THUNDER BAY – For decades, The Friends of the Public Library have supported library services in Thunder Bay.
Meagan Ross, associate director of development for the Thunder Bay Public Library, said since the Friends' inception in 1987, they have raised over $1 million for the library.
“They've been contributors to some really important projects, like the Mary JL Black Library branch," Ross said. “Most recently, they were able to help fund the purchase of 1,200 board books for babies that go in a ‘we welcome kit.’
“We received money from the Thunder Bay Community Foundation as well as the Friends so that those books are given out, free, to new parents across the city.
Ross said the Friends have been involved in a lot of really important projects as well as always purchasing new books, CDs and items for the library’s collections so that they can offer the most relevant and engaging items to the public.
The Friends decide where the money raised goes on a case-by-case basis.
“We know that we need more space and more programming space in particular; the community is always asking for that," Ross added.
“Because of the high demand and our lack of capacity to offer that, we know that significant renovations are required and we approach the Friends and ask if this is something they’d be interested in supporting."
Fran Duke, president of the Friends of the Public Library, said the used bookstore the Friends run has been on Brodie Street for about one year now.
They moved from their previous location at the Victoriaville Mall in June 2023 and spent the summer organizing and setting up their new store before opening the doors last September.
“Sales have dropped a bit," Duke said.
"In Victoriaville, there was a lot of walk-by traffic, and we don't have the same number of people walking by our store, dropping in when they see something interesting and exciting in the window."
Duke said they advertise online and the library posts news of their sales on TBPL’s website.
“We do everything we can to let people know of the wonderful things that we have to offer," Duke added. “We're still doing well, but maybe not quite as well as Victoriaville."
Everything that the used bookstore has up for sale has been donated, Duke said.
“It's either donations from the public or it's donations from the library itself," she added. "The library is always bringing in new and exciting books and other articles, but they don't have room for everything.
“They have to deselect some things and those, they give to us.”
Duke said they put them on their shelves and either sell them to the public at a reduced price, or they have an option of sending them to the United States.
“We are partnering with Better World Books, and they are an online sales company," she added. They will sell our books anywhere in the world and we get a percentage of the proceeds of that sale.
“It comes back to the Friends, and then the Friends pass that back to the library."
The Friends not only sell books but also donate books to other organizations, Duke said
“Recently we donated several boxes of books to the correctional facility," she added. "They came and picked out books that, in general, the people that they work with can make use of.
“We are happy to donate them when we can.”
Duke said that the Friends of the Library has change a lot over the last 37 years.
“We've had amazing volunteers," Duke added. We have over 50 right now, involved in things from book sales to volunteering at bingos.
“We've been engaged in a number of projects. We're always looking for another one where we can make a difference and help the library.”
Duke said that if anyone is interested in volunteering with the Friends, they would love to get an application.
Those can be downloaded from the library's website or by picking up an application form at any library branch.
“We've got several different aspects," Duke said.
"Some volunteers are involved in home deliveries. We deliver books on behalf of the library right to people's homes when people can't get in themselves to a library branch.
“We also need volunteers to unpack boxes, to price books and to help fill our shelves.”
Duke indicated that there will be a buck-a-bag book sale this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
“We estimate there could be 4,000 books on offer at a dollar for a bag full. It's an amazing bargain and you can find some extremely interesting, maybe older books and can find some real treasures in there," Duke said.
“We have lots of new science fiction that just came in, older science fiction. We have non-fiction, cookbooks galore, lots of romance novels, young children and young adult books.
Duke said for those that can't make it down during the day, since they’re open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day, on Wednesday evening they'll be open till 7 p.m.
The Friends will also host a buck-a-bag sale on the last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of September, October and November.
