Oneota Co-op shoppers are invited to “Round Up at the Register” for Friends of Decorah Public Library (Friends of DPL) at purchase Monday, Dec. 12 through Monday, Dec. 26. The Friends of DPL mission statement reads as follows: “It is the purpose of the Friends of the Library to promote and enhance the Decorah Public Library and its programs for the leisure, entertainment and personal life-long learning of the citizens of Decorah and greater Winneshiek County.”
By Tanya O’Connor
For those not previously familiar with Friends of DPL, know this: much of the library programming you or a family member has enjoyed exists because of this nonprofit’s efforts. This also is true of books read, technology, tables and chairs used, and more. In this Co-op Q&A, we’ve spoken with current Friends of DPL Board of Directors President Karla Brown, Decorah Public Library (DPL) Director Kristin Torresdal and DPL Assistant Director Zach Row-Heyveld. Their collective responses are below:
Oneota Co-op: Could you provide background information regarding Friends of DPL? How has the organization grown over the years?
Friends of DPL: Friends of Decorah Public Library was started as a 501c3 nonprofit organization by local residents in January 1995. Today, we have a healthy membership base that supports us at various financial levels annually. We occasionally are named as a memorial option when someone who was a library lover passes. We also have bequests invested in the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. This provides us with annual earnings and fosters our mission as well..
Oneota Co-op: Isn’t the library funded by city/county entities? How does Friends of DPL fit “into the picture” in this case?
Friends of DPL: Overall, Friends of DPL provides for 30-50% of DPL’s programming budget – which is really impactful. This accounts for approximately two percent of the DPL annual budget, as the City of Decorah provides 88% of our overall budget; the Winneshiek County budget accounts for the remaining 10%.
Friends of DPL provides funding for things that go above and beyond the regular budget, as it’s the job of these aforementioned stakeholders (city and county taxpayers) to fund annual operating expenses. Friends of DPL memberships and special donations are meant for things that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to do, like the expansion of special programming, services, collections and so on. Ultimately, Friends of DPL chooses what DPL projects they will prioritize annually. This amount may vary year by year depending upon funds raised, expenditures and monies held for investment.
Oneota Co-op: What are some of the ways in which my membership or donation dollars may be utilized?
Friends of DPL: Friends of DPL funds a multitude of programming options for children, young adults and adults. For current options, visit https://www.decorahlibrary.org/calendar-of-events. Each year DPL staff ask for a budget amount from Friends of DPL that they can use to buy group sets of books for a number of book clubs they host (and that DPL then makes available through interlibrary loan to many other libraries in the state that cannot purchase their own). Friends of DPL also has purchased furnishings, digital equipment, funded an electrical vehicle charging station, offset DPL’s discontinuation of overdue fines and much more. DPL occasionally requests funds for additional needs that arise; a recent example is a printer allowing library staff to print banners and other larger signage in-house.
Oneota Co-op: Is there programming developed because of the pandemic that continues to this day?
Friends of DPL: Yes! With the assistance of Friends of DPL funding, library staff were able to provide curbside book pick-up for all ages, as well as the popular Take-and-Make craft projects for children. Both of these services came about during the onset of the pandemic, yet are now a part of library services. When the library staff needed to move book clubs to Zoom, it provided an opportunity for Friends to fund increased internet strength for the library. Library staff has done an amazing job keeping people safe while serving their needs in the past few years.
Oneota Co-op: Could you explain more about the relationship between Friends of DPL and the library (and its staff) itself?
Friends of DPL: Friends of DPL consists of a nine-person board of directors. One of these individuals serves as our liaison to the DPL Board of Directors. A DPL board member then serves as a liaison to Friends of DPL. Kirsten, as the library director, and Zach, as assistant director, attend Friends of DPL meetings; they provide us with reports and funding requests. In addition to programming and items we’ve already discussed, this communication also may foster funding discussions surrounding building repairs and improvements. In the 1990s, for example, Friends of DPL assisted with the library’s addition, upgraded all lighting for energy efficiency and facilitated other repair and infrastructure needs.
Oneota Co-op: What is distinctive about DPL and what would you say to encourage individuals to support its efforts through membership/donation to Friends of DPL?
Friends of DPL: The quality of Decorah Public Library programming is exceptional – even in comparison to libraries much larger than ours. Our library staff is talented and creative. They are committed to outreach and serving people in the community, including those who may experience anxiety about coming to the library in-person. For example, staff recently applied for a grant to receive a mobile library they can take out into the community to encourage residents to obtain a library card and use library services. Libraries across the nation have had to work to get individuals back in the library following pandemic closures. Our staff has been able to do this – and at a high level.
It is important to contribute to Friends of DPL to retain this high level of service. City/county funding does not cover all of the library’s needs. If you believe a strong public library is essential to a strong community, we welcome your Friends of DPL membership at the sponsorship level affordable to you. Visit https://www.decorahlibrary.org/library-information/friends-decorah-public-library for more information.
All photos courtesy Nick Chill Photography.
Oneota Co-op round up campaigns are intrinsically tied to the Co-op’s community service commitment as outlined in the Co-op Missions and Ends statement. Co-op shoppers are provided the opportunity to round up to the nearest dollar to support this organizational end, which reads as follows:
Oneota Community Co-op Organizational End number seven: “Our members are diverse and engaged, working together and sharing time, energy, and resources to build a resilient and thriving local community.”
