Friends of The Urbana Free Library
About the Friends
The Friends is a group of individuals who appreciate and support the library. Since its founding in 1975, the Friends group has:
- Annually raised over $20,000 for new library books and summer reading programs through their spring, summer, and fall used book sales.
- Purchased a wide range of new equipment for the library.
- Developed and maintained the flower boxes and landscaping around the library.
- Delivered thousands of books to hundreds of homebound Urbana residents.
- Contributed funds to the 2005 expansion of the library.
We invite you to join the Friends of The Urbana Free Library to participate in Friend’s activities or just to support the library—one of the oldest public libraries in Illinois and a well-loved community information center.
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Joining the Friends
Membership in the Friends is one of the few remaining bargains: With your annual membership of only $10.00 you will receive...
- The satisfaction of supporting a successful organization that has helped build a great public library for over 25 years.
- This Month at The Urbana Free Library and the Children’s Services program calendar mailed to your home or business every month.
- Early admission to all book sales on "Members Night".
- Opportunities to participate in Friends projects and to become a leader of the organization.
The Friends group is friendly and enthusiastic, and always welcomes new members at its monthly planning meetings.
The Friends meet at the library at noon on the first Tuesday of most months. For more information about dates of Friends meetings, check the library’s online calendar of events.
Download a PDF brochure, with the Friends Membership Form and Volunteer Opportunities checklist.
You can view and print out a text version of the membership form here.
Thank you, Volunteers
A special thank you to The Urbana Free Library Volunteers for a year of service dedicated to literacy and community involvement.
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Book Sales
The Friends holds massive sales of great used books three times per year. The dates of book sales follow the same pattern each year:
- The last full weekend in April
- The weekend of the Annual Urbana Sweetcorn Festival (usually late August)
- The weekend before Thanksgiving
Book sales run for five days:
- Thursday night regular price sale for Members (No electronic devices for scanning will be permitted on preview night)
- Friday and Saturday regular price sale
- Sunday half-price sale
- Monday free giveaway of leftover books
For more information about specific dates and times of Friends book sales, check the library’s online calendar of events.
Book sales raise over $20,000 a year for new library books and for reading programs—but are also heavily attended and highly anticipated community events as well as fundraisers. Most of the books sold in our sales are high-quality used books donated by local residents. The sales also include books removed from the library's collections.
Book Donations
Are you ready to re-purpose some of your books? The Friends hold three used book sales every year and stock the book sale shelves at the library cafe year-round. But what kind of books do the Friends want? As we approach the end of the university semester and spring cleaning commences, here are some guidelines:
- Donations are accepted throughout the year, during the hours the library is open. They are especially well received soon after the tri-annual book sales when there’s still “breathing room” in their work space.
- Please bring your donations to the library in non-returnable boxes or bags— unfortunately, library staff cannot unpack your boxes and return them to you.
- We love receiving donations of gently used books that are in good condition. We also accept commercially produced CDs and DVDs, encyclopedias published before 1930 or after 1990, and text books if they are newer than five years, or old enough to be considered vintage.
- It’s a sad tale but true that some materials simply do not sell, including outdated computer manuals, magazines, catalogs, professional journals, condensed books, books involving statutes, regulations, or taxes, travel guides older than two years, and items without their covers. We also cannot accept cards, calendars, games, or puzzles.
- We ask that you recycle the following—items that are damaged, moldy, damp, or infested, computer software, VHS and audiocassette tapes, homemade CDs or DVDs, or leftovers from another organization’s sale.
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Friend's Projects
When you join the Friends, your annual membership helps to support:
- Mailing This Month at The Urbana Free Library and the Children’s Services program calendar to the Friends members.
- Capital expenditures for the Library. Prior donations from the Friends have paid for equipment and contributed toward the 2005 expansion of the library.
- Plants for the library's gardens and flower boxes.
- Sponsoring the Herbert Goldhor Award, given each year to an outstanding graduate of the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences who is specializing in public libraries.
One hundred percent of book sale profits go directly to the library, where they are used to purchase new books and to support reading programs.
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Click HERE to download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
Download a PDF of the Friends membership form and volunteer opportunities checklist.
