Media Release: National Friends of Libraries Week

The Metropolitan Library System will be spending the week of October 17-23, 2021, celebrating its Friends of the Library group as part of the 16th annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week.

The Friends of the Metropolitan Library System was established in 1978 and have raised nearly $5,000,000 for the library system to date. Money is raised by annual dues paid by Friends members and by proceeds from book sales, held each year in Oklahoma City and online through an Amazon storefront. The Friends have over 2,500 annual members. Over 120 community volunteers contributed in 2019 to the Friends to keep the sort site operational, and nearly 1,000 volunteers helped with the book sale held every February.

In the past year, many Metropolitan libraries and staff have received special grants or scholarships from the Friends of the Library. Many of the grants help with special literacy or educational programs. A large portion of the grants given to MLS helps fund the annual Summer Reading program with prizes and musical programs.

Technology was a big subject for Friends grants at the Northwest Library. They now have a new assortment of robotic “friends” to help with the many coding and programming adventures they do.

“Kids who may have had limited technology opportunities will now be able to increase their 20th century digital literacy skills by engaging with the new DASH robots and their accessories,” Robin Miller, librarian at the Northwest Library said.

The Northwest Library also received a grant to buy laptops to start a teen coding program. This is something that was too large for the annual MLS operating budget, but it will have great impact on the young people who will be able to participate. The coding program will introduce them to computer science careers and teach them computational thinking skills that will translate to many aspects of their lives, educations, and future careers.

The Friends of the Library also provides annual scholarships for staff of the Metropolitan Library System. Last year the Friends helped 186 staff further their educational goals with either the Lee B. Brawner Scholarship or the Donna Morris Scholarship. Both scholarships were named after past Metropolitan Library System executive directors.

To donate books or materials to the Friends of the Library, drop them off at any one of the 19 MLS libraries in Oklahoma County or at the Friends Sort site at 300 NE 50th.