Michele Stauff has been the chair of the Friends of Edgewater Library in Chicago for 3 years. FTP asked her to share her thoughts about her Friends organization.

Which local Friend of the Library group are you a member of and why did you join?

I’m part of Friends of the Edgewater Library in my neighborhood of Edgewater on Chicago’s far north side. I was walking by the library on a beautiful summer day in 2021 – the world was beginning to open up just a bit post pandemic – and Friends’ volunteers were hosting a table of information (and books!) outside which caught my attention. They invited me to become a member and join an upcoming monthly membership meeting. From that meeting on, I was hooked!

What projects have you had a chance to work on through the group?

I’ve become involved in our annual used book sale, co-chairing it for the past 3 years. I’m a non-profit fundraiser by trade, so this volunteer opportunity was a good match of my experience and interests. I also became Secretary of the Board this year.

I’ve attended many of the speaking programs that our group plans throughout the year at the library, as well as The No Book Club monthly meetings. Held virtually, participants in The No Book Club get together to talk about what they’re reading. I’ve really enjoyed this! It’s been super interesting to hear about genres and authors that don’t typically cross my path.

What’s been the best and also the hardest thing about being part of the group?

Best is the connection to the community and our public library. From my very first membership meeting, when we went around the room talking about what we’re reading, I knew that I had found “my people.” I love reading and libraries – always have – and in our Friends group, we all have this in common.

The hardest thing is recognizing that some members of the community rely on the public library to meet their more basic needs: shelter, safety, computer access, hygiene supplies. I was embarrassed by my ignorance and naivete. I am so glad that our branch, run by a dedicated staff, can provide these resources seven days a week, as well as providing books and learning resources.

What would you say to encourage others to take a similar action?

Joining a Friends group is a wonderful way to connect with your neighbors and support a vital public institution. I’ve lived in the Edgewater neighborhood for almost 30 years, yet it’s been my connection to the library these last 3 years that has made me feel most connected to my neighbors. I run into library friends on walks, at the grocery store, and of course when I’m at the library. At the monthly membership meetings, we learn about community happenings, inside and outside of the library. This is information I might not have learned otherwise.

If your Friends group hosted celebrations during the Oct. 20-26, 2024 National Friends of Libraries Week, consider applying for the National Friends of Libraries Week Awards. Two groups will be selected to receive $250 in recognition of their events. Submit your application by December 6, 2024!

Michele Stauff’s experience with the Friends of Edgewater Library represents one of the many ways to actively support your local library–something even more important with the ramped up attacks on this critical public space we can anticipate.

Turn your love for your library into power by taking some of FTP’s suggested concrete steps: get up to speed about how your library works; use board watcher bingo sheets at your library board meetings and share what you learn with your community; volunteer for committees with openings for community members; use EveryLibrary’s form to tell your elected representatives how important libraries are; and of course, consider getting on your library board!

Learn more about joining a library board and our 2025 Library Elections & Appointments Training Cohort by attending FTP’s December 5th online open house.

Register for the Open House Now

To apply for the 2025 Cohort, complete our online application here—and congratulations on taking a huge step to defend public libraries! Applications will be accepted until December 14, and interviews will be held in early January. Weekly sessions will begin in the first half of February.

One of two t-shirt designs from Libraries For the People

Simplify your seasonal gift giving and support FTP’s work to support and strengthen public libraries! We have two great t-shirt designs (here and here) for you to choose from–or buy them both!

Here’s a roundup of interesting reading and listening material that we think you’ll appreciate. Sometimes articles may be paywalled. In other news, sometimes it’s nice to use tools like Archive.today or the Wayback Machine.

• Anytime this winter – #Warm4Holidays 2024 Public Library Edition – This winter, create winter kits and distribute them to local public libraries that might want/need them. Winter kits can vary. Some include scarves, transportation cards, socks, hats, etc… You can include anything that might be of use to a houseless person. // If you are a crafter, you can make winter items and you can ask other crafters in your communities to do the same. Then you can meet up to put kits together and drop them off to a local public library that can use them. It’s important that you first reach out to your local branch library to talk to library workers about whether they can use such kits.
• November 29 – December 5 READ PALESTINE WEEK. Check out the helpful Read Palestine Week Library Guide, and see more events in an events list compiled by Publishers for Palestine
• December 5 – Join For the People online at 6 pm ET to learn more about our 2025 candidate cohort for library board candidates and serving trustees. Whether you’re ready to run or just considering getting more involved, learn about how our 12-week training program can prepare you to make a difference in your local library system. Hear from FTP organizers, previous participants, and ask your questions! Register here.
• December 6 – Apply for the National Friends of Libraries Week Award
• December 8 – in NYC – Radical Book Buzz co-presented by Library Freedom Project and Library Futures
• December 9 – Abolitionist Futures: A Prison Library Support Network (PLSN) Discussion Group featuring Dean Spade. The discussion will be centered around his ever more relevant (and very short) book, Mutual aid: Building solidarity during this crisis (and the next).
• December 10 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET – Creating Change with our Kids facilitated by zara raven
• December 11 from 6:30 to 8 pm ET – Move the Needle: Activism for Artists, Crafters, Creatives, and Makers facilitated by Shannon Downey
• December 11 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm PT – Fostering Re-Entry: Advocating for Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Community Members Online via Zoom “Join us for this free, 90-minute highly-interactive online workshop (via Zoom) under the auspices of the California Library Association Ursula Meyer Library Advocacy Training project, to hear from two formerly incarcerated librarians who are among our strongest advocates for their (and our) peers.”
• December 14 – the deadline to apply for the 2025 FTP Library Elections & Appointments Training Cohort.
• January 4 – Application deadline for public library workers to apply for a grant opportunity from Library Innovation Lab (LIL). The grant enables librarians to design and implement new public humanities projects that reach and engage underserved immigrant groups. Apply by January 4th, the theme is “Welcoming Immigrants at America’s Public Libraries.” LIL will support a cohort of 10 public library professionals as they plan, implement and assess a small scale, short-term public humanities project between February and December of 2025. h/t to the Libraries, Integration and New Americans (LINA) listserv for bringing this to our attention.

Thank you for reading this update from For The People: A Leftist Library Project. Please share this newsletter with other folks who also love public libraries!

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