Friends of Grand County History
by Jean Tidball

A reception was held at the Silver Creek Convention Center on January 1, 1985, to publicly announce the formation of the Friends of Grand County Library. Seventy-nine people attended the event. Four libraries were represented: the Fraser Valley Library, the Hot Sulphur Springs Library, the Kremmling Library and the Granby Library. (Grand Lake's Juniper Library was included in 1988.) The founders provided this answer to the question, "What are Friends?"

Friends are a group of citizens in the community who have a common concern for their library's active expansion and participation in community life. They have a conviction that good library service is important to everyone. Friends help support the library through activities that include volunteer services, cultural, educational and recreational events, and financial assistance for the continuing improvement of library equipment and inventories.

The Organizational Board of Directors who planned this reception had been meeting since the Articles of Incorporation for Friends had been filed with the Colorado Secretary of State on September 18, 1984. That first Board consisted of Joanne Whistler, President; Anne McQueen, Vice President; and Marla Gall, Treasurer. This group immediately began to address library needs, write By Laws, send newsletters and set up a bank account. The Board questioned the first members about what they thought Friends' priorities should be. The priorities given were to supply volunteers to help in the libraries, publicize library activities and buy books, films and equipment for the libraries. The Friends set out to address these priorities.

The history of the next eighteen years of Friends can most effectively be recorded by focusing on two aspects of the organization, the activities and decisions of the Board of Directors and the fundraising events.

Initially the Board consisted of seven members, but in 1987 it was reduced to five members. After several changes over the years, the current Board can consist of ten members. After the enthusiasm of the first few years, members in Fraser expressed the desire that all their efforts go into the support of the Fraser Valley Library alone. A meeting was held in 1988 to discuss the possible disolution of the Friends, but the group re-asserted its Grand County focus, and at the Annual Meeting in 1988 decided to emphasize the establishment of groups of Friends to support each Grand County library while retaining its county- wide character. The separate bank account being maintained by the "Fraser Friends" was closed, and proceeds from all fundraising was directed to the Treasurer on the Friends of Grand County Library Board of Directors. This procedure remains today.

Supporting all Grand County Libraries, when specific fundraisers are planned and executed by one community, has led to lengthy Board discussions. In 1989, the Board decided to divide proceeds from all fundraisers so that 75% of the proceeds went to the sponsoring library, and 25% went into the general fund. Proceeds from county-wide fundraising, such as membership drives, was also directed to the general fund. The current system, in which 80% of the proceeds go the the supporting library and 20% is divided equally among the other four libraries, was adopted in 1997.

Attending to the filing of required tax reports was overlooked until 1989. The Board immediately acted to correct this oversight, and by July, 1990, all appropriate tax reports for 1986-1989 had been filed. Each year since, all tax reports have been completed and are on file in the Library District office in Granby.

The Board has attempted to procure funding from grant sources. In 1994 several unsuccessful proposals were written, but in 2000, the Hot Sulphur Springs Library did receive a grant for computer materials from the Columbine Foundation.

The main fundraising effort carried out by the Board is sale of Memberships. In 1997, and for several years after that, there was a Board Member designated as Membership Chairman. Beginning in 1998, maintenance of an accurate Membership List took high priority. Changes in Membership Categories have been made several times. Various ways to say thank you to members have been examined and tried. Most recently, book bags were purchased to give to new members. Due to these efforts there are about 350 Friends of Grand County Library.

Numerous other activities have occupied the Board over the years. In 1994 the Board led the membership in helping to promote the formation of a Grand County Library District (GCLD). This taxing district became reality in 1995. Each year at the Annual Meeting the GCLD recognizes the contributions of the Friends to creating better libraries. The Library District proclaimed November, 1996, to be Friends of the Library Month.

In 2000 the need to record some of the procedures the Board had established was recognized and a Policies and Procedures Manual was written. The effort to keep this document current is ongoing.

Each year the Board plans and holds an Annual Meeting. There has been an Annual Meeting every year since the Friends were organized in 1985. The Agenda for the meeting has remained similar over the years. For many years, a single "Friend of the Year" was named. Beginning in 1998, an outstanding Friend was recognized from each library. Since 1993, the program has been presented by an author who is a resident of Grand County or of the Denver area. In 1997, the Annual Meeting included a tour of the new Fraser Valley Library. Attention to the budget and increasing costs of certain traditions forced some changes. In early years, librarians from each library were presented with gift certificates to a restaurant. This custom was ended in 1996. The Annual Meeting once included a luncheon, but since 1999, only refreshments have been served.

The Board has led the membership to support library building and remodeling efforts. A direct contribution was made to the Fraser Valley Library building fund in 1997. Currently, the Board is directing all funds from Friends supported events in Grand Lake to the building fund for the new Juniper Library at Grand Lake.

While the make up of the Board has traditionally included both employees of the libraries as well as interested members, that changed in 2002 with the establishment of a Conflict of Interest Policy developed by the GCLD. As of 2002, only Friends members who are not employed by the libraries may serve on the Board.

The Board of Directors sets the direction for the Friends, with fundraising the main activity of the organization. Some fundraising events have been short lived. Included in this category were card parties, luncheons, a Valentine Decadent Dessert Party, holiday book sales, a cookbook sale, participation in Powder Partners and cookie sales at Ride-the-Rockies.

Other events have proved more successful and have been expanded. The Alpine Art Affair Used Book Sale netted $1000 in 1988. In 2002, over $7000 was raised. The Progressive Dinner in Fraser made $1050 in 1989. It has grown each year, with over $8000 made in 2001 and $9600 made in 2002. Grand Lake initiated a Progressive Dinner in 1992. In 2002, that event brought in $2400. Grand Lake initiated Cabin Fever Follies in 1991. In 2002, that event raised $750. In 1996, the Friends Board purchased a Raffle License. Fraser and Grand Lake have used the license for their Quilt Raffles. On-going used book sales have been successful in Kremmling and Granby.Grand Lake also holds a successful used book sale at the Buffalo Barbeque each summer. Hot Sulphur Springs has held a Thanksgiving Pie Sale for the past few years. In 2000 that event made $400. In 2002, it brought in $570. All of the libraries have on-going "Adopt-a-Book" programs.

In the broader perspective, the Friends of Grand County Library distributed about $4000 to the libraries in 1988. In 1999, that figure had grown to $23,000 and in 2002 the total distributions to the libraries was $34,900.

The Friends of Grand County Library and the Grand County Historical Society are two organizations that have a Grand County emphasis. Most other groups are focused on one specific community. Over their eighteen year history dedicated Friends volunteers have maintained an organization which has continued to create public support for an ever expanding Grand County Library program.

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