Dear Friends,
This past weekend felt like spring had really sprung! I hope you were all able to enjoy the warm temperatures and blooming trees and flowers.
In just a few short days, we are kicking off Membership Month. Wednesday, April 1 marks the start of our annual membership drive, and we have a few updates to this year’s event. The first change is to the membership levels. Individual ($10) and Family ($20) memberships will be combined into a Household ($15) membership. This means that everyone living at the same address will share the benefits of the Friends membership, no matter whose name the membership is under. The new Household membership level will be available beginning on April 1. There will be no change to the other membership levels.
The next change is to membership rewards. Previously, anyone renewing their membership, as well as all new members who signed up in April, were eligible to receive a gift. Rising costs have greatly impacted our ability to provide quality gifts. This year, instead of individual rewards, we will be giving away gift baskets filled with library- and Friends-themed items, as well as specialty items representing the Central Rappahannock Regional Library's service area (Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Westmoreland). Everyone who joins the Friends or renews their membership during the month of April will be entered into a drawing at their membership level - Household ($15), Tobin ($25), Rappahannock ($50), and Cote ($100). A random drawing for each basket will be held Monday, May 4. Winners will be contacted and announced in May’s Friends News.
We are also making renewing your membership much easier! Beginning April 1, all memberships will be set to automatically renew one year from the joining or renewal date. This means that, when you pay by credit card through the Friends website, you won’t have to come back each year to renew! You’ll receive multiple notices before your membership is automatically continued at the same level for another year. Of course, members will have the option to turn off auto renewal in their profiles.
We are looking forward to another great Membership Month! Stay tuned for details about the Friends of The Library Membership Month Book Sale at the Friends Center and Bookshop opening on April 10.
I want to also share an update about the future of the Friends Center and Bookshop. At our quarterly Board meeting on March 23, the Friends of the Library Executive Board discussed the shop's long-term sustainability. Given the current challenges with rising rent and utility costs, the Board has decided to begin exploring future options for the space, and will be putting up a "For Lease" sign in the near future.
This assessment was not made lightly. While the shop has been a beloved fixture since 2018, as a Board, our primary responsibility is to ensure that the funds we raise are used as effectively as possible to support the library’s mission and programs and the Bookshop is no longer profitable. However, this does not mean the shop is closing immediately, and it has no bearing on the bookshops/book sales at our individual branches, which will continue as scheduled.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to our members and the dedicated volunteers who have poured their time and passion into the shop. You are the heart of this organization, and your contributions are deeply valued.
Please know that the Friends remain as committed as ever to supporting the library. The Board will meet again in June to discuss options for the future of the larger-scale book sales previously held at the Friends of the Library Center and Bookshop.
Thank you for your ongoing support, your understanding, and your dedication to our library.
Salem Waters, Friends of the Library President
