Current Friends Projects

2008

• Summer Book Sale, June 12-14. 

• Steven Flairty reading and book signing, May 29.

• The Winter Book Sale ran Jan 31 - Feb 2.

2007

• The Fall Book Sale ran Oct 18-20.

• Summer Reading Program  The Friends fully funded ($5,000) the Youth Summer Reading Program:  "Get a Clue @ the Library".

• More computers  The Friends presented the library with $12,000 for the purchase of additional computers for the library.

• Book Donations  Each Saturday during the summer, the Friends hosted a table at our local Farmers' Market with free books and information about The Paul Sawyier Public Library and the Friends' Used Bookstore.

• Harry Potter  On July 20, The Friends helped the library staff host a "Harry Potter Party" which was held from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.  Harry Potter fans, many of whom were in costume, roamed the library that evening, playing games like Harry Potter trivia, and awaited the unveiling of the new book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  A number of participants earned enough points during the evening events to win the new book; others were first to check-out one of the library’s copies of the book.

• Parade of Poets  On July 8th the Friends presented their annual Parade Of Poets in the Community Room of the Paul Sawyier Public Library. This event - - the second series of author reading and book signing sponsored by the Friends - - featured a number of superb Kentucky poets, including Sheila Bucy Potter, Frederick Smock, and Jonathan Greene of Frankfort's own Broadstone Press, and Charlie Hughes of Wind Publications. After the readings, the poets stayed to talk poetry and sign books. Refreshments were served.

• Spring Book Sale  Held May 16-20, the Friends' Spring Book Sale was a huge success!

• National Librarians Day  On April 16, the Friends presented the library staff with a special cake in honor of National Librarians Day.

• Author’s Visit – Richard Taylor  On April 15, the Friends hosted an Author’s Visit, with our “Friend”,  Richard Taylor,  who spoke about his latest book, Sue Munday: A Novel of the Civil War.

2006

• Stained Glass Window for the New Building The Friends commissioned artist Laura Mentor to design and install a large. stained glass window on the second floor of the new library, then under construction.  The stained glass window features birds native to Kentucky.  This project is the Friends' most ambitious project to date!

(click here to view the installed window)

• Purchase of Electronic Monitors  The Friends purchased two electronic monitors to advertise Library programs at the lobby.

• New Library Building  The Friends assisted in the move to the new building in November, and participated in the grand opening events.  The Friends also donated to the library a number of framed pictures relating to Frankfort’s public library history, including a picture of Lilian Lindsey, Frankfort’s first librarian.

• Annual Membership Meeting On November 30, the Friends held their annual meeting in honor of the original Friends organization, created 25 years ago.  The guest speaker was Laura Mentor, the artist who designed and installed the stained glass windows on both floors of the new library.

• Giant Book Sale The Fall Book Sale ran November 12 - 18, and was the largest sale the Friends have had!  In addition to thousands of books, the Friends sold the old library's shelving, furniture, knick-knacks, equipment, and ephemera, on behalf of the new library.  

• Kentucky Book Fair  On November 11, the Friends hosted the second meetings of Friends of Kentucky Libraries, in conjunction with the Kentucky Book Fair.  Sally Reed, Executive Director of the Friends of Libraries USA, was the keynote speaker.  This was a very useful session for our local Friends group, as well as other participants who attended from other regions of the State.

• Farewell to the Old Library  On October 21, the closing day for the old Paul Sawyier Public Library at 305 Wapping Street, the Friends held a farewell reception.  To commemorate the occasion, special bookmarks were distributed to all attendees.

• Capital Campaign for New Building  In August, the Friends gathered on several evenings to stuff envelopes for a letter that went out to all library patrons, soliciting funds for construction of the new library building.

• Helping a Friend  On August 4, the Friends collected money at a summer concert on behalf of the Friends of the Long Beach Public Library in Mississippi.  The Long Beach Library suffered extensive damage due to Hurricane Katrina, and the Paul Sawyier Friends were able to send $1,000 to the library to help with building repairs and to purchase new books.

• Author Visit  On June 11, the Friends hosted another Author’s Visit.  Gwyn Hyman Rubio, author of Icy Sparks and The Woodsman’s Daughter, discussed her books and writing life.

• Librarians’ Tea  On April 18, The Friends hosted a “Hard Hat Tea" for the school librarians, and gave them a tour of the new library, which was in final stages of construction.

2005

• Kentucky Book Fair  On November 12, at the Civic Center, the Friends hosted a seminar for Friends of the Library groups from around the state and had 46 people in attendance. A lot of useful and helpful information was shared between groups about how to start and run a Friends organization. We also had a table in the entry to the Book Fair and sold mugs, calendars, and book bags, and signed up new people for memberships. It was a great day!

• The Friends'  Fall Used Book Sale was held on October 6-9. 

• Friends and the PSPL participated in a Downtown Frankfort Sidewalk Sale on July 22. New members signed-up, and information was given out about the grand Friends' planned project for the new library. Some very nice, recently-withdrawn-from-the-Library coffee table books sold for just $2, and some books that have not sold through several Used Book Sales were given away! Friends earned over $300 in this one day!

• Volunteer Appreciation Potluck  On June 13, the Friends held a potluck in conjunction with our monthly meeting. All those who helped out at the book sale were invited to attend and share in the comraderie of those who love books and the Library.

• Spring Used Book Sale  Held in May, this event was a huge success, with proceeds exceeding any other sale to date. Many, many thanks to all those who volunteered their time, donated books, and came down to shop!

• On April 25, the PSPL and Friends hosted mystery author Susan Wittig Albert. She spoke with interested readers and promoted her newest novel, Dead Man's Bones, copies of which were made available for purchase by local book merchant, Poor Richard's, and were signed by the author. Refreshments with an herb-related theme were provided by Friends volunteers and library staff in honor of Albert's protagonist China Bayles, who owns an herb shop in the author's popular mystery series.

• We held our second annual Librarian Tea for local school librarians and the PSPL Staff on March 14. The turn-out was great and everyone had a great time. Thanks to everyone who helped!

• On February 15, 16, and 23, Friends hosted visits by well-known children's author, George Ella Lyon, to our local public elementary schools. She presented a program to the children about the process of writing. The presentation included George Ella's unrolling for the students, a tape-bound copy of the many pages of revisions that had been required to produce just one children's picture book! Her message to the students was that writing is a process, and that no one gets it absolutely perfect the first time around!

• We provided refreshments for the Databases and Desserts Open House at the PSPL on February 15.

• We purchased adorable piggy banks as prizes for the Winter 2005 Reading Program, "Pig Out with a Good Book". Hope you got yours!

2004

• Our Volunteer Appreciation Potluck Dinner on November 8 was great fun, and the food was delicious! Many thanks again to all who volunteer to make Friends a success!

• We enjoyed seeing many of you at the Kentucky Book Fair in November, where we signed-up new members, and offered our book bags and coffee mugs for sale.

• Our Fall 2004 Used Book Sale was a great success, thanks to so many of you! We made nearly $4,000 on book sales and memberships over those 3 days! In addition, the library was able to reap immediate benefits from your book donations by replacing lost or worn-out copies of popular books in their collection with the high quality donations we received from you, saving the library hundreds of dollars that would have been required to buy brand new books. Again, many thanks!

• On October 11, we had our annual full membership meeting of the Friends of the PSPL. Officers and Board Members for 2005 were elected, and we were entertained and enlightened by Dr. Gene Burch's slide presentation of historic Frankfort photographs.

• The Friends purchased a new bookshelf which is located on the main floor near the elevator. The books on this shelf will be rotated to reflect topics of interest at different times of the year; for example, gardening books in the spring, or winter holiday books during December.

• For our June meeting, we held a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic to thank all of you who helped make our May book sale a success. Everyone who attended had a great time!

• The Friends' Third Used Book Sale in May was a huge success, thanks to many of you!

• On April 18, the Friends held an Author Forum with Kentucky author Crystal Wilkinson. She talked to us about how she became a writer and read to us portions from her upcoming novel.

• We sponsored a tea for our local school librarians and the PSPL staff on March 8. We had fun, and got some great ideas from the librarians about things the Friends could do to help out reading programs in the local schools. Many thanks to all those who attended!

• We purchased 1,000 ceramic mugs and 500 plastic children's mugs as prizes for the library's Winter 2004 reading programs!

• Doctor Seuss program  The Friends provided refreshments for this special library's children's program on February 25 and 26.

• The Friends joined with the Kentucky Book Fair to co-sponsor a Raggedy Ann Festival with a program by Joni Gruelle, granddaughter of the creator of Raggedy Ann.

• We purchased a beautiful new display case for the library that currently rests in front of the circulation desk. This display case is portable and will make a lovely addition to the new library building as well!