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By Amelia Tarallo
Hometown Weekly Staff
Librarian Angie Howes and Tom Costello try out one of the many games placed on party tables. These games are all available to be borrowed from the Dover Library.
Libraries often provide children with their first meaningful educational experiences. Whether handing them their first books to read on their own, hosting peer forums to interact with those books, or supplying crafts to stimulate their young minds, the library plays an outsized role in developing the community’s precious youth resources.
At the Dover Library, these programs are funded largely in part by the Friends of the Library. It's no wonder, then, that so many people showed their support during the Friends of the Library fundraiser, Cheers to Books. On Thursday, April 11, the Dover Legion was the setting for a lively party thrown to raise money for the group behind much of the library’s excellent programming.
“I love seeing the diverse group that we have here supporting the library,” said Kim Hall, chairwoman of the event. “This event brings out everyone who loves the library.
"The town covers the basic operating of the library, and this goes above and beyond," she added.
The event took three to four months to plan, with this year’s iteration adding a new portion to the fundraiser. This year, The Friends of the Library wanted to highlight what the group does for the Dover Library. “We really wanted to showcase the different things we offer,” said Hall.
In addition to fun programs, the Friends supply the Dover Library with different products to share with library patrons. These different items, many useful for everyday activities and for unique crafts, can be borrowed and returned to the library at any time. As part of the fundraiser, these items were displayed on tables around the room. A sewing machine, a tent, a loom, and a collection of beach tools were among them.
The event also had a large number of baskets to be raffled off. Included in some of the raffles were tickets to the New England Aquarium, a pear tree and season pass to a local farm, a temporary membership to the Kingsbury Club, and tickets to a Revolution soccer game.
Angie Howes, a librarian at the Dover Library, came to the event to support the Friends, who have helped fund some of the programs she has organized. “I’m here to support the Friends because they do such a good job supporting us,” she said.
As for the event, Howes was most excited for “the live music and getting to meet some people in the community.”
Many Dover residents came out to support the Friends of the Library fundraiser.
The Friends of the Library’s fundraiser was a smash hit. Many attendees spent time using the virtual reality system, while others enjoyed dancing along to the live music. Some even ventured outside to play cornhole.
The fun was an added bonus for people attending, who just wanted to show their local library that it was a valued part of the community.
