Activities and Results to Strengthen Friends, Expand Support for the Library and Enhance Standing in the Community

Our Friends’ goal to foster growth and development of ties within the community, made possible through grant funding awarded by the Friends of Kentucky Libraries Chapter Grant, continues to impact our group, the Henry County Public Library and community participants around the county. Our project endeavors, including publicity, recruitment and involvement of members, have been enthusiastically received not only by Friends members but by the community at large. Specifically, the grant monies awarded enabled us to purchase requested items which helped us facilitate and complete activities that have strengthened our Friends Chapter for the future.

Sponsorship of StoryWalk page with frame. Our organization had the good fortune to be a small part of the new StoryWalk endeavor sponsored by a partnership between the Henry County Public Library and the Henry County Extension Office with
the assistance of the Parks Department. We were honored by the attendance of Denise Lyons, The Commissioner for the KY Department for Libraries and Archives, at the Ribbon Cutting Celebration at New Castle Park for the new StoryWalk on October 10, 2023. Further, Denise offered to inform a national StoryWalk organization of the Henry County reading walkway.
At the library’s request and with a portion of our chapter grant allocation, we were able to fund a preservative protectant sealing for 20 panels of the inaugural StoryWalk reading, a book written by a terminally ill, young local girl,

Qwen Morgan, and published by the Make a Wish Foundation. Our Friends Chapter wants to send along our heartfelt “thanks” to the KY Friends of Libraries for making it possible for us to be involved. We are listed on an appreciation plaque as part of the StoryWalk. All of us enjoyed highlighting the local and state Friends organizations.

Customized Cloth Banner with FHCL logo. The Friends’ customized cloth banner, purchased with grant funds, has been and will continue promoting our group at library, county and Love Local Market events. Event attendees remarked that they
now know “who we are and where to find us,” stopping by to learn more about our organization. The banner was also displayed at special events such as the Harvest Showcase, the county’s largest community event, the Back-to-School celebration, the Fall Festival and the Holiday Winter Blowout. We will begin displaying the banner again in April 2024 at the Spring Shindig, a library and Chamber of Commerce community event.

Membership Incentives and Door Prize Drawings. Materials were purchased with grant money and additional supplies were donated by members to make decorative wreaths that we gave away as door prizes at events. We awarded four wreaths and
with extra materials, we have two wreaths for door prizes this spring. We also purchased two lap quilts and accepted a donated hand-crocheted afghan that we also distributed in door prize drawings. In fact, the afghan on display at the Holiday
Winter Blowout caught the attention of the Henry County Local reporter and the Friends received recognition in the newspaper. The reading socks we ordered are helping kick off our recent membership campaign with drawings and games slated for National Library Week, such as, “How many books are in our library?” The reading socks are colorful and fun, drawing attention to our displays.

Schedule for Projects. As soon as we received the grant money, we began purchasing items since we had already planned and researched what we wanted to accomplish and what was needed. The StoryWalk has been completed, but future opportunities to participate will be available as more readings are added. The banner will be used over time and incentives will be completely depleted this spring at the Love Local events as part of our membership campaign. To conclude, because of the generosity of the Friends of KY Libraries, the Friends of the Henry County Library is proud of our part in promoting literacy, our library, needed services and the Friends local and state organizations. For the first time, several members of our chapter attended the state conference held in October and came back energized to move forward and excite members with what was learned. The Friends Chapter Grant is Making a Difference for our Friends membership, our library and our community. THANK YOU.