Friends Of Kings Park Library In Burke Seeking To Expand Membership

BURKE, VA — The Friends of the Kings Park Library, an independent organization of supporters of the Kings Park Library in Burke, is looking to expand its roster of volunteers.

The friends group raises most of its funds through ongoing used book sales and two large semiannual book sales. The money raised by the Friends of the Kings Park Library is spent on needs of the community library that are not addressed in the county's annual library budget.

The Kings Park Friends group has supported the library since 1976. It works in partnership with library staff to improve resources and services at the library, including beautifying the library grounds and meeting any special needs of library patrons.

The volunteers of the Friends of the Kings Park Library work through the year to collect donated books from the community and sponsor community activities.

The group's two book sales per year each bring in more than $10,000 on average. The money raised by the friends group has served many purposes over the years, including funding teen programming during the Summer Reading Program, the purchase of chairs and tables for the library's meeting room, and purchase of more than $4,900 of shelving equipment for the library.

The Friends of the Kings Park Library is inviting members of the Braddock District community to join the friends group, which holds its annual members meeting on the fourth Tuesday in October. Membership is free.

Residents who would like to get involved in supporting the Kings Park Library should contact the organization's president, Dennis Chamot, at dennischamot@yahoo.com. Community members also can visit the library branch, at 9000 Burke Lake Rd., to learn how to become a member of the friends group.

The Kings Park Library shares its building with Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw and his staff.