Friends of the Malden Public Library declare January as Membership Month

The Friends of the Malden Public Library has become one of our city’s most involved and visible organizations in local events and has thus been growing at a healthy rate in the last year. The infamous Wine Tasting Gala – dubbed Malden’s most elegant event – was revived last June in the Converse Memorial Building, with an enthusiastic showing of fans to sample an exquisite selection of domestic and imported wines. And who hasn’t been to one of the Book Sales in the renowned Friends’ Book Room? Down in the entrails of the MPL, with an estimated collection of 50,000 books, lies the Friends’ Happy Place.

“Book donations arrive almost every day,” said Friends of the Malden Public Library President Mary Ellen O’Meara. “Our Book Room Committee cleans them, sorts them and shelves them, ready for sale to our community.”

The Book Sales are planned four times a year, highlighting two major sales in spring and fall. The sales are enormously popular, being the main fundraising activity for the Library. Books are sold at $1-2, with an even better deal on children’s books. The Friends are excited to be receiving books in multiple languages as well as books about the many communities thriving in Malden.

In 2023 the Friends began implementing a community outreach strategy to attract more diverse members to their ranks. “Although Book Sales entice people into the Library to see us, it’s not always enough to attract newly arrived folks or those from certain cultures who may not have visited the Library yet,” explains O’Meara, “so the Friends decided to go to them!”

The Friends put together an Events Calendar last year that included partnering with other organizations and “piggy-backing” on their cultural events (i.e., showing up with a Pop-up Book Sale and offering theme-related books at Book Room prices). The membership started to evolve, with a surge in new members and people from more diverse backgrounds coming to business meetings and joining the Board as well as Committees.

The transition has been astounding, said O’Meara. “Our new members have great ideas, and energy and enthusiasm. It has been very satisfying watching this process.”

January is the Friends’ Membership drive month – dues cover the calendar year, from January to December, and are a donation that permits the Friends to continue helping the MPL achieve their mission.

As a special benefit to members, the Friends will be holding a members-only BOOK SALE to renew your membership or join on January 31 from 6-9 p.m. Come on down and check out the collection! You can pay your 2025 dues at the door and enjoy the book room with a reduced number of patrons than at our general public sales. Those who cannot make it may fill out a membership form and leave a check or cash at the Library. Individual dues are $15; Family, $30; Students and Seniors, $10; Friends Forever lifetime membership is $500.