Friends of the Library Kingston (FOLK) are celebrating their 30th anniversary this month.
FOLK was originally founded by senior librarian Warwick Lee, who established this group to help raise the profile of the library as well as raise funds to furnish it with extras to enhance the library experience.
Over the decades this has included running functions, author talks, book groups and even installing the bike racks located outside the front of the library.
FOLK currently runs book sales every first and third Friday of the month at Kingston Library which President Fiona Hodgman said helps entice community members inside.
“We’re interested in anything that draws people into the library,” she said.
The Kingborough Chronicle news reporter met with FOLK members last week on Tuesday, November 4 after their AGM.
When asked why they had decided to become official friends of the Kingston Library, the answer was the same across the board: they love books, and they love giving back to their community.
Fiona recalled how the library and FOLK have changed over the last 30 years in her President’s Report at the AGM.
She said the library building has changed in size and configuration over the years.
The book sale has always been a fixture of FOLK but was first held in a large foyer space and the room behind that are no longer present in the current floor plan of the library.
When they first started, FOLK selected sought-after books that could be pricey, costing up to $420 for a dozen books or $550 for a dozen large print books.
These book sales were held just twice a year.
The book sale then evolved, thanks to book donations from the community, to become a more frequent occurrence, with founding member Warwick sometimes running a sausage sizzle outside.
Now the book sales take place every fortnight and the books are more reasonably priced at $3 each.
Over the years FOLK members have also raised funds to buy and refurbish furniture in the children’s section of the library and have extended their efforts outside the library to help install the StoryWalks located across Kingborough in Margate, Snug and Kingston Wetlands.
They have funded school holiday programs and every year donate a $50 voucher to a lucky Year 10 Kingston High School student.
“We are very grateful to everyone at Kingston Library who has supported and appreciated all that FOLK has achieved over the last 30 years,” Fiona said.
“The dedicated staff of Kingston Library have always made the library a warm and special place.”
