In 1993, Friends of the Library began its mission to raise friends and raise funds to support the Bruton Memorial Library. Since that time, it has helped underwrite library initiatives like computers, and equipping the Cookie Smith Reading Room. Friends of the Library is now rebuilding itself after the chaos, shutdowns, and isolation of the Covid pandemic. The group has been in the midst of a grassroots movement to reignite, and has selected a new Board. In September, the Friends are looking to add two additional new Board member roles, and will reopen memberships in October. They are also creating a web site. And the Friends plan to reconstitute their annual Mystery Dinner fundraiser in June 2025.
“I feel good that Plant City citizens have given such support to the notion of books being available for free,” said Margaret Rials, President of Friends of the Library, who for 41 years worked as a librarian for Hillsborough County. “That is a big part of our democracy. You have to have free information available, literacy, and lifelong learning. I feel like this whole thing is based on volunteers, so I’m really motivated to get this Friends group going, and for it to be as strong as it used to be. It was a really dynamic group over the years. It raised a lot of money, and did a lot of wonderful things for the library. I am excited about working towards that again.”
How You Can Help
Friends of the Library raises money in four ways:
1. Through membership in Friends of the Library. Memberships will be available beginning October 2024. Annual memberships cost $25. Lifetime memberships are $100.
2. Through selling books. People can donate books and materials to Bruton Memorial Library. However, in some cases, the donated materials cannot be used by the Library. These materials are passed along to Friends of the Library to sell in its bookstore. Hardcover books are $3 and softcover books are $1. The bookstore is open during library hours and is staffed by Friends volunteers.
3. The Mystery Dinner Theater. This fundraiser will return in June 2025. In this event, city leaders play different roles in the mystery, and diners in attendance interact to solve the mystery.
4. Cash donations. Friends of the Library is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and gifts are tax-deductible.
“It is for people to note, we have a wonderful library here in Plant City that has wonderful support from the community and the government,” Rials commented. “But there is also a wonderful library support group that is full of people who love libraries, and love books and learning. We just want to make sure that the library has everything it needs.”
For more information, or to volunteer, email Brutonlibraryfriends@gmail.com.