books, manuscripts, money, materials, and equipment which are beyond the resources of the library’s municipal support (but not supplanting that support) and developing a program of planned giving to the library
Serving as a medium through which citizens of the community become acquainted with each other and share their enthusiasm for books and other library materials
Encouraging volunteer support for the library’s service programs and activities
History
The Friends of the J.V. Fletcher Library was established in 1972, with Arlene Pioli as the group’s first president. According to the Westford Annual Report, the Friends – in conjunction with the Board of Library Trustees – sponsored a Christmas Open House in December of that year. The following year, the Friends’ group held its first used book sale, which was so successful it became an annual event. The first book sale included approximately 5,000 books, as well as handmade placemats featuring scenes from around Westford. Today, the Friends’ organization holds three book sales a year, earning tens of thousands of dollars annually.
Financials
An independent, registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Friends’ group raises significant funding for the library through book sales, membership, and the Annual Appeal.
The money that the Friends raise pays for nearly all of the library’s programming, the Friends’ Bestseller Book Collection (new, popular titles that do not circulate throughout the consortium), dozens of museum passes, downloadable and streaming services, and much more.
Click the button below to see pie charts representing our typical yearly income and expenditures by percentage
The Foundation
The J.V. Fletcher Library was placed on the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Project (MPLCP) waitlist in 2017. At that time, the Friends amended the organization’s bylaws to include the Foundation & Major Gifts Committee, or simply, the Foundation. The Foundation is responsible for raising funds to offset the cost of the library expansion and renovation project.
The Friends and the Foundation work in tandem with the Library Board of Trustees.
The Trustees – a six-member elected board – are legal representatives and official civic advocates of the library. They develop library administrative and program policies, set goals and objectives, and manage and authorize expenditures from Trust Funds. Unlike the Friends and the Foundation, the Trustees do not conduct any fundraising activities. However, Trustee liaisons sit as non-voting members on the Friends’ board and on the Foundation board to ensure all three groups are working cohesively in the best interests of the library.
Want more information? Click here for the Trustees’ policy on the independent roles of the Trustees, the Library Director, and the Friends.