Our History

The Friends of the Elm Grove Library was founded in 1984 by a small group of members of the Elm Grove Junior Guild who wanted to help our public library become an important and relevant resource for the community it served. Over time, the organization has grown to over 175 members who live in Elm Grove and the surrounding communities. FOEGL is a dynamic organization comprised of people who care about the library and volunteer to support it in a number of ways.

FOEGL is best known for our annual Book Sale & Mini-Book Sale, the Lights of Love village tree lighting event, Elm Grove Reads, and other numerous youth and adult programs throughout the year.  We encourage you to check us out, and invite you to become a member.

The Friends of the Elm Grove Library is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

What We Do

Our Mission Statement:

The mission of the Friends of the Elm Grove Library is to focus public attention on library services and to raise funds to support library collections and special projects.

Our members:

  • Plan programs and lectures throughout the year for both children and adults
  • Support the library with donations to our fundraisers
  • Participate in a variety of book discussion groups
  • Promote the library via social media

All these activities and fundraising events enhance the Elm Grove Library, a valuable and important community resource!

Who We Are

The Board of Directors of the Friends of the Elm Grove Library consists of eight directors, four of whom are officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer) and four of whom are at-large members. The Board also includes 10-12 non-voting committee chairs who lead various programming and initiatives for FOEGL.

Executive Board Name
President Laurie Leahy
Vice President Lilly Harris
Secretary Deb Flanigan
Treasurer Mindy Harmelink
Member at Large: 2 years Annie Bolger
Member at Large: 2 years Marie Mejac
Member at Large: 1 year Danielle Mathai
Member at Large: 1 year Sumner Welsh
Activity Committee Name
Children’s Programs Danielle Mathai & Jodi Perrone
Communications Ashleigh Levonowich
Elm Grove Reads & Adult Programs Pat Ruttum
Garden Pat Ruttum
Gifts & Bequests Kayte Parkin
Historian Marie Mejac
Hospitality Kathy Fuhr & Sue Jablonski
Lights of Love Kayte Parkin
Membership Lilly Harris
Used Book Sale Carla Stensberg & Kathy Tusing
Website & Tech Management Tara Schmalz
Library Director Sarah Muench
Past President Dave Cronin