FLS: Friends of Libraries Section

Our Mission

The mission of the Friends of Libraries Section is to promote and inspire local Friends groups in libraries of all types for the betterment of New York State's library community.

Membership in FLS

Please consider selecting FLS as your primary section when you join NYLA or renew your NYLA membership.  
It's the Friendly thing to do.  
Click here for a hard copy of an FLS Membership Form that includes registration for Elected Officers of a Friends Group Organizational Member.

FLS Current News and Events

Read the latest FLS Newsletter:

December 2019  (Volume 6 # 1)

FLS Annual Membership Meeting

FLS held its Annual Membership Meeting and Friendly Café Meet-Up on Friday, November 15 during the 2019 NYLA Annual Conference. After welcoming remarks from Rebecca Fuss to 25 enthusiastic Friends, President Lisa Wemett led the Membership Meeting with highlights from our annual report, “FLS Year in Review.” Our Section had an excellent year! Membership and fund balances are strong, leadership is secure, and FLS is offering more programs, workshops, webinars and communications to members than ever before. We were privileged to have both of our FLS Randall Enos Conference Scholarship recipients, and Randall Enos himself, at the meeting. We were also honored o have this year’s FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award recipient with us. The September newsletter highlighted the achievements of Marianne, Meg, and Helen, and it was a joy to meet three of our greatest library champions in person and recognize them publicly for their significant achievements with their local Friends groups. 

President Lisa C. Wemett passed the gavel to ... herself, as she will serve a second consecutive year as Section President for FLS!

2019 FLS Annual Report to the Membership

Read the Annual Report from the FLS Annual Membership Meeting held on November 15, 2019 in Saratoga Springs, NY

Congratulations are in order:

2019 FLS Randall Enos Conference Scholarship Recipients

Meg Sgombick (Friends of the Florida Public Library) attended her first NYLA Annual Conference and Marianne Michaud (Friends of the Fairport Public Library) returned to the Conference, each as recipients in the first year of the FLS Randall Enos Conference Scholarship. Meg and Marianne shared reflections on their conference experiences in the December issue of FLS Friends News and Notes. 
This Scholarship opportunity will be available again in 2021. For 2020, FLS members who qualify may apply for the FLS Dewey Fellowship. Details will be in the March newsletter and online at www.NYLA.org/Friends > Awards & Scholarships.

L-r: Meg Sgombick, FLS President Emeritus Randall Enos, Marianne Michaud, and FLS Scholarship Coordinator Anne Andrianos

2019 FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award

The FLS Executive Board was honored to be able to actually present the 2019 FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award during the FLS Annual Membership Meeting. Leslie Riley, an FLS Member At Large and a reader for the Casey Award, presented a beautiful plaque to Helen Rados, current President of the Friends of the Ethelbert B. Crawford Public Library in Monticello. Oftentimes, the award is presented locally and then an announcement of the award is made at the meeting. It was exciting to have Helen's nominators and other staff, trustees, and Friends from her library and the Ramapo Catskill Library System there to take part in the festivities. This year instead of a "traditional" wooden plaque with an engraved metal plate, Helen was given a more "sustainable" version made from reclaimed wood that can be displayed on a shelf or desk.

L-r: Casey Award readers Joyce Laiosa and Leslie Riley, Helen Rados, and EBCPL staff members Cheryl Shelton Jones and Mary Paige Lang-Clouse

NYLA Above and Beyond Award

Our own Jean Sheviak, FLS Representative to the NYLA Legislative Committee, was honored with the NYLA Above and Beyond Award at the Inaugural Banquet during the NYLA Annual Conference. The award “recognizes extraordinary support and commitment to New York State’s libraries by an individual who has made significant contributions to NYLA and the library profession for ten years or more.” Liz Reynor, President of the Friends of the East Greenbush Community Library, shared highlights from the nomination, including Jean's work with FLS. Read Jean’s acceptance remarks in the December issue of FLS Friends News and Notes. 

L-r: NYLA Immediate Past President Tim Burke, Jean Sheviak, and Liz Reynor

Newly elected members of the FLS Executive Board

Click here to see the newly elected members of the FLS Executive Board and read their candidate profiles. The elections results were certified at the August 2nd FLS Executive Board meeting.

Members of the FLS Executive Board at the Friday morning board meeting during the NYLA Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs – 
standing, l-r, Leslie Riley, Jean Sheviak, Randy Enos, Anne Andrianos, Kerstin Cruger, Stephen Hoefer, Rusty Wigg, Lynne Madden
seated, l-r, Rebecca Fuss (retiring Past President) , Marie Orlando, Lisa Wemett, Terry Mulee
not pictured, Karen Sperrazza, Pat Loughan, Terry Morris, Amy Discenza, Travis Olivera, Chris Beck, Marie Bindeman

Presidents at the FLS Executive Board Meeting

FLS was pleased to have Dr. Jen Cannell , incoming NYLA President, visit our Executive Board Meeting. Not wanting to miss a photo-op, we lined up the Presidents in the room.

L-r: FLS Immediate Past President Rebecca Fuss, FLS President Emeritus Randall Enos, FLS President Lisa C. Wemett (serving a second consecutive term in that position) and NYLA Incoming President Dr. Jen Cannell

FLS Sponsored Webinar

Connecting With Today's Volunteers to Transform the Friends of the Library: Expectations, Engagement, and Impact

Carla Lehn, presenter

View the webinar and accompanying resource materials here. (Presentation date: September 25, 2019)
Scroll down the page to read the description and learning objectives, view the webinar, see the presenter's bio, and access handouts.

Information on other FLS sponsored webinars may be found on the FLS Events page.

FLS Sponsored Workshops

Getting Started: Creating and Supporting a Friends Group for Your Library

No regional workshops are scheduled at this time.

Keep It Growing! Strengthening Your Friends of the Library Group

No regional workshops are scheduled at this time.

FLS Sponsored Programs at the 2019 NYLA Annual Conference

November 13 - 16, 2019, Saratoge Springs, NY

FLS offered a full line-up of programs on topics relevant to Friends of the Library Groups:
Achieving Success for the Friends Through Strategic Planning
Fund-Raising Without Book Sales
Sustainable Thinking for Friends
FLS Annual Meeting and Friendly Café Meet-Up
Tips for Engaging Friends as Partners
Click here for the three pages of the FLS June issue of Friends News and Notes with details on these offerings.

Visit the FLS Events page for links to the PowerPoint presentations and handouts from the programs, or here for the entire NYLA Annual Conference Program Archive.

Click here for the 2019 NYLA Annual Conference page which includes a link to register or visit the FLS Events page for more information.

Would you like to be more involved with FLS? Click here for our Active Member Form.