Click on the image below for a calendar of events:

The Board of the Friends of the Hamilton Branch Library met on Monday, December 8, at Harbel Community Organization, President Derek Simmonsen presiding. New board members were introduced: Mairin Barney, Keisha Campbell, Vanessa Kelly, Brian Tetreault, and Cynthia Williams; outgoing board member and recording secretary Deborah Mason was thanked for her many contributions over the last seven years. The by-laws were amended to expand the board from a maximum of ten members to twelve. Renee Marks, Hamilton Branch manager, reported that the branch is expected to re-open in January, the date to be determined. The branch will be fully staffed, including a new children's librarian and new teen librarian.   
Written reports were presented to those in attendance:
​
Annual Narrative Report to the General Membership
8 December 2025 
The Friends have experienced significant growth this year in many ways. We collected 69%
more membership dues this year, and we closed out the fiscal year with a $2,221 balance in the
bank. This is the largest balance we’ve ever had, in good part because the closing meant our
spending was significantly lower. However, this puts us in an excellent position to support the
library when it re-opens. We also appointed a new board member, Ellen Adajian, and as a
result of a successful call for nominations, we look forward to having a full slate of board
members next year.
By far, the most significant library event of the year was the branch closure to make long-
needed HVAC updates. Unfortunately, the closure meant that we had to postpone the book
sale to a date to be determined and that opportunities to support library programs were
curtailed. However, despite this interruption, the Friends of the Hamilton Branch have been
active all year, including taking advantage of the closure to advocate successfully for a new
carpet for the library!
We promoted the library and the Friends at a variety of events, including three Thursday
markets during the summer. Additionally, volunteers distributed candy and ran a coloring
station for kids attending the Lauraville Fair in our brand-new event tent, while volunteers gave
out free books at back-to-school events held at Hamilton 236 and Garrison Heights
Elementary/Middle School. The Friends also staffed a table at Operation Warm Coat last December.
We also conducted our first targeted campaign, Youth in the Library, to support afterschool
student activities at the branch. Members contributed $764, which was used to buy snacks and
supplies for our young patrons. There is a balance of $381 remaining because of the closure.
The Friends also collaborated with Central Staff to sponsor two Writers’ Live events with local
authors Sarah Pinkser on January 26 and Susan Muaddi-Darraj on May 17, helping with
promotions and providing refreshments. During Hamilton HARTfest, we sponsored the library
meeting room as a venue and hosted a musical performance and two readings on May 3.
Finally, we continued our Banned Books Week Readaloud collaboration with Snug Books on
October 11. Board members and library staff took turns reading banned children’s books to our
youngest patrons, and the Friends raffled Snug Gift cards to encourage early membership
renewal.
In addition to these events and activities, the Board concentrated on updating its systems to
provide fast, effective, and efficient membership services and information. For example, the
Board implemented AirTable, a free relational database software, to create our own customer relations management system, helping us keep track of contributions and membership data over time.
We also have a new volunteer newsletter editor, and we switched from an outdated
publication platform to Mailchimp. As a result, the newsletter is more attractive, and, thanks to
an interface between Mailchimp and AirTable, our mailing list is automatically updated when
new members join.
Additionally, the Board developed a branding package, including a new color scheme, that gives
our communications a more attractive and coherent look. All members received new, branded
postcards during the summer when the library was closed to thank them for their continued
support.
In conclusion, the Board is confident that the Friends are ready to meet the challenges of the
new year, thanks to the support of its members and the staff.
Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Mason
Recording Secretary

The Annual Financial Report can be found here.

As a member of the Nominating Committee of the Friends of the Hamilton Branch Library Board, Sara Roberson is soliciting nominations for the upcoming biannual Board election to be held in late November. The committee encourages interest from current Friends members who are willing to work on projects that benefit the Hamilton Branch and the patrons it serves. We seek a board with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, and we encourage nominations from members of historically underrepresented groups.
Here are the details:

• The Board consists of at least 3 members, and no more than 10; it currently has seven members.
• Board members serve 2-year terms, starting this year on the date of the Annual Meeting—Monday, December 8.
• Board members generally contribute 2-5 hours per month and most Board work is conducted via email and monthly Zoom meetings. Project areas include: outreach, publicity, fundraising, gardening, program development, and the annual book sale.
• Once a new Board is elected, the Board members will choose officers by majority vote.
• Board members work with and are supported by a community of volunteers, including current and previous board members.
• A copy of the bylaws is posted here

Please email Sara at sroberson325 at gmail.com by Thursday, November 13, if you have an interest in serving on the Board and are willing to be nominated. If you have additional questions about what is involved in serving on the Board, Sara can put you in touch with current board members who will be happy to share their experiences.
The election will be held electronically and made available to current Friends members on or about November 18. The results will be announced on Monday, December 8, at the Annual Meeting. 

Click on the image below for the full calendar for May 2025. From start to finish, it's a busy time.

Click on the image below to see the Spring menu! 

​The Board held its annual meeting at Papi’s Tacos on Thursday, December 12, 2024.  The twelve participants included current board members, Friends volunteers, and family members.  Derek Simmonsen, President, convened the meeting and facilitated introductions. Malissa Ruffner, Treasurer, presented the financial report from the fiscal year that concluded on October 31, as well as a narrative report submitted by Deborah Mason, Recording Secretary (both posted below).
​Informal conversation covered highlights of the year: growth and capacity building, increased financial stability and gifts to the library, both made possible by recent expansion of the Board and volunteer team.  In answer to questions from new volunteers, Derek and Malissa discussed the operation of Friends groups generally, and the Hamilton affiliate, in particular.  We all enjoyed the opportunity to eat well in the neighborhood, socialize informally, and brainstorm about the coming year.   

Click on the image below for the full schedule of events! ​