The Friends of the Mississippi Mills Public Library (FoMMPL) had another record year in 2025. By the end of September we had donated a total of $21,500 to the Library, which allowed them to purchase 100 lighter-weight chairs to accommodate the audiences at their array of in-library events, a booking management system that allows patrons to book the library meeting rooms online, and an automatic checkout system that complements the existing in-person checkout. The Friends’ donation also allowed the Fine-Free Status of our library to continue.
The Friends also had a record fundraising year. We made more than ever before at our play reading in the spring ($4,000), and at our early summer online auction ($8,000). This, together with some existing funds, allowed us to support the library. In the fall we had our Annual and Christmas book sales and managed to raise a record amount of around $13,500. We hold this in reserve for our 2026 donations to the library, together with the money our Friendshop generates each year.
In 2026 our plan is to focus on our two major fundraisers, the online auction and the book sales, and see how we can streamline them. The same group of volunteers have worked these events since Covid sprung us free, and we are starting to think about a succession plan for the committees of both events.
Those who work on the silent auction say they enjoy promoting local businesses, encouraging people to shop locally, and helping to build community. The volunteers on the book sale work hard but are happy doing it. Their love of books makes sorting a bit addictive. They have become very adept at finding locations for the books that don’t sell so that good books don’t get thrown into landfill. Those who shopped at the book sale appreciated their efforts tremendously. If you have these types of interests and some time to spare, please contact the Friends at friends@missmillslibrary.com. We will very happily welcome you!