Friends of the Lebanon Library was established on March 4, 1953, by members of local civic and fraternal groups to stimulate interest in the facilities available at the Lebanon City Library after it moved to the Lebanon Central Hospital building on Second Street. Friends of the Lebanon Public Library became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1990.
The former Lebanon Public Library at 626 Second Street. This historic building was constructed in 1936 for the Lebanon Central Hospital. The library was housed there from 1952 until the new library was built in 2009. Currently it's the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Greater Santiam teen center.
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Friends held one book sale a year on the lawn of the library. At that time members also volunteered at the library, providing much-needed services including gardening, cleaning, and painting the interior. One member even made curtains for the library!
A librarian reading to children during Storytime at the library.
Friends of the Library purchase carpet for the children's area in the library. Lebanon Express, June 13, 1978
Unidentified patrons shopping at the Friends of the Library book sale outside the library. Lebanon Express, July 22, 1982
In the 1990s, the Friends had a bookstore in the old Century Park building at Sixth and Rose that was open one Saturday a month. We held annual three-day book sales with special sales at the library during Valentine's Day. In May 2005, the Friends moved the bookstore to the old middle school library inside the Lebanon Senior Center. This allowed the bookstore to be open during the Senior Center's regular hours and gave us a venue where we could host monthly book sales. Proceeds from weekday sales are split between the Friends and the Senior Center.
Friends of the Library Book Sale at Sixth and Rose Street, 1997
Carolyn Misa shelving books at the Friends of the Library Bookstore inside the Senior Center
Lebanon Express, July 6, 2005
After the closure of the Senior Center from March 2020 through June 2021, the Friends diversified our fundraising beyond the bookstore and monthly book sales to include vendor events, a silent auction, bookish gift items, and more. We also updated our payment methods and expanded our marketing campaigns and online presence. Now the Friends are making more of a difference than ever to the Library and our community.
Friends of the Library Book Sale, 2019
Friends of the Library at Saturday Market, 2021
The Friends of the Lebanon Public Library are brought together by our love of books, literacy, and our Library.
Vandy Roadifer, president
Kristine Hunt, vice president
Marlene Flyer, secretary
Dale Hall, treasurer
Membership is free and open to people ages 14 and up. Members volunteer in the bookstore, at book sales, at vendor events, and more. Other volunteer opportunities include event planning, executive service, social media/web administration, online book sales, and carving books.
Members are not required to volunteer, but participation is encouraged. Member-volunteer rewards include early access to book sales.
As the Library expands its cultural, educational, informational, and recreational programs and services to meet the needs of our growing community, the support of the Friends has become even more important. Join us today!