The Friends of the Erie County Library, an all-volunteer non-profit, is dedicated to the advancement of the Erie County Public Library. The Friends are proud to financially support lifelong learning at every stage of life every year at the highest possible level. This funding is not available by any other means.
Libraries go way beyond traditional book lending to offer engaging educational programs and resources. Your Erie Gives gift helps the Friends continue to fund a diverse variety of classes, events and programs offered at all branches of the Erie County Public Library, the Bookmobile, and outreach activities. These include:
- Idea Lab class materials and instructor fees to enable patrons to learn new skills and hobbies
- STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Programs
- The Business Symposium
- Book clubs and Book Club in a Bag
- Computer classes Reading Challenges for adults and youth like the Summer Reading Program.
For more details visit: events.erielibrary.org
Public support through Erie Gives offers significant funds allowing the Friends to remain ready and able to respond to additional library needs. The Friends offer matching funds for grants like the Northwest Pennsylvania Innovation Beehive Network location at the Blasco Memorial Library's Idea Lab; pay for staff development and conferences; and pilot test new innovative and engaging programs. In the past, the Friends donated the initial dollars to begin to digitize historic Erie newspapers.
Giving to the Friends of the Erie County Library is giving the Erie community the gift of lifelong learning.