Archives

Prior Newsletters

Prior to our website blog (located here – https://friendskylibraries.wordpress.com/blog/), members received our quarterly Friends CONNECT newsletter via email. All newsletters are available here as PDF files. To view them, you will need the free Adobe PDF reader – download the current version here.

Members are invited to send blog or site and/or social media contributions, articles, and news releases to Eunice Murphy, editor.

FKL Newsletter Summer/Fall 2020 – FKL President’s Message, 2019 Grant Awards, Social-Distancing Book Sale, Advocacy, Membership
FKL Newsletter Winter 2019/ Spring 2020– FKL President’s Message, Advocacy Needed on Library Funding Removal, Grants – upcoming and reports, and much more.
FKL Newsletter Fall 2019– FKL President’s Message, Annual Meeting Recap and Photos, Kentucky Book Festival, and much more.
FKL Newsletter Spring-Summer 2019– FKL President’s Message, President’s Day 2019, Grants to Public Libraries, Hardin County Arts Contest Results, Membership Information, and much more.
FKL Newsletter Winter 2018-2019 – FKL President’s Message, 2018 Year in Review, Annual Meeting Photos and Summary, Legislative Day, New Board Members, and much more.
Fall 2018 – FKL President’s Message, Annual Meeting Agenda, Membership Meeting Registration, Annual Award Nominations, Kentucky Book Festival, and much more.
Summer 2018 – FKL President’s Message, KPLA Spring Conference Summary, Checklist for Starting a Friends Chapter, Louisville PL Summer Reading Program, News from the Field, and much more.
Spring 2018 – Legislative Day, National Library Week, FKL Life Membership, Newest Board Members: Betty Boles Ellison and Jim Weise, Annual Meeting Summary.
Summer 2017 – FKL Annual Meeting, Kentucky Book Fair, New READ License Plate, Welcoming Eunice Murphy to the Board!
Spring 2017 – FKL Represented in Washington – Bluegrass Book Buddies Program – Report on the 2017 KPLA Conference – Welcoming Susie Lawrence to the Board!
Winter 2016 – 2017 – Kentucky Public Library Association conference April 19-21 at Griffin Gate Marriott Resort, Lexington – National Library Week April 9-15 – Report on Kentucky’s Library Legislative Day – and THANK YOU for helping to defeat SB 48!
Fall 2016 – All Friends Needed in Frankfort on February 16, 2017 – Make a difference on Library Legislative Day – FKL Annual Meeting Summary, Awards for Outstanding Chapter, Library Advocacy, and Highlights of our 2016 Meet and Greet Events.
Summer 2016 – Time to register for FKL Annual Meeting! Agenda and Registration Form enclosed – deadline for Friends Awards nominations (individual and chapter) is October 5th, come to the 135th Kentucky Book Fair, and more.
Spring 2016 – Mary Lynn Collins receives Public Library Advocacy Award – McClean and Campbell County Libraries receive Sister Library Grant, Friends of Scott County Public Library open Friends Bookstore inside new library, and more.
Winter 2015 – 2016 – Report on Library Legislative Day – report from the Annual Meeting, Great Ideas for Fundraising beyond Book Sales, and more.
Fall 2015 – Preparing for Library Legislative Day on 2/4/2016 – Litigation Update, Annual Meeting review and Awards, Updates on successful Meet & Greet events in 2015, New FKL Officers and Board Members, and more.
Summer 2015 – Sallie Bingham to Speak at Annual Meeting – Important news about this year’s ‘Meet and Greets’ from Board Member, Linda Stith – Wayne Onkst on library construction grants statewide – Call for new Board Members – Litigation update and more
Spring 2015 – Sister Libraries – International cooperation with libraries in Kazakhstan and Ukraine: “Information helps you to see that you’re not alone. That there’s somebody in Mississippi and somebody in Tokyo who all have wept, who’ve all longed and lost, who’ve all been happy. So the library helps you to see, not only that you are not alone, but that you’re not really any different from everyone else” by Maya Angelou.
Winter 2014 – 2015 – Library Legislative Day on February 17, Poet Laureate Frank X Walker to speak in the Capitol Rotunda, 2014 Outstanding Friends Awards, Meet and Greets across the state, Sister Library Grants, and FKL is now on Twitter! Follow us @KYLibFriends
Summer 2014 – Annual Meeting on November 15, Support the Declaration for the Right to Libraries, FKL President Mary Lynn Collins on supporting libraries in today’s climate, Kentucky Book Fair, Summer Reading Programs, and welcome to new FKL Board Member, Susan Phelps.
2014 Spring – Gear Up for Meet and Greet – Local Friends chapters and libraries should be looking at their September and October calendars NOW in preparation for the fall Meet and Greets, FKL President Mary Lynn Collins reports on National Library Legislative Day, a tribute to Charlene Davis, and find out which Friends groups received FKL grants recently.
2014 Winter – Library Legislative Day – Update on Lawsuits, Books for the Governor’s Mansion, News from the Field – stories of Anne Caudill, Friends of Paul Sawyier Library named 2014 Goodwill Partner of the Year, and a mantra from FKL President, Mary Lynn Collins, “Advocate, Advocate, Advocate…”
2013 Fall – FKL Annual Meeting Highlights – Award Presentations for Outstanding Friends Chapter (Madison County), Outstanding Friend (Judy Stratton, Franklin County), and a new FKL award, Outstanding Library Advocate (Senator Robin Webb, SD-18).

Also – new boardmembers and officers, spotlight on Danville-Boyle County Friends

2013 Summer – FKL Establishment Grants – Friends of Larue County Public Library is the fifth Friends chapter to receive a grant from FKL to help defray the cost of seeking 501(c)(3) tax exempt status from the IRS. Mark your calendar – FKL Annual Meeting – November 16 in Frankfort – Keynote Speaker – George Ella Lyon
2013 Spring – KPLA Conference – FKL presented grants of $200 each to two Sister Library Projects and presented a program on the Legislative Meet & Greets, unveiling a new initiative in 2013. This October, rather than con-duct the face time with legislators and local officials in multi-county Senate Districts, FKL is organizing these events on a county level.

Also read about a New Director, Useful Tools for Friends, and more

2013 Winter – Legislative Day – This is a legislative session that could have significant impact on special taxing districts public libraries, which in-clude all but 10 of the state’s libraries. Two bills of particular interest are HB-1 on Special Taxing Districts, which include 10# of our libraries, and SB-20, which would change how library trustees are appointed. [Details about these bills are on page 2]

Also read about New Directors, Effective Advocacy, Sister Library Projects

2012 Fall – Legislative Meet & Greets – The third annual Library Legislative Meet & Greets were held at over 30 sites throughout October, bringing to-gether 913 patrons and 67 legislators/candidates to talk about the importance of libraries in local communities. Check out the map to see how attendance was distributed across the state.

Also read about Value of Friends Chapters, Leadership Opportunities

2012 Summer – FKL Awards – The newly formed Friends of the Oldham County Public Libraries received a grant to help defray the cost of obtaining their 502(c)(3) status. The Carter/Kenton County libraries partnership and the Estill/Madison County libraries partnership received Sister Library Grants. Outstanding Chapter Award went to Kenton County Friends, and Outstanding Friend Award was presented to Joy Stryzek, President of the Friends of the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Public Library (Barren County)
2012 Spring – Learning – Learn about creating a Theme Book Club, how to sell your books for a higher price on the Internet, and what to do with leftover books after a sale. Scott County Friends and the Friends of the William B. Harlan Memorial Library give an overview of their activities, plus a glimpse of our incoming President and President-Elect on the road in Logan County.
2012 Winter – Articles – “How to Have a Book Sale”, “Spelling to Raise Funds for Your Public Library”, “You’ve Got a Friend: Friends and the Kentucky Sister Library Project”. A brief introductory article about the Foundation Center tells you where to find grants that may be available for your library.
2011 Fall – Advocacy – Wayne Onkst, State Librarian & Commissioner, urges members to ‘Take 5 Minutes’ and let your elected representatives know how important your library is to your community. Meet & Greet Schedule, Muhlenberg County Public Library Friends initiate two new projects, Friends of the Iroquois branch of the Louisville Free Public Library operate multiple programs of service, and FKL announces a booth at the Kentucky Book Fair.
2011 Summer – Inaugural Issue – Meet the board of directors – In our inaugural year FKL was challenged to get members from all regions in Kentucky to truly make this a representative Board. A new library and new Friends chapter in McLean County, FKL wins KPLA Advocacy Award, and thanks to Carol Baughman – “the kind of Board member about whom you dream”.

In 2018, some old newsletters of the Friends were found. It was decided to preserve the newsletters by scanning. After reading a few it was decided to make the old newsletters available on the website. Like the Friends, the newsletter was dormant for a period of time. It also went from a generic title to a more formal title. The first newsletter in the fall of 1965 carried the title “Friends of Kentucky Libraries Newsletter”. View the Newsletter Archive Here.