Elaine Kushmaul, Friends vice chair, with the Friends of the Library display in the CATC spotlight window highlighting library accomplishments in 2022-23 (photo by Jane Scholz)
Jane Scholz
Friends of the Library is asking Robson residents to renew their support for our community library in the CATC building this month. The neighborhood group is also open to new members—any Robson resident who will donate $10 per year to keep our library on track.
More than one in four Robson residents use our community library, making it one of our strongest assets. Here’s how so many are involved:
• Volunteers: About 70 residents give at least two hours a week to staff the library. They keep the doors open 60 hours a week over seven days, helping those who come in find what they need and checking out print and audio books, puzzles, and movies.
• Visitors: More than 700 residents a month come to the library.
• Registered Users: More than 1,000 residents now have the ability to check out materials, about 25 percent of our population.
• Friends of the Library: Nearly 300 residents donate $10 per person a year (some give more!) to belong to Friends and support the library. The group started in 2018. Friends memberships and donations have paid for more than $14,000 in books, shelving, and other equipment and support.
• Denton Public Library Events: Representatives from the public library visit the Robson Library several times a year to keep all residents up to date on DPL offerings.
In the past year, the Friends:
• Sponsored an appreciation lunch for the 65-plus volunteers who donate their time to keep the library running seven days a week.
• Offered The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Denton Record-Chronicle free to all residents on the library’s computers.
• Continued our popular and insightful book discussions with both contemporary and classic titles.
• Installed new shelving to make space for more books, puzzles, and videos.
• Added hundreds of new books and puzzles, with special emphasis on large print editions and biographies.
• Planned a new and improved Puzzle Palooza competition this fall.
Our library is not tax supported. Resident memberships of $10 per person per year are our single largest funding source.
It’s easy to join or renew. Just download the membership form at www.robsonlibrary.org/fol and follow instructions to send it by mail or drop it off at the library.