Celebrating the M.T. Allen Memorial Library During National Friends of Libraries Week

For many in Peachtree City, a trip to the library is about much more than checking out a book. It might mean bringing a child to storytime, attending a program, researching local history, discovering a new author, meeting with a community group, or simply finding a quiet place to read, learn, and connect.

This week, October 18–24, National Friends of Libraries Week gives our community another reason to celebrate the M.T. Allen Memorial Library and, especially, the staff and volunteers whose work makes it such an important part of Peachtree City.

Friends of the Library groups exist to help strengthen and support their local libraries. Through memberships, donations, fundraising, and volunteer efforts, Friends organizations can provide resources beyond a library’s regular operating budget, from books and special programs to literacy initiatives and staff appreciation.

In other words, supporting your local Friends group is another way to support your local library.

Here in Peachtree City, the Friends of the Peachtree City Library works throughout the year to help provide additional resources and opportunities for the M.T. Allen Memorial Library and the people it serves.

Over the past year, that has included significant support for the library’s children’s summer programming, which offered 60 programs and welcomed more than 3,100 attendees. Through a generous grant from Clothes Less Traveled, the Friends also helped support 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, the library’s early-literacy initiative encouraging parents and caregivers to read with children from birth through the start of kindergarten.

But supporting a library also means supporting the people who make it work.

The staff and volunteers at the M.T. Allen Memorial Library welcome patrons, plan programs, help children discover books, connect visitors with resources, answer questions, and perform countless tasks, many of them behind the scenes, that keep the library serving our community each day. Throughout the year, the Friends look for opportunities to show their appreciation, including providing refreshments for staff and hosting an annual Library Staff & Volunteer Appreciation celebration during National Library Week in April.

Tell Us Why You Love Your Library

During National Friends of Libraries Week, patrons will find a special interactive display near the library’s main circulation desk.

We invite everyone to stop by and add a note to the display. Tell the library staff what you appreciate about their work. Share what you love most about the library. Write down a library memory, highlight a staff member, or write something that makes the library special to you.

By the end of the week, we hope the display will be filled with messages showing just how much this community values its library and the people who make it possible.

There are a few other ways to celebrate and support the library throughout the week.

On Thursday, October 22, from 4–8 p.m., it’s yogurt for a good cause at TCBY in Braelinn Village. Stop by for a sweet treat and let them know you’re there to support the library. A portion of participating sales will benefit the Friends of the Peachtree City Library.

Then, on Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m.–noon, stop by the M.T. Allen Memorial Library for a complimentary coffee bar featuring Foxtail Coffee Co. Enjoy a free cup of hot or iced coffee, courtesy of the Friends of the Peachtree City Library, while supplies last. It’s our way of inviting the community to come together, enjoy a cup of coffee, and celebrate the library and the people who make it special.

Can’t make it to one of this week’s activities? You can still show your support.

National Friends of Libraries Week is one of the Friends’ largest fundraising opportunities of the year. Contributions to our Friends of the Peachtree City Library Online Fundraiser help support library programs and events, new books and resources, children’s literacy initiatives, and other efforts that enhance the services our library provides to the community.

The M.T. Allen Memorial Library belongs to this community, and its impact can be seen every day in children discovering a love of reading, adults finding information and resources, neighbors connecting with one another, and staff members going the extra mile to help the people who walk through its doors.

National Friends of Libraries Week is ultimately about celebrating that impact. Whether you leave a note, thank a staff member, attend an event, or make a contribution, your support of the Friends is a meaningful way to show your appreciation for the library and the important role it plays in our community.