Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library (FOBPL)

A Vital Part of the Library

Photo of 2024 ornament — 2024 Annual Ornament. Click to order yours today!

Velocireader the Dino — Velocireader, our new mascot!

Next meeting: Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 5:30pm in the Library
All are Welcome! Find out what we're doing!

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Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping provide the citizens of Bethlehem with a library that will offer an exceptional environment for informational services, literary pleasure and educational support.

This organization was established to address the need of the community concerning its public library: to help provide ongoing support for the library.

The Friends welcome new people willing to offer ideas and lend a hand. Please contact any Friends Board member, or ask the Library staff for ways you can help.

The Friends meet on the first Thursday of the month, 5:30pm at the Library. Meetings are open to the public.

2023-2024 Board:

President - Hilary Veilleux

Vice President – Allegra Wright

Secretary – Estelle LaFleur

Treasurer – Norma St. John

Board Members: Connie Johnson, Sally Fitzgerald, Kay Kerr, Candy Murphy, Sue Presby

Board Member Emeritus: Christina Bogat
Library Director (ex officio board member): Laura Clerkin

A Gift for the Future. The Bethlehem Public Library will serve the people in our community for many years to come. The future cost of operating the library needs to be considered. Library supporters may want to include the Library in their financial and estate plans. If you would like to hear more about giving a tax deductible gift to the Library in the form of a bequest, charitable annuity or charitable remainder trust, please email FOBPLNH@gmail.com.

Our membership list information is never shared with anyone.

Approved Meeting Minutes:

October 3, 2024

November 2, 2023 Annual Meeting

October 6, 2022 Annual Meeting

October 7, 2021 Annual Meeting

March 3, 2022

All dues and donations given to the Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library, Inc. are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income Tax purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Heartfelt Thanks

Dear Bethlehem Community,

Many heartfelt thanks to you all for your hard work and support of the Friends Bake sale on November 5th, 2024. Through your generosity the Friends raised $820.00 for the Bethlehem Public Library. That is a record amount and we could not have achieved it without your willingness to bake goods, volunteer at the table and also purchase the baked goods.

Your support is what makes it possible for the Bethlehem Library to be such a vibrant and positive part of the community.

Thank you very much for all you do. You are very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Hilary Veilleux

Calling all Bakers!

Election Day is Coming Soon!

It is bake sale time again.

The Friends are running a bake sale on November 5th at the Bethlehem Town Hall during the election 8am -7pm.

I am putting out a call for bakers. If you can bake it will be very appreciated.

Please label your baked goods as to whether they are gluten free or have nuts.

Baked goods can be dropped off at the library after 1pm on Monday November 4th or at the Town Hall between 3pm and 5pm November 4th or after 8am November 5th.

We will be serving soup again during this bake sale but I already have volunteers to make the soup.

I really appreciate all the support you give The Friends.

With many thanks,

Hilary

Bethlehem 250th Anniversary Parade

Glad we were a part of it!

Parade photo collage

Solar Eclipse Watch Party a Success!

Link to Caledonian-Record article

You did it again!

Thank you!

Through your support of The Friend's Bake sale, The Friends were able to once again raise over $600 to help fund the programs at The Bethlehem Public Library.

A very special 'shout out' to Lillian McGrath (age 12) for baking her wonderful Almond Meringues to be sold at the Bake sale. They were a very popular item and The Friends appreciate her baking skills.

Thank you on behalf of all The Friends.

Hilary Veilleux

2024 Primary Bake Sale Fundraiser

Thank you everyone!

Dear Bethlehem Community,

Thank you very much for all you did to support The Friend's of the Bethlehem Public Library with their bake sale yesterday, during the voting at the Town Hall. Due to your generosity we raised over $600.00 to support the programs at the Bethlehem Public Library.

Thank you also for purchasing the Friend's Eclipse T-shirts. The money raised from these t-shirts is being used to fund the Eclipse Party that the library is holding on April 8th during the Great American Eclipse. Laura and her staff are working hard to create an educational program for everyone who attends. The library has glasses available, telescopes, and filters for the telescopes. The Friend's have donated a light weight telescope, with filters, to be used by the library during the Eclipse. A drawing will be held at the end of the event to give the telescope away as a door prize. You must be present to win.

None of this would be possible without the support and generosity of the Bethlehem Community.

With many thanks from all The friend's for all you do to support the library,

Hilary Veilleux

The Garden is ready!

A big thank you to Ross Veilleux, Connie Johnson Norma St.John, Allegra Wright. Sally Fitzgerald and Hilary Veilleux for the hours they spent spring cleaning the StoryWalk and Pollinator Garden at the Bethlehem Public Library.

The Pollinator Garden is now ready for the next planting of plants. Stop by to enjoy the StoryWalk and garden.

Storywalk podium with plaque — Podium Dedication Installed

Garden Clean-Up Day!

Wednesday, May 24th 9am

The Friends have scheduled a Clean-Up Day for the Pollinator Garden and, if there are enough volunteers, the StoryWalk. Would you have some time on Wednesday, May 24^th in the morning to help? Folks will gather at the library at 9:00AM to start clearing out winter debris. All are invited to help!

As John Heywood wrote, “Many hands make light work.”

Another Successful Fundraiser!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the amazing effort from everyone with cooking and baking, volunteering to man the table and also purchasing soup, chili and baked goods. Due to your time, effort and generosity the Friends raised over $600.00 to help fund the upcoming summer reading program at the library.

You are all greatly appreciated,

Hilary Veilleux

Such fun at the Christmas Party!

Big kudos to Allegra, Sally, Norma, Connie, Ross, Marsha, Pati, Gini, Christina and the Library Staff for all their efforts in making the Christmas Party at the Bethlehem Public Library such a success during "Christmas In Bethlehem".

We had over 100 children come through the library to make crafts, decorate and eat homemade cookies and listen to stories read by Mrs Claus.

It was a fun event that was enjoyed by all who attended.

Thank you for your hard work.

Sincerely,

Hilary Veilleux

Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library

Bake Sale a Success, thanks to you!

A Year of Support!

What we've accomplished in the last year!

With the annual meeting approching October 6th, we reflect on all the Friends have accomplished in the past year. Your generosity and our fundraising provides us with the means to support the library by providing services and materials not covered by the library budget.

This year we have been able to:

Fund the 2021 Christmas Party for the children of Bethlehem
Provide the prizes for the Gingerbread House contest
Hold a competition for the dinosaur’s name – his name is Velocireader -- and award a prize!
Create bookmarks with the dinosaur logo to help with communication
Start a Pollinator/Wildflower garden behind the library with input and assistance from the local community
Purchase a new office desk and computer set up for the library staff
Provide the prizes for a Peeps diorama contest
Fund the Blue Ocean Society bringing Ladder the life-size inflatable whale to the kick-off for the Summer Reading program
Purchase shirts and book bags for the "1000 Books Before Kindergarten" program
Supply the ice cream and M&Ms for the Summer Reading Finale

For the remainder of 2022 we have planned:

The digging and planting of stage two of the Pollinator/Wildflower Garden
A bake sale at the Town Hall during voting on November 8, 2022
A Christmas party for the children on December 3rd 2022 during Christmas in Bethlehem

Dino has a name!

Through our Facebook page, we asked for suggestions for a name for our mascot. We had several responses, and we are happy to announce his name is....Velocireader!

The lucky person who made the suggestion, Wendy Whiton, won a gift certificate to Legacy Book Store in Bethlehem. Congratulations!

Pollinator Garden

for Education and Enjoyment

The Friends would like to thank the following people for helping with the garden:

Audrey Crowe, Audrey Crowe Landscapes, for input and advice on garden planting
Tim Wennrich, Meadowstone Farm, for donating and delivering compost and mulch
Holly Hayward, Sugar Hill Botanicals, for donating all the plants
Doug Harman, Library Trustee Chairman, for helping with the watering
Hilary and Ross Veilleux, Sally Fitzgerald, Connie Johnson, and Norma St. John for all their hard work

Garden installations photos