Each group will receive $250 from United for Libraries in honor of their celebrations during the 20th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, held Oct. 19-25, 2025.
Friends of the Moorhead (Minn.) Public Library
For National Friends of Libraries Week 2025, Friends of the Moorhead (Minn.) Public Library partnered with a local bakery, Sifted & Sweet, to sell library-themed cookies. The Friends also had a proclamation signed by Mayor Shelly Carlson that October 19-25, 2025, was Friends Week in Moorhead, received coverage with a front-page story about the Friends in the local weekly newspaper, and had a local business, Swing Barrel Brewing Co., offer customers the opportunity to round-up to support the Friends.
Early in the week, the group set up a display table inside the entrance to the library with information about the Friends. This included pictures of items purchased for the library over the past few years, the mayoral proclamation, an award they recently won from the Minnesota state organization, and information about how to connect with or join the Friends, including the QR code for their Virtual Used Book Sale.
Friends of the Perry, Iowa Public Library
During National Friends of Libraries Week, the Friends of the Perry Public Library launch their annual ask. One of their biggest fundraising pushes of the year, it’s also a time to bring awareness to the work the Friends do and the programs they fund. In 2025, the Friends, with assistance from the Library Director, put a letter in the city’s water bills asking for donations, sent emails to patron and included a donation link in the library’s weekly e-newsletter.
The group launched week-long Facebook promotions to increase engagement and appreciation for the library by using open-ended questions such as, “What’s the best library event you have attended?” and “Tag a friend you love discussing books with.” Onsite at the library, they offered daily treats for patrons, signage that encouraged donations, a Toy Story-themed scavenger hunt and a Friends-themed photo booth. Using the famous song from Toy Story, the Friends put their own spin on the lyrics to promote the message, “You’ve Got a Friend in the Perry Library.” They also sold library-themed t-shirts in partnership with a locally-owned business, for patrons to wear during the week in celebration.
As a result of their efforts, the Perry Friends of the Library received 45 individual donations, totaling $3,964. The t-shirts brought in $168. The social media campaign reached 2,400 people. The funds raised will support the library’s summer and winter reading programs, children’s story times and early literacy events, community events such as KidsFest, and more.
