Successfully Completed!
Protecting Pieces of the Past project is focused on preserving books, magazines, newspapers and other items in the library’s Local History & Genealogy room.
EVENTS & PROGRAMS
Annual Events
Annual Sponsorships
100% of the funds raised by the Friends for the events below are based on donations, volunteers, and the annual sponsorship program. Nearly a quarter of the annual proceeds delivered to the library and 100% of the budget for additional fundraising are provided by annual sponsorships. Our sponsorship campaign begins at the start of the new year and ends the week before the Summer Reading Kickoff (late May or Early June). Sponsors, cash or in-kind, are recognized on a banner hung in the library lobby for the entire year, on our website, and on social media. Some sponsorship levels include additional recognition.
East Texas Giving Day (ETGD)
Hosted by the East Texas Community Foundation, ETGD is an annual 18-hour day of giving on the last Tuesday in April. ETGD provides critical funding for East Texas nonprofits. ETGD brings the entire East Texas area together on one day as one community, raising money and awareness while providing citizens with an easy platform to support the mission of local nonprofits serving our communities. Add the Friends to your Giving Day “Shopping Cart” to support our mission.
Bi-Annual Book Sale
The Library hosts a Spring and Autumn book sale each year to support the library’s mission, programming, and services. Friends members get early access to the weekend sale on the Friday evening before it opens to the public. If you would like to donate books for the sale, please reach out to the library directly for drop-off or to the Friends for pick-up in Tyler. Restrictions apply.
Bottles & Books
Celebrated on the Saturday in August closest to National Book Lovers’ Day, Bottles & Books is a whiskey or wine tasting event with a top-shelf whiskey raffle and a book pull. Participants unable to attend may still enter the raffle for pick-up or delivery of their prize.
Pictures with Santa
During the Winter Reading Challenge celebration each year, the Friends host photos with Santa! Photos are by participant personal devices and donation based for fundraising. During this time, a mystery wrapped book pull also takes place.
We provided the library with a subscription to ancestry.com’s military records, digital equipment, and new space-saving shelving.
Tyler’s Local History & Genealogy Department contains things you can’t find online. Rare books and original manuscripts tell us about the town’s early history, who was here, and how we’ve changed over time. These documents need a highly regulated environment which they now have.
That means mold, mildew and bugs that enjoy munching on paper and book binding glue no longer have access to an entire collection of historic material.
New space-saving shelving systems keep these precious library collections stored at optimal temperature, humidity and airflow. Locking doors protect priceless artifacts. We created 200 sq. ft. more of floor space!
Friends funded a subscription to original military records including the stories, photos, and personal documents of the men and women who served. Library staff is digitizing these local collections so they will be available online.
If you support future projects like this, please join the Friends below.