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 |