The Rochester Hills Public Library will be spending the entire week of October 20-26, 2013, celebrating its Friends of the Library group as part of the sixth annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week according to a press release sent out. 
The Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library were established in 1961and have raised several millions of dollars for the library to date. Currently over 800 community members contribute annually to the Friends and nearly 500 of these contributors actively volunteer their time to assist the group with fundraising efforts that include the used book sales, the Holiday Home Tour or the Friends’ Library Store.
“The library has always played such an important role in my life,” said Friends president Ron Meegan. “I truly enjoy being able to give something back – and being an active member of this group is fun!” Other officers of the organization are Bill Kroger, Vice President; John Coombs, Treasurer; Karen Calavenna, Secretary; and Jac Caldwell, Assistant Treasurer.
“Our library would be much poorer without the Friends,” said library director Christine Lind Hage. “The funds they raise definitely put the icing on the cake. I think most patrons would be surprised to learn how many of the services and programs they enjoy are supported by the Friends.” The Friends fund most of the library’s public programs. During National Friends of Libraries Week the Friends will fund programs on the historical, cultural and social links to “Downton Abbey”; a parent-child workshop, and a program for children on building with Legos.
Of special interest will be a program on Thursday, October 23, featuring historian Frank Cardimen who will discuss the World War II deception by the British that convinced the Germans that the Allied Invasion to Europe would be Greece… not Sicily where the invasion took place in 1943. At 6:30 p.m. preceding the program the Friends will hold their annual meeting.
Please go to http://www.rhpl.org/friends-of-rhpl/join-the-friends to learn more about how to become a member of the Friends.
The Rochester Hills Public Library is located in downtown Rochester off of University Drive and three blocks east of Main Street. The Library is open from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Fridays; Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m.– 6 p.m. The Library’s website (www.rhpl.org) has information on how to register for a card and access all the Library’s services.
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