Pierce County Library System
Information & Imagination

The Board of Trustees of the Pierce County Rural Library District encourages the organization of community groups whose primary objectives are support of programs and services of individual branch libraries. Such groups are known as Friends of the (branch name) Library.

As representatives of the library and its services, such groups should have stated objectives which reflect the following aims:

• to create public interest in the library;
• to promote knowledge of the functions, resources, services, and needs of the library;
• to foster public support for the necessary development of the library to the end that it may serve adequately the needs of the people of the community.

The Friends maintain liaison with the branch supervisor or other designated library representative. A representative of the library serves ex-officio on the group's executive committee. To avoid any possible conflict of interest, PCL staff members do not serve as elected officers.

Membership is available to all residents of the community and users of the library.

Friends' meetings are open to the general public. A representative of the Library shall attend all regular Friends' meetings. Meetings should be held at the branch library so that the branch librarians, or their designees, can conveniently attend in their ex-officio capacities.

Fund-raising efforts by Friends' groups for support of the local branch and other programs and activities are encouraged and must be jointly approved by the library and the group.

In order to establish an official relationship between the library and a friends' group, the library provides official recognition and support to groups organized within the framework of the objectives stated above.

The library encourages Friends' groups to participate in cooperative activities and information sharing with other Friends' groups.

To maintain official recognition, Friends' groups must meet at least two times a year. Meeting notices and reports of action taken should be recorded and copies forwarded to the Branch Supervisor.