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Are you thinking of starting a Friends group, reorganizing or revitalizing the one you have, or a seasoned group looking for some fresh ideas? Look no further! United for Libraries offers a wealth of ideas and resources for Friends groups of all types, sizes, and level of activity. Explore the links in the menu to the left under "Friends Groups" and throughout the rest of the United for Libraries website.

Power Guide for Successful Library Advocacy

United for Libraries, along with the Neal-Schuman Foundation, believe strongly that advocacy can and does work. We’ve seen evidence of it from coast to coast in all types of libraries at the local and the state levels. Developing an advocacy campaign, as you will soon see, is not rocket science but it does take dedication, hard work, a core group of people who are passionate about the cause and the support of many, many people in your community. This will take the mystery out of advocacy, provide you with an organized step-by-step approach, and allow you to develop a set of strategies that will motivate your community to pressure funders to support the library or in the case of a referendum or a bond issue – to vote “yes.”

Free Toolkits

(PDF, 100 kb) by Sally Gardner Reed, former Executive Director, United for Libraries, is a free toolkit geared mostly toward public library Friends groups, but with good tips on membership and outreach for Friends groups of any type.

Academic Library Friends: A Toolkit for Getting Started – You Can Do This! (PDF, 165 kb) by Charles D. Hanson, Director of Kettering Library Services, Kettering University, is a free toolkit from United for Libraries geared toward starting a Friends group at a community college or university.

Friends Groups: Critical Support for School Libraries (PDF, 66 kb), by Sally Gardner Reed, former Executive Director, United for Libraries, is a free toolkit geared toward school librarians looking to create a Friends group of parents, faculty, and community members and/or a Student Friends Group.

Public Service Annoucements for Friends Group Featuring Paula Poundstone

"There I was in another unbalanced relationship," begins Emmy Award-winning comedian Paula Poundstone in a new public service announcement, which can be see below and online at along with a 15 second version. Permission is granted for Friends of the Library groups to imbed these videos on their websites to promote the Friends to their local communities.