245 Friends. $12,275 raised. Five projects supported so far. Here’s what members, volunteers, donors, and neighbors have made possible in 2026.
01 · The People
The Friends Behind It
245 active members stand behind the library, 60 of whom joined in 2026. 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.
Where 2026 income came from
Raised and granted, by year
03 · What It Bought
What the Friends Funded in 2026
The projects below came to $20,164, of which $1,208 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 2026
Unearth New Adventures
Dinosaurs, archaeology and paleontology, under twin banners: Unearth New Adventures and Stomp Into Stories. The May 30 kickoff drew more than 1,200 people to River Park for face painting, balloons, Poetry Fox’s typed-to-order poems and a fossil dig.
The Library in 2026
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.
Orange County files these figures after the year ends, so 2026 is not in the state series yet. Here is where the last four filed years left the library.
2022–2025, North Carolina public library statistics filed by Orange County. The window opens just after the pandemic years, so the earliest bar is itself a recovering year. Explore library statistics →
The Week Orange County Spoke Up
When the county proposed cutting $200,000 from the library, the community answered, and the Board reversed course. The branches stayed open seven days a week.
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.
