Friends By The Numbers 2024-2025
When we began last year, we focused our efforts on strengthening community engagement. It has been a major goal.
During this past year, we found creative ways to engage and bring our neighbors into the library. For example, community members shared their Edgewater Stories during a program here last fall. Their stories are in the community room for you to take copies of, or read on our website. We also created a library tour program with our members serving as tour guides; soon we’ll invite Edgewater community organizations and residents to visit the library for a guided tour. There is so much more that we accomplished this fiscal year, from June 2024 to now. Here is our FY 2025 by the numbers.
Membership
Our membership currently stands at 153, representing an 11% increase compared to this time last year. Our Friend-raising drive continues until August 31 – however, you may join or renew at any time.
Programs
Last year was filled with new programs and events, and old favorites. We sponsored, co-sponsored, partnered, funded, or hosted, over 21 programs and events.
This includes our longest-running program, The No Book Club, which will be 8 years old in August. Other long-time activities are our Book Sale, and programs for National Library Week and National Friends of the Library Week.
New programs and events included Edgewater Stories, Bag of Books, Board Game & Puzzle Exchange, storyteller Nestor Gomez’s program: Giving Voice to the Immigrant Experience, Raven Theatre’s playwright Joshua Allen and yesterday’s program in partnership with Raven and Rivendell Theatres with the cast of the current play, Gorgeous.
We also served up tasty food-related programs with Colleen Sen, Monica Eng & David Hammond’s Chicago food inventions program, and one with the Hot Dog King, Bruce Kraig.
We reached out further to engage the community with informational and entertaining programs. This fiscal year, we offered a Civic Literacy program w/our own Meghan Leonard and Banned Books with City Lit Theatre.
We also funded children & family programs such as making Origami and this afternoon children will read to Certified Reading Assistance Dogs in a program titled Sit, Stay & Read.
Last summer we participated in an Edgewater Chamber of Commerce event to read to children at their farmers market.
On average, 45 people attended our programs, and with some programs like Banned Books, and the food programs, well over 60 people attended.
During the remainder of 2025, we have a number of programs lined up and in the planning stages. To kick off the new fiscal year, on June 14, we have Native Pop coming up – grab a flyer at the back for more details.
The Mural Dedication and Ribbon Cutting was held on Monday, June 2, with Edgewater Branch Manager Joanna Hazelden, CPL Commissioner Chris Brown and Alderperson Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, along with the many others who worked on the project, in attendance for the ceremony.
New Friends Groups
We continue to lead the way for other library branches within CPL to form their own Friends’ groups, sharing our experiences with them, directing them to resources, and offering advice.
Over the last year – seven libraries contacted us – Belmont-Cragin, Austin, Austin-Irving, Jefferson Park, Chinatown, Budlong-Woods, and Humboldt Park
Financial
Finally, FY 2025 represented a 30% increase over FY 2024. Our new budget outlines our plans to utilize these funds to invest in additional resources for the library and to attract more community members to the library.
We have much to be proud of, and there is still more work to be done. On behalf of the Board, thank you to everyone who contributed to making this past year such a fantastic example of community engagement.
This year—our 35th—we’re anticipating even more activity, and that means more opportunities for individual Friends to participate and share their skills and interests. We’re looking forward to another great year of Friends — with a capital F — and with friends.