Left to right: QPL Director of Civic Engagement Scott McLeod, QPL Assistant Director of Civic Engagement Jerrie Grantham, FORL President Michaeline Von Drathen, FORL Member Leslie Tu, FORL Vice President Carol Benovic-Bradley, FORL Secretary Marsha Fromowitz, and QPL Chief Librarian Nick Buron at the award ceremony.
Ridgewood Library Friends Group Recognized for Decades of Service
Ridgewood, NY_ New York State’s oldest library association has recognized the Friends of Ridgewood Library (FORL), a chapter of the Friends of Queens Public Library volunteer network, for their longtime contributions and community support.
The group received the Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award from the Friends of Libraries Section (FLS) of the New York Library Association (NYLA). Presented annually since 1993, the Casey Award honors outstanding volunteer efforts by individuals or groups that have contributed to the growth and improvement of their community library.
Formed February 28, 1998, the FORL, a dedicated group of library enthusiasts and community volunteers, has become a well-known presence in the Ridgewood neighborhood. “They have evolved into a strong group supporting their neighborhood branch and become an inspirational advocate of Queens Public Library,” said QPL Assistant Director of Civic Engagement Jerrie Grantham, who nominated the chapter for the award.
The FORL seeks to foster an inclusive and welcoming culture within the branch through an array of campaigns and activities, including fundraising. In recent years, the FORL has raised more than $40,000 to enhance Ridgewood Library’s collection with books and materials that promote understanding of diverse cultures. They also sponsor programs for all age groups, including creative arts and music appreciation activities, and have introduced computer classes in various languages. In addition, for more than a decade, the FORL has hosted the annual “Fun Day” celebration, attracting hundreds of community members to the branch.
“Over the past 30 years the Friends of Ridgewood Library have done an outstanding job of building community, working closely with our staff to deliver services, programs and resources that respond to the needs of people living in the neighborhood and beyond,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis M. Walcott. “We are thrilled they have received this well-deserved honor, and we are deeply grateful to the Ridgewood staff and our wider Friends network for ensuring their success.”
“The Casey Award honors the outstanding volunteer efforts of groups who have contributed to the growth and improvement of their community library,” said Lisa C. Wemett, Coordinator of the FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award. “The Executive Board of the Friends of Libraries Section is proud to recognize the Friends of Ridgewood for their longevity, their financial support, and their exceptional volunteer service with this prestigious statewide award.”
“The FORL are deeply honored to receive this public recognition and prestigious award from the Friends of Libraries Section of the New York Library Association,” said the Friends of Ridgewood Library President Michaeline Von Drathen. “We are thankful to Queens Public Library for nominating us, and for its continued support and encouragement of the Friends of Ridgewood Library. We could not do what we do without the support of QPL and the amazing librarians and staff at Ridgewood Library. We are forever thankful.”
“Working with the Friends of Ridgewood Library over the past six years solidified for me the tremendous value that a strong, civically engaged Friends group can bring not only to the library but to the wider community,” said Maryanne Olson, former manager of Ridgewood Library, who worked closely with the group. “Their support for our librarians’ programming and the partnerships they fostered through events like Community Day and Maker's Market helped broaden our reach in the Ridgewood community. Their creative approach to fundraising put both the library and a love of books and learning front and center. I sing the praises of the Friends of Ridgewood Library to librarians and other industry professionals I meet at annual conferences and will continue to do so for years to come. They exemplify what a 21st-century Friends group should look like and I'm so happy that they received this well-deserved award.”
The award was presented to the group’s representatives on Thursday, Oct. 23 during the Ridgewood Friends Communi-Tea Reading Social, a popular event where community members gather to share book recommendations and celebrate their love of reading.
The Friends of Libraries Section, a division of the New York Library Association, creates a statewide network to connect and inspire Friends groups to support the New York library community through professional development opportunities, advocacy, and recognition of outstanding library civic leaders. The FSL has provided volunteer service to the library community for more than three decades.
Learn more about the FLS Daniel W. Casey Library Advocacy Award and the Friends of Libraries Section at www.nyla.org/friends.
About Queens Public Library
Queens Public Library is one of the largest and busiest public library systems in the United States, dedicated to serving the most ethnically and culturally diverse area in the country. An independent, non-profit organization founded in 1896, Queens Public Library offers free access to a collection of more than 5 million books and other materials in 50 languages, technology, and digital resources. Each year, the Library hosts tens of thousands of online and in-person educational, cultural, and civic programs and welcomes millions of visitors through its doors. With a presence in nearly every neighborhood across the borough of Queens, the Library consists of 66 locations, including branch libraries, a Central Library, seven adult learning centers, a technology lab at the Queensbridge public housing complex, a community learning center at the Ravenswood public housing complex, and five teen centers. It also has four bookmobiles and two book bicycles.