140 Friends. $25,751 raised. Six projects supported. Here’s what members, volunteers, donors, and neighbors made possible in 2023.
01 · The People
The Friends Behind It
140 members stood behind the library in 2023, as recorded in that year's minutes. Membership is the steady base every book sale and grant is built on.
02 · What They Raised
Volunteers Made It Possible
The semiannual sales and the ongoing shelf are run entirely by volunteers. Reserves ended the year at $38,373 — the cushion that lets the Friends give even in lean years.
Where 2023 income came from
Raised and granted, by year
03 · What It Bought
What the Friends Funded in 2023
The projects below came to $15,365, of which $13,081 was granted straight to the library; the rest supported programs, appreciation, and community projects. More than $113,900 granted to the library since 2017.
03b · One Program, Up Close
Summer Reading in 2023
We All Bee-Long Together
Staff opened the summer in bee shirts and antenna headbands as families spread across the field at Fairview Park for a magic show. It was a hot summer, and the library twice stayed open late as a cooling center.
The Library in 2023
The Friends help pay for part of what happens here. These are the library’s own filed figures for how much it was used, set against the year before.
Compared with 2022. North Carolina public library statistics filed by Orange County. Explore library statistics →
In Their Words
"The Friends’ support provides nourishment to turn our librarians’ bright ideas into flourishing resources for the community. The value of service and volunteer help by the Friends contributes to the thriving growth of the Orange County Main Library."
– Nancy Crews, Branch ManagerThank you all for your support! We couldn't do this without you!
OCPL librarianThank you for all you do to support us!
OCPL librarian15 years of newsletters in the archive, going back to 2011.
Browse the archiveNone of this happens without you. Thank you for being a Friend.
