Silver Spring Friends of the Library (FOL) voted to dissolve two months ago and currently is in the process of doing so. It is the latest FOL choosing to shut its books rather than continue under the umbrella organization, Montgomery County Friends of the Library.
Montgomery County FOL voted to decharter all local chapters in March 2022. According to Montgomery County FOL Executive Director Ari Brooks, because her organization didn’t have authority over financial decisions and actions of individual FOL chapters, the board of directors decided it was carrying too much risk.
Instead, it opted to have one overall county FOL. “That decision was a business decision. It doesn’t take away from the volunteers,” she said, adding all former volunteers were invited to participate in the larger group.
Once that decision was made, the county organization ended the charters of individual chapters and then invited each FOL to work with the county and continue raising funds through book sales at their individual library.
The number of individual FOL chapters continuing book sales dropped from 17 to six.
The county FOL hired a volunteer manager who trains volunteers and ensures that all book sales are done the same way. The money raised by an individual chapter can go into a designated gift account for that branch, Brooks said.
But hurt feelings among some FOL chapter volunteers has created an exodus of chapters and volunteers.
Last week, Montgomery County FOL emailed a fundraising letter, noting, “I can’t think of a more important time to show your support. Be a Friend of the Library by giving a gift of $250, $100 or $50 today.”
For some volunteers, that fundraising letter opened original wounds. Representatives from several FOLs said their dechartering came abruptly and without consultation and are not surprised the umbrella organization needs more funding.
“We were abruptly disbanded, all 17 chapters, with no input from the chapters. They chased away long time supporters and volunteers,” said Edie Wingate, who was president of the Potomac FOL at the time. “We were all just furious and outraged.”
The Potomac FOL dissolved in February. “We hated, hated to throw in the towel,” Wingate said. “We were all there, because we cared about the library, but they chased us away. We felt betrayed and blindsided.”
In an email to its members, Chevy Chase FOL stated, “This unilateral unexpected action – taken with no prior consultation with branch chapters.”
Brooks disputed that, stating that the decision was made along with chapter volunteers and branch librarians.
Betsy Matthews, who was cochair of the Marilyn Praisner Library FOL, lamented that her group has since disbanded. “It’s disconcerting. All we were doing for our library is not happening. As a consequence, I am afraid the library is going to suffer.”
She added, “It’s very upsetting to know what we were doing for our library is not happening.”
The Praisner FOL created the children’s Discovery Room, took care of the gardens, had an active music program, got signage for the library and participated in Burtonsville Day, Matthews said.
Silver Spring FOL President Kathlin Smith recently wrote to her members, “In the end, our board concluded that fundraising independently and without the ability to run books sales presented challenges requiring time and resources beyond what our board and volunteers could give.”
Montgomery County Friends of the Library operates a bookstore in the Wheaton library and another in the Randolph Hills shopping center in Rockville. Both stores are staffed by paid employees as well as some volunteers by the county FOL, which is a separate entity from Montgomery County Public Libraries.
“They have a huge overhead now. We did it all for free out of love,” Wingate said, noting that when her organization dissolved, it gave the money it had in its coiffeurs to the Potomac Village Garden Club for it to continue beautifying the library area.
“Little by little, these Friends of the Library just disappeared,” noted Judith McGuire of the Chevy Chase FOL. “It is supposed to be a community institution. The community input is waning.”
For 27 years, the Chevy Chase FOL operated a used book sale, fall festival, weekly yoga classes, Valentine’s Dy card making, musical performances, book clubs and staff appreciation lunches. It contributed furniture for the children’s room and circulation desk, according to McGuire.
These individual FOLs had been in operation since the late 1980s.
Courtesy Montgomery County Public Libraries
Councilmember Kristin Mink, the council’s lead for libraries, explained the county FOL’s decision to dissolve individual chapters was done to centralize decisions.
“There clearly was a need to centralize and streamline some of the financial functions,” Mink said. She hopes to find ways to show longtime FOL volunteers that they are wanted. “We need to engage them and make sure they know they have an important role to play here.”
Mink acknowledged, “Transitions are always going to be rocky, and this was no exception.”
She noted that everyone involved cares about libraries and that common thread should matter. She said she hoped to “work on improving communications and find ways to make sure everyone is involved.”
But as far as requests for contributions or time, Wingate told MCM, “I doubt if any of us would cross the street anymore to help the library.”
