Friends News
Friends Winter Quarterly 2024–2025
Book Sale Highlights The Friends would like to thank the 2,610 shoppers who visited the 48th Annual Book Sale last September. We had a record 2,436 sales and numerous new Friends memberships resulting in $120,545.13 total revenue! The book sale was possible thanks to ... 57 Friends book sor...
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Contact us
For info about the Friends, or to arrange for local pick-up of larger donations of books, please send a message to the Friends.
Become a Member
Step 1 of 2
If you are renewing your membership, you can proceed directly to step 2 below.
Thank you for becoming a member of the Friends. Members receive invitations to the member-only Preview Day at the Annual Book Sale.
Financial Donation
Your donation supports the Friends of the Lake Forest Library in their mission to provide funding for library programming and renovations. Thank you!
Friends of the Lake Forest Library is a charitable organization and is exempt from federal taxation as described by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, amended.
About the Friends
The Friends of Lake Forest Library is a group of dedicated supporters and library enthusiasts. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that works to support the mission and services of Lake Forest Library, as well as to engage in related educational, charitable, and cultural activities.
The Friends raise funds through book sales, Friends memberships, and your monetary and book donations, all of which make a huge difference to Lake Forest Library and the community. Since its founding March 21, 1976, the Friends have raised over two million dollars. These funds help maintain and enhance Library programming, our historic building, our extensive fine arts collection, and more.
The Friends accept donations of gently used books, audiobooks, DVDs, and CDs.
These donations are tax-deductible. Tax receipts are available at the back dock of the Library and can be downloaded.
The success of the book sales depends on your donations.
Processing book donations requires a lot of time and effort on the part of Friends volunteers. Please review the guidelines on this page to ensure that your book donations are processed appropriately.
The Friends reserves the right to accept or reject donated books based on their condition and resale value.
History of the Annual Book Sale
The Friends of Lake Forest Library held their first used book sale on September 18, 1976, in the Library courtyard and lobby. The sale raised about $4,000. Over the years, the sale moved from the Library to the Gorton Community Center parking lot, to Market Square, to a yellow tent in West Park, and finally to its current location in the Lake Forest Recreation Center Gymnasium.
Now an annual Lake Forest tradition, the four-day fall book sale offers more than 108 categories of high-quality used books at bargain prices. Thank you to all of our donors, sponsors, supporters, and everyone who comes out to the sale each year and helps the Friends raise money for Lake Forest Library.
Thank you
We would like to acknowledge and thank the individuals, organizations, and foundations who generously support the Friends of Lake Forest Library through their donations and/or sponsorship of the Annual Book Sale. Our mission to help the Library would not be possible without your continued support.
Donors to Friends
Negaunee Foundation
Peterson/Desenis Charitable Fund
John and Kathleen Schreiber Foundation
Sponsors of the Annual Book Sale
The Grainger Foundation
Uline
AT Mechanical
Lake Forest Bank
Knauz Auto Group
Sunset Foods
The Fresh Market
Thank you from the Library
Lake Forest Library is grateful for the Friends for their promotion of the value of the Library to the cultural and educational life of Lake Forest. In addition, annual grants from the Friends have supported:
Library programming for the community including Summer Reading, Lake Forest Reads, and Read Between the Ravines.
Enhancement of Library resources including the purchase of the Library's very first computer in the 1980s, several eBook readers for staff experimentation and learning in 2010, and almost 50% of the cost of the Media Lab in 2014.
Building Maintenance including restoration of the art deco drinking fountain in the Children's Library foyer and 90% of the cost of restoration of 26 windows in the building in 2013.
Giving back to the community including the annual provision of three $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors.
Fine art collection development and restoration including:
- Restoration of ten Audubon prints in the Friends Reading Room
- Cleaning of Remisoff murals in the Rotunda
- Restoration work on Sylvia Shaw Judson's The Apple Tree Children
- Cleaning and restoration of Lake Forest Flora and Fauna needlepoint hanging in the Business Room
- Commissioning of Thomas Melvin murals for the Children's Library, downstairs foyer, and stairways
- Purchase of watercolors by local artists Mark McMahon and Franklin McMahon
- Production of the art booklet, Lake Forest Library Art: An Aesthetic Legacy