Support the Friends of the JPL
The Friends of JPL depend on annual support from community members who value the library as a resource and benefit. Support is needed in two primary forms: (1) financial donations and (2) volunteer assistance.
Join the Friends
The Friends is an IRS-certified 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to which donations and matching gifts are tax-exempt. You may become an annual member of the Friends and help support current and future programs in one of two ways:
By completing an annual membership online. You can sign up online for a membership and make one time or recurring donations to the Friends using the form on this page.
By submitting a completed annual membership form with a check. Our membership form may be delivered by hand to the library’s circulation desk, or via mail to:
Friends of the Jamestown Library, 26 North Road, Jamestown, RI 02835.
Impact of Your Support
One hundred percent of your donations go toward library programming. In fiscal year 2024-2025, the Friends sponsored over 90 library activities in the following categories:
|
# |
Adult |
Youth |
Movie |
Music |
Total |
|
Events |
26 |
45 |
4 |
16 |
91 |
|
Attendees |
1,450 |
850 |
200 |
300 |
2,800 |
- Specific examples of recent events and programs sponsored by the Friends include:
- Paula Clare and Friends Afternoon of American Jazz Standards and Brazilian Bossa Nova
- Atwater Donnelly Traditional American Folk Music and Dance performance
- Yanni Pandelidis and Friends Greek Music Performance
- Music at the Blissful performance by Evan Haller
- Black Flags, Blue Waters talk by best-selling author Eric Jay Dolan
- Common and Uncommon Backyard Birds of Rhode Island with Geoff Dennis
- Conservation Through Birding Tourism by Charles Clarkson, Audubon Society of RI
- Apples, Art, and Spirit: Growing an Organic Apple by author, artist, and orchardist Linda Hoffman
- Silvermoon Mars LaRose presentation on the Tomaquag Museum
- World premiere of the documentary Beyond Bucha: Finding the Spirit in Ukraine
- Poetry Reading and Dialogue by RI Poet Laureate Colin Channer
- Mushroom Hunting with “Ryan the Mushroom Hunter”
- Atlantic Shark Institute conservation presentation by Jon Dodd
- Spanish Bilingual Story Time sessions throughout the year for preschool youth
- Youth chess classes throughout the year
- Summer Reading Program and Winter Reading Challenge activities for all age groups
- Book clubs, movies, and craft events for all age groups throughout the year
- Vacation and holiday programs for preschool, elementary, and middle school age groups
- Three annual electronic waste collections (free for most items)
- New addition by popular demand: free paper-shredding event
The Friends continue to seek community input on library patrons’ programming interests. A recent survey showed that the most requested topics (cited by at least one-third of respondents) are:
- Music performances
- Movies / film series
- Author readings and talks
- Historical presentations
- Marine biology, oceanography, and fisheries
- Sustainable gardening
- Environmental protection
- Wildlife protection and observation
- Coastal resiliency
- Creative writing and literature
- Nutrition, health, and wellness
- The Friends will use this guidance to schedule and arrange future activities.
Volunteer with the Friends
The Friends can only operate with active support from community volunteers. We appreciate any time that community members can contribute, whether assisting at a single event or in a continuing role, including as a board member. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the Friends at jplfriendsri@gmail.com, or by calling the library at (401) 423-7280 and leaving your name and phone number. A library staff member will ensure that a member of the Friends board contacts you.
About Us
The Friends of JPL evolved from a need determined in 1968 for a community organization to plan and raise funds for a new library. When that mission was accomplished in 1970, the Friends continued to operate for the purpose of broad-based support of the library – a role the group carries on today, under the following mission statement:
The Friends of the Library support quality library services in the community through fundraising, volunteerism, and serving as advocates for the library’s programs.
Over the ensuing 55 years, Friends activities have fallen under a broad range of categories, including sponsoring, organizing, and staffing public programs; underwriting resource needs, supporting library staff; and logistical and financial support to address library-related purposes.