friends - what we've done

Over the years, the Friends have given the library many resources that fell outside of the annual budget. These items and resources add tremendous value for the library user, both the young and young at heart.

Many things you see (or will see):

• $70,000 media upgrade of the Zimmerman Room
• The Barrington Area Library Book Van
• Children's interactive play panels and cubes
• Lego Table for Youth Services
• Laptops for the South Branch
• Video Information Screens to promote library programs
• Funds for the Barrington Courier Digitization Project
• 2 Bilingual Early Literacy Stations
• Television Shows on DVD
• Playaways for the South Branch
• New DVDs replacing VHS for Youth Services
• DVDs for Adult Services
• Expanding Playaway collection for the main library
• Literature Racks for pamphlets and books
• Video Games
• Summer Reading Club Book Prizes (2 years)
• Four Flip Cameras for Youth Services
• High Resolution Scanner for Adult Services
• Books and Tote Bags for Book Discussions

and much, much more.

And some you may not see:

• Color printer/copier/scanner for Public Information department
• Snow tractor with brushes, plow and snowblower
• Eight book carts for Youth Services
• Fifteen chairs for the staff break room
• Microwave for the staff break room
• Large-scale color printer for posters
• Apple computer and software for Graphic Arts
• RTI Blu-Ray Disc Cleaner Software

and much, much more.

As a registered charity, the Friends sometimes apply to other foundations for grants. Recently, the Barrington Area Community Foundation funded a Friends request to add the ability for long term physical storage for digital copies of historical community documents and oral histories. The Friends are working with the library to publicize this new capability to the community.

In previous years, the Barrington Area Community Foundation and Friends of the Library funded one of the library's plasma screens for posting community announcements.