Ready, Set, Action! The Year In Review
WOW! What a year we’ve had! Ideas without action are just words on paper. Thanks to you, 2023-2024 has been a year of activity. Together, we’ve been in constant motion to bring the work of our committees and working groups to life. While there’s still a lot on our plate for the remainder of 2024, it’s time to take a look back at how far we’ve come during the past 12 months. Today, we celebrate VOLUNTEER POWER!
Our mission is to partner and advocate for the Edgewater Branch Library; to respond to our community’s library needs; and to educate and engage the community in using and enjoying all of our resources.
To support our mission, in June of 2023, the Board set some goals for the year which have driven much of our activity.
Build our membership to better reflect the makeup of the community we serve, including engaging younger residents 30s, 40s, and 50s to consider membership in Friends.
Build stronger relationships within the membership, among library patrons, in the community, and with other community organizations.
Increase traffic within the library to get back to pre-pandemic levels.
Plan for the future through succession planning and develop strong leadership by encouraging more members to get involved in committees and as co-chairs of committees, and through various board activities.
How did all this play out over in the past 12 months? Download the PDF and see what an amazing year of VOLUNTEER POWER created. Want to know how we spent your membership dues and donations? View the 2023-2024 financials here.
A special shoutout to Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown, who joined us with his son, Rhys, to celebrate our year of volunteer power! He was gracious in his praise of our work and how important it is in making the community aware of the Edgewater Branch. While our branch has almost reached its pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic, many branches are still rebuilding in-person relationships within their neighborhoods. He also shared some of the many activities going on around CPL to continue having one of the country's most vibrant library systems. Our thanks to Commissioner Brown for taking the time to support our efforts throughout the year.
Below: Enjoy some photos from Friends and Library events and activities that happened this past year. Photos by Joanne Kitsos. Top row l-r : The no Book Club, Edgewater Stories, Bag of Books Giveaway; Row 2 l-r: Children’s Bookmark Making program (3 photos); Row 3 l-r: Children’s Bookmark Making, Fall Book Sale w/CPL Commissioner Chris Brown, Senior Information Fair; Row 4 l-r: Children’s Tea Party for National Friends Week, Board Games & Puzzle Exchange, Chamber Event Display, Bag of Books Giveaway, Fall Book Sale, First Nations event.
