“2nd Annual Champions of the Library Award Presented at Foundation Gala”
Friends of the Blount County Public Library Earn Award at Gala

Celebrating the beginning of National Library Week, the Foundation of the Blount County Public Library held a Gala event at the library on Saturday, April 12, 2008.
Susan Jones, President of the Foundation, and Joy Bishop, Chairperson of the Trustees, presented the 2008 Champion of the Library Award to the Friends of the Library for their outstanding volunteer work raising funds and assisting the library staff with numerous library-related tasks. Accepting the honor on behalf of the Friends was President, Robert (Bob) Ramger, and Book sale chairman, Phil Baker.
The Champion of the Library Award is the library’s highest honor, in recognition “ . . . of an individual or group with extraordinary contributions to the library, library services, or the cause of literacy and to the perpetuation of the library as a distinctive educational, community, and cultural asset.” A committee made up of representatives from the three library boards (the Trustees, the Foundation, and the Friends of the Library) recommended the Friends of the Library volunteers as the 2008 recipient of the award.
Also included in the Gala event program was a video of various Friends volunteers working at the book sale and doing other jobs.
The evening began with a reception hosted by Kizer and Black at Preservation Plaza in downtown Maryville followed by dinner and program at the library. Hosts for the evening were the Board of Directors of the Foundation for the Blount County Library.
Musicians at the reception were Timothy McConnell, D.D.S., Otto Slater, D.D.S. and Randall Napier, D.M.D. Musician at the dinner was Waclaw Koneczny, accordionist.
Roy Gallaher, Elder at Maryville Church of Christ, gave the invocation. Flowers were provided by The Flower Shop, and “Thank you coasters” were provided by Kevin and Kimberly Proffitt.
The Friends of the Blount County Public Library, with a membership of more than 1,000, are an important group of volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of work to benefit the library. Approximately 200 volunteers work on a regular basis in a large variety of capacities at the library.
The quarterly Used Book Sale, chaired by Phil Baker and coordinated by Bob and Marie Harris, is the largest project and largest fundraiser conducted by the Friends. At each sale, 40,000 to 50,000 books are available for sale to the public, earning more than $60,000 last year---and $200,000-$250,000 in the five years since the new library building opened--which assisted the library in purchasing needed equipment and providing programs and festivals. The next book sale will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday, April 17 (for members only) and April 18 and 19 (open to the public) in the lower level of the library.
Books for Soldiers, chaired by Vivian Selecman, selects books requested by armed service personnel and chaplains to send to soldiers.
Ex Libris, chaired by Barbara Zurl, conducts reading and discussion groups for residents at area assisted living facilities.
Other committees of the Friends of the Library work to write and publish a newsletter, maintain a web site, achieve publicity, assist with festivals, and other functions that keep the Friends a growing, vital support group for the library.
Numerous individuals volunteer to work in various places with library staff—shelving books, working in the café, helping with public relations office work, maintaining databases, data entry, and other areas.
Volunteers with Books on Wheels, a recently revived program, provide delivery of books to shut-ins. Anyone interested in helping with this project can contact Jane Bennett at 681-0248.
A Friend volunteer coordinator facilitates and trains volunteers for the numerous jobs at the library.