Dear Friend,

I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a while since we last connected, so I am happy to update you on what’s been happening with the Friends of the Needham Public Library.

In April, we helped welcome Robert MacLean as Needham’s new library director. We are particularly thrilled about Rob’s journey—he began his career in libraries as a Friend of his own local library, sorting donated books! He’s done much more since then. He was a member and chair of the Board of Library Trustees in Weymouth for a dozen years and then served as Director of that library for fourteen more years. When his appointment in Needham was announced, he said, “Libraries are more than just buildings filled with books; they are vibrant hubs of knowledge, connection, and discovery.” The Friends couldn’t agree more! We look forward to working with Rob as he undertakes to continue and deepen the spirit of our library as a place, in his words, “where patrons feel welcome, where curiosity is celebrated, and where lifelong learning thrives.”

If you’ve had a chance to visit our fabulous library lately, you’ve probably seen evidence of the Friends’ efforts towards that goal. You may have seen children captivated by a puppet show or musician or adults learning about the birds of Massachusetts. Perhaps you noticed a family heading to the Museum of Science with free passes the library provides, or maybe you stood behind someone checking out the microscope from the Library of Things as you were borrowing a bestselling novel or biography. Vibrant programs for children and adults, museum passes and collection enhancements—these are just some of the ways that the Friends make our wonderful library even better.

Through your vital membership dues and donations, you directly support our important work of enriching the library’s varied collections, services, equipment, and programs, ensuring that it remains a dynamic center of inquiry, learning, and community. Please help us continue supporting our library by renewing your membership with the Friends of the Needham Public Library or becoming a new member. To check your membership status, simply look at the address label on this letter. If it does not say “Oct-25,” it is time to renew. You can easily sign up or renew on our Membership page at friendsneedhamlibrary.org or use the enclosed return envelope. If your membership is current, any additional donations you can make would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, we’re excited that our Sunday afternoon programs for 2024-2025 are already underway! We’ve enclosed a complete calendar of other events (including our popular book sales), and we hope you will join us at the library we love.

Warm regards,
Bruce S. Barnett
President