The Friends of the Vineland Public Library organized in 1970 to help build a new library building. Their efforts resulted in the beautiful library on Landis Avenue, which opened its doors in 1976. Nearly forty years later, the Friends are still active and our work is still critical to the community library’s success.

Thanks to your support, last year the Friends’ fund raising projects raised more than $18,000, which we devoted to much needed library resources not covered by state or city funding.

The Friends provided funding for:

• Family Nights – The Friends allow the library to offer professional performances at no cost to the public so that children can be exposed to a variety of artistic and educational programs.

• The Friends fund book prizes and book discussion books for children and teens so that they can start or add to their own home libraries.

• Kids Talk Literary Magazine—The Friends fund the publication of a compilation magazine of original stories, poetry and drawings of local children ages 9-13 in the library’s Young Writers Club.

• Reading Clubs for all ages—The Friends provide a variety of materials for reading craft programs for children ages 12 & younger and for teens.

• Reading Buddies – The Friends fund gift books and supplies for this program which pairs a teen volunteer with a younger child who meet once a week for six weeks to read to each other. There were 20 participants in Reading Buddies last year.

• The Friends provide all craft materials for children’s and family programming. They provide funding for displays to make the area more child-friendly and for bookmarks to hand out at school programs.

• The Friends fund weekly teen activities and provide a welcoming, creative environment for our local teens. The most exciting teen program is the after-hours, yearly Teen Lock-In.

• The Friends funded the monthly Pokémon Club, which is open to 7 to 16-year-olds and draws about 30 children each month.

• They fund adult programs like Author Signing events, Adult Book Clubs, Movie Nights and Business Workshop.

Friends paid for critical “extras” such as:

• Genealogy on-line services
• Downloadable e-Books and Audiobooks
• Non-fiction DVDs
• English as a Second Language material
• Computers for job seekers
• A new color printer/scanner for the public

The Friends fundraising activities include:

• Spring & fall bus trips
• Annual month-long book sale
• “Dine to Donate” nights
• Boscovs’ “Friends helping Friends”
• Amazon Smile
• Yearly membership drive

Vineland has a public library that it can be proud of, thanks in large measure, to the dedication and hard work of the Friends of the Vineland Public Library.

For more information, please call the library’s Administration Department at (856)794-4244 ext. 4734, Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.