Friends of the Amador County Library (FACL)
History
It’s been nearly 50 years since a group of Amador County residents got together to form the Friends of the Amador County Library. As the group’s early by-laws state, the association’s purpose was “to maintain an association of persons interested in books, and in libraries; to focus public attention on library services, programs, facilities and needs; and to stimulate gifts of book, magazines, desirable collections, endowments and bequests.”
The organization’s history underscores its success in achieving those goals. But the goals have evolved over the years, and today’s FACL finds itself serving primarily a fund-raising function, brought about by the tight fiscal constraints at both the local and state levels. As the budgets have shrunk, the library’s role has continued to expand and its reliance on the support of the Friends has increased.
Today the Amador County Library and its four branches work hand in hand with the Friends to serve library patrons throughout the county. An article in American Libraries magazine (12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country) by Leonard Kniffel, 12-21-10) outlined a dozen ideals that all libraries strive to achieve. Since its inception in 1973, the Friends have played a significant role in helping the Amador County Library achieve those goals.
“Americans love their libraries, and advances in technology have multiplied the ways in which libraries enrich the quality of life in their communities,” according to the American Libraries’ article. “Whether they are in an elementary school or a university, a museum or a corporation, public or private, our nation’s libraries offer a lifetime of learning.
“It will take all of us, in a spirit of pride and freedom, to maintain libraries as a living reality in a free nation through the 21st century.”
