Friends of the Phoenix Public Library is a nonprofit organization doing business in Phoenix, Arizona. I posed ten questions to a representative of Friends of the Phoenix Public Library in an effort to familiarize Phoenix area residents with the organization. Here are the responses I received.

What is the name of the organization?

Friends of the Phoenix Public Library

How long has the organization been operating in the Phoenix area?

Since 1977.

Does the organization serve a particular geographic area?

Organization serves all the branch libraries of the Phoenix Public Library System.

Who is most likely to benefit from services provided by the organization?

Phoenix Public Library patrons.

Are there requirements or prerequisites for people to access your services?

Library services are open to all, free of charge.

Three things about Friends of the Phoenix Public Library that people might not know.

1. We have volunteer-run Friends chapters at each branch.

1. We operate a 17,000 sq. foot warehouse full of donated books & media that are then sold to generate revenue for library programs and services.
2. We operate the Friends’ Place Bookstore, a unique gift and used book store located within Burton Barr Central Library (on the 1st floor) AND we are happy to report that it is 90% volunteer-staffed!

What is the local phone number?

602.534.5208

What is the URL of the local web site?

www.plfriends.org

Any other comments?

Our mission is to promote, enhance, and expand the presence of the library for the benefit of the community. This purpose is accomplished by bringing together concerned citizens, the business community, and organizations to develop fiscal resources, literacy programs, and to create public awareness for the library system.
If you have used any Phoenix Public Library service such as summer or winter reading programs, ESL courses, or visited the Teen Center, you have been impacted by our organization. We are a membership-based group that supports the library system in two ways: (1) encouraging members to advocate on the library’s behalf, and (2) raising supplemental funding for programs and services that might not otherwise come to fruition (example: summer reading programs, the construction of children’s centers within branches).

Most library systems have an organization similar in purpose to the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library. Check your own city's library system (Tempe, Glendale, etc.) for their Friends-like organization.

- - - - - - - - - - -