If you have energy, enthusiasm, and a couple of hours to donate to your Library, we need you! The Friends of the Library group is searching for new members with fresh ideas to support the Library and our various programs and services. For additional information, please call the Library at 618-942-6109 or contact Sue Cravens, President of the Friends of the Library, at cravens@mchsi.com.

Who are the Friends?

A group who supports the Herrin City Library, and volunteers time to fund raising projects. The Friends are a volunteer group dedicated to enhancing the quality of our Library by providing materials, services, and programming not funded by the budget. From special furniture, to technology, to programs for our youngest patrons, the Friends work hard to ensure that our Library serves our community at the highest level. Your membership is important to our success and enables the Friends to serve the entire community in a very meaningful way.

Goals:

To stimulate bequest endowments and gifts in support of the library’s activities and programs.

To develop interest in the library’s services and programs.

To purchase furniture and equipment as needed for the library.

Membership Level Fees

          Individual (Adult)- –        –       –          $ 5.00

          Family         –        –        –        –        $ 10.00

          Supporting   –        –        –        –        $ 25.00

          Patron         –        –        –        –        $ 50.00

          Sponsor      –        –        –        –        $ 100.00

Please make checks payable to : Friends of the Herrin City Library

Dues can be paid at the Library or mailed to:

Attn: Cathy Brandon, Herrin City Library, 120 N 13th Street, Herrin, IL  62948

You can also make an online membership payment @ our Online Donations page.

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Thank you for your support!

 History

          The Friends of the Herrin City Library was chartered in April 1995 under William “Bill” Harmon being the Chairman of the Charter Committee. The Friends was organized as a “booster” support group to help the library by providing funds to support the activities of the library above and beyond the library’s regular budget.

          A total of 112 people signed up as “Charter Members” prior to the Charter Meeting in April 1995. Joyce Dinnis was elected as the first President of the Friends for the year of 1995-1996. Gloria Cravens was Vice-President. Larry Teel was the first Treasurer of the Friends.

          The Friends held its first Pancake & Sausage Breakfast fund-raising in March 1996. They raised about $1,500 which provided the library with its “seed fund” for the Building Fund. That eventually led to the successful building fund drive during the Herrin Centennial Year of 2000. A total of $500,000 was raised from community donors which was matched by the City of Herrin with $500,000 in Building Bonds. The library applied for and was awarded an additional $250,000 as a Building Grant from the Illinois State Library. Ground-breaking was held in May 2001 to launch a $1,250,000 building expansion and remodeling project. The original 1959 library facility was added onto and the library grew from 5,000 square feet to 12,300 square feet. The Dedication of the new library facility was held in August 2002. A part of the Building Program a portion of the library was set aside as the “Herrin History Room.” In addition, a community meeting room was built which dedicated as the “Tony Galines Memorial Meeting Room.”

          Since 1995, the Friends has given about $65,000 in gifts to the library for new books, movies, large print books, furniture, shelving, computers, and many other purchases. The Friends has sponsored the expenses of the annual Summer Reading Program for many years now. For the 2013 Summer Reading Program, the Friends recently donated $1,730 in support of Irena Just – Children’s Librarian and her  HAVE BOOK – WILL TRAVEL Summer Reading Program.

          The Friends 17th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast on Saturday, March 16th, 2013, from 6:00 am to 11:00 am. The breakfast raised approximately $2,000 for the Friends’ treasury.

          The Friends 18th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast on was held on Saturday, March 15, 2014, and raised $2,650.00 to support the Herrin City Library.

           The Friends 20th Annual Pancake & Sausage Breakfast was held in March 2015. To date the Pancake Breakfast has brought in about $1,800 for the Friends.

          The Friends 21st Annual Pancake Breakfast was held on Saturday, March 12, 2016, from 7:00 am to 11:00 am, and raised $1,624.28 to support the Herrin City Library.

          The Friends 22nd Annual Pancake breakfast was held on Saturday, March 11,2017, fro 7:00 to 11:00 am and raised $2,483.

         The Friends 23rd Annual Pancake breakfast was held on Saturday, March 17, 2018, and raised $2,821.13.

         The Friends 24th Annual Pancake breakfast was held on Saturday, March 23, 2019, and raised $705.00.