The Friends of the Library - the need for volunteers and an exciting fundraiser coming up!

Show Notes

Today, we’re talking about an important corner of our local community: the library, and the Friends of the Dallas Public Library and all of those who help make our library special. Our guest today is Matt Goolsby, president of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library.

https://www.dallasorfol.org
Email: [e-mail]

What is Dallas, Oregon Podcast?

Your source for city updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and conversations with the people shaping our community.

SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the
Dallas, Oregon Podcast, your

quick and informative source for
what's happening in and around

Dallas.

I'm Charlie Mitchell, the
Economic and Community

Development Director for the
City of Dallas, and each episode

we bring together city staff,
local leaders, and community

members to discuss the projects,
people, and possibilities

shaping Dallas.

Today we're talking about an
important corner of our local

community, the public library,
and specifically the Friends of

the Dallas Public Library and
all of those who help make our

library special.

Our guest today is Matt Goolsby,
president of the Friends of the

Dallas Public Library.

Matt, thank you so much for
joining us today.

SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much,
Charlie.

And very much a pleasure to be
here.

SPEAKER_01: So, Matt, tell us a
little bit more about the

Friends of the Dallas Library
and what is the organization's

mission and how did it get
started?

SPEAKER_00: Well, the purpose of
the Friends of the Library

basically is to, as a nonprofit
group of various people,

including volunteers, who
provide multiple different

things for the library,
including um acting as

ambassadors to the community.

We try to do that in some kind
of robust, helpful way for the

Dallas Public Library.

We also are um part of the
Dallas community.

So we try to promote the events
that and programs that the

public library presents, which
are numerous.

It's very, very active and a lot
going on.

Um we also sponsor and and
stimulate volunteer service for

the Dallas Public Library.

We have active volunteers who
every week get involved doing

things there.

Um we also sponsor special
programs too and events, um kind

of like the NerdCon they just
had recently.

And we um we also stimulate
financial support and public

giving uh donations too that can
go and fund various programs.

SPEAKER_01: Very good.

Now let's talk a little bit more
about the library itself.

It's such a busy part of our
community with reading programs

and story times, family
activities, and pretty much

something for everyone.

Can you walk us through some of
the programs and experiences the

community can enjoy at the
library and how the friends of

the library help support those
activities?

SPEAKER_00: Sure, I'd be glad
to.

We have um numerous things going
on.

I don't, again, I was kind of
alluding to the NerdCon event

that happened this past week.

Um, there were more than a
thousand people, I think, that

attended that in three different
buildings.

I just talked to uh Mark
Johnson, a library director, who

said it went really well.

It's just that we need to make
sure that we have a little bit

better logistics next time it
gets complicated.

Um, and along with that, we uh
we supported buying books for

the the event too, which were
part of the One Coast One Book

Project.

And so we bought a hundred of
those books.

A hundred of those were given
away too.

Um we also sponsor events, for
example, we've done things at

the Dallas Theater here in town.

Um we had a silent movie here a
few years ago that we attended,

and we had a cello player with
that.

Um, there are numerous book
authors who come and do readings

on their books or discussions
about their books, and uh just a

whole plethora of different
activities.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that really
highlights just how important

the friends are to this
community.

And as a nonprofit, I imagine
you rely on community support,

including donations, volunteers,
partnerships, and events.

What are some of the main ways
the friends at the library raise

funds or gathers support?

SPEAKER_00: I am so glad you
asked that question.

That's a great question.

And one we love to hear.

Well, there are people who can
walk in and donate at the

library, which occasionally
happens.

We also have book sales in the
library itself.

So donated books wind up back
being recycled or re-rehomed, I

guess you could say, back to the
community.

They can buy them that way.

But our main two events are book
sales that happen twice a year.

So we do one in April and one in
October, and those are our big

events.

Um, and this year we're also
having a Moonfall Theater event.

I'm not sure if your audience
knows where that is, but feel

free to tell us more about it.

Talk about that one.

So Moonfall Theater is actually
located on an Oris Corner Road

as you're going out of town.

And uh we sponsor a night every
every year.

So they're they're moving it
from September to May this year.

So we'll be taking May 29th as
our night.

So if people buy tickets, we get
a portion of the proceeds.

So it's really helpful.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's a great
fundraiser.

Um, you mentioned uh next book
sale April.

That's right around the corner.

SPEAKER_00: Yes, right
downstairs here, too.

In fact, we start our books sale
on April 16th, which is our

members' pre-sale, and then
April 17th is our main book

sale, and then the 18th would be
the final book sale.

We have also have a you can buy
a bag of books for$5 at the very

last hour of the book sale.

SPEAKER_01: So you mentioned
members, that would apply you

have members.

So tell us more about
membership.

SPEAKER_00: We do.

We have membership.

We have um different levels of
membership.

We're still kind of debating a
little bit about that, but we

have a$15 entry one, a$25 family
one, and then a$75 one, which is

kind of a little bit more for
those who want to be giving a

little bit more.

Um, and membership can occur at
any time.

It can be done on you can print
off something from the Dallas,

City of Dallas website, or you
can actually find find us online

too, because we also have a
website.

SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk
more about that.

If if there's someone out there
listening or watching today that

thinks I'd love to help this
cause, what's the best way for

them to reach out to donate or
to get involved?

SPEAKER_00: Well, for donations,
we uh the library will take

donations from anybody, pretty
much at any time.

The only thing that we ask is
they that they stop about a week

before the book sale and about
two weeks after the book sale

because we have a lot to deal
with, and that's twice a year.

Um if somebody wants to get a
little bit more information,

though, they can also go on the
City of Dallas website, has the

library listed there.

And there's a friends of the
library tab there too.

You can find out more there.

Or you can go to our website,
which is dalasorfol.org.

And that's fairly new.

And we just put that out,
deployed that about a few months

ago.

We also have a uh an email
address too, which I'd be glad

to give if you'd like.

SPEAKER_01: Um so, Matt, is
there anything else that we

haven't talked about today that
you'd like to cover?

SPEAKER_00: Well, one of the
things that we're always in need

of is volunteers, especially
during the book sale time

period.

So before the book sale and
after the book sale are really,

really heavy times, and we've
had great activity throughout

the community.

But we especially need
volunteers.

So if you can get in touch with
us through one of those multiple

means, that would be very, very
helpful.

SPEAKER_01: Very good.

Um, well, Matt, thank you so
much for joining us today and

sharing everything that the
Friends of the Dallas Public

Library is doing to support our
community and the library as a

whole.

Now, before we go, we'd like to
close out our podcast by asking

all of our guests this one last
question, and that is what is

your favorite thing about
Dallas?

SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, my
wife asked me this question too,

so I I have to say it's
interesting.

So one of the favorite, my
favorite things about Dallas,

we've been in this community for
quite a quite a few years, 30

something years now.

But we have a very active church
in the community, which is

Dallas Four Squares.

So it's a little bit of a
shameless plug, but we're very

community-minded.

Love to be involved with
activities and people around

this community.

So that's what I really enjoy.

SPEAKER_01: Very good.

Thank you.

And to everyone listening, if
you haven't visited the Dallas

Public Library, this is your
sign to stop in, get yourself a

library card, and maybe
participate in the many

activities.

Community resources stay strong
because of organizations just

like the Friends.

Thanks again to Matt for joining
us today, and thank you to

everyone for tuning in.

Be sure to follow us on YouTube,
Spotify, and Apple Podcasts for

the Dallas, Oregon Podcast.

I'm Charlie Mitchell, and we'll
see you next time.