Friends of the Library (FOL for short) is an organization of volunteers who believe that children become better readers by practicing reading, just as basketball players become better free-throw shooters by practicing free throws. Our mission is to help GOK students become "Bibliomaniacs" (kids who are crazy about books) by providing all-day staffing for the checkout desk, by sponsoring our Library’s popular Book Clubs, and by arranging light-hearted reading activities and author, illustrator, and storyteller visits throughout the school year. Funds raised by the FOL also help to keep the Library collection current.
Thanks to the Friends of the Library. . .
¨ visits by authors and illustrators give students a rare behind-the-scenes peek at how books are created.
¨ students at all reading levels are encouraged to read for pleasure through events such as “Love a Lonely Book” and the annual Brown Bag Book Exchange.
¨ students at all reading levels are encouraged to read contemporary and classic children’s literature of the highest quality through our Book Clubs.
¨ students and their parents are able to visit the Library and check out books daily.
¨ new books and materials are added to the collection each year, making the Joyce Etulain Library at Georgia O'Keeffe one of the finest children’s libraries in the state.
New members are welcome to join at any time throughout the school year! Simply stop by the Library and pick up a membership form, or talk to Ms. Huggins, our librarian, or to any Library volunteer.
There are four levels of FOL membership with associated benefits:
FAIRYTALE ($5): get a great FOL sticker and check out up to 15 items at a time (non-member limit is 5)
NOVEL LOVERS ($10): check out up to 15 items, get an FOL sticker, and receive a paperback book dedication
CLASSICS ($25): check out up to 15 items, get an FOL sticker, and receive a hardback book dedication
PULITZER ($50 or more): check out up to 15 items, get an FOL sticker, and receive a hardback book dedication AND an engraved Dedication Brick
DONATIONS to the Friends of the Library
will always be received with glad cries of appreciation! Please make your check
payable to "APS Foundation" with "GOK FOL" on the memo
line. Donations to FOL are tax-deductible.
Engraved DEDICATION BRICKS for the Outdoor Reading Area on the east side of the Library may be ordered at any time. Each brick is $50. You may order a brick engraved with your name or the name of a family member, a friend, a favorite teacher, a favorite author, a favorite pet - the possibilities are endless. Just ask in the Library if you are interested in ordering an engraved Dedication Brick.
FOL volunteers are wonderful people who. . .
¨ sign up for shifts in the Library
¨ plan and carry out FOL activities and events
¨ test students for our many Book Clubs
Would you like to help
with an FOL activity or learn more about becoming a Library shift volunteer or
Book Club tester? Talk to Ms. Huggins, our librarian, or any Library volunteer.
A typical Library shift is one-and-a-half to two hours long once a week.
Primary duties of Library shift volunteers include:
¨ Check-in and check-out of materials
¨ Shelving of materials and shelf reading
¨ Answering basic questions concerning location of materials
¨ Locating, checking out, and delivering materials requested by staff members
Additional tasks (if shift time allows) are:
¨ Cleaning computers, shelves, and tables as needed
¨ Reading new books to write questions for the book clubs
¨ Covering books and cleaning books
¨ Assisting with end-of-the-school-year inventory
¨
Additional help as needed during special
activities
As noted above, we believe that children become better readers by practicing reading, so our volunteers organize light-hearted activities and events throughout the school year to promote reading among our students. Here are some examples:
¨
Land
of Enchantment skits
¨
Spooky
Story Nights
¨ Brown Bag Book Exchanges
¨ “Love a Lonely Book”
activities
¨ Dr. Seuss’s Birthday celebrations
¨ Poetry Month reading and writing events
¨
Author,
Illustrator, and Storyteller visits
¨
Lunchtime
Read ‘n’ Feed
¨
and
much more!
The FOL sponsors a wide variety of Book Clubs to meet every student’s reading level and interests. The purpose of our Book Clubs is to encourage reading for pleasure and to introduce students to children’s literature of the highest quality.
The main duty of a Book Club tester is (surprise!) to help test students who are Book Club members. Testing means asking two or three simple questions about the important characters or plot points in a book. Questions for all the books are available on file cards in the Library. Most testers sign up to test for their child’s classroom, and arrangements about testing times are made directly with the classroom teacher.
Questions or comments on this page?
Email them to pattibingham@gmail.com
Updated June 20, 2007