Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library chosen Friends Group of the Year

(September 28, 2016) The Friends of the Westfield Memorial Library was recently honored as the “Friends Group of the Year” by the Libraries of Union Country Consortium. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.

Since the group’s inception in 1972, the Friends group has donated more than a million dollars to the library. Some of the services they sponsor include Books on Wheels, which provides specially chosen library materials for homebound residents, and the Hale Speaker Series, which provides the community with four lectures a year by prominent individuals with connections to Westfield.

Some of speakers have been Assemblyman Jon Bramnick; ex major league Baseball player and manager Jeff Torborg; Dr. Thomas Farley, NYC Health Commissioner under Mayor Bloomberg; Dr. Roy Vagelos, former CEO and Chairman of Merck Pharmaceuticals, and later this year, Dr. Robert Barchi, President of Rutgers University.

The Museum Pass Program is fully paid for by the Friends. Established five years ago, this program costs approximately $9,000 a year. Passes are purchased for 19 museums in the New York/New Jersey area. The New York Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, Intrepid Sea and Air Museum, Cooper-Hewitt Design Museum and the Grounds for Sculptor are among the most popular museums.

The Friends also plan and fund a series of ten children’s programs. Funded at approximately $4,500 each year, these programs run the gamut from puppet shows, to programs about reptiles and animals, to fun and entertaining science experiments.

They also sponsor a diversity program during the month of February to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans.

The Annual Used Book Sales, which requires the help of more than 100 volunteers and earns approximately $17,000 annually, and the Children’s Book Sale, which generates about $2,500 annually, help fund a large portion of what the Friends pay for each year.

Annual scholarships for students pursuing a degree in library science are also provided by the Friends. This scholarship can award up to $6,000 per year to a student from Westfield pursuing a degree in library science.

Founded in 1879, the Westfield Memorial Library—the community’s destination for discovery and ideas—engages minds, entertains spirits and facilitates lifelong learning for people of all ages. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The library will be closed Monday, October 10 in honor of Columbus Day.

For more information about library programs and services, call 908.789.4090, visit the library’s website at www.wmlnj.org, and sign up for the monthly e-newsletter “Library Loop,” or stop by the library at 550 East Broad Street for a copy of the award-winning quarterly newsletter “Take Note.”

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