Our Mission:

The Friends shall be a society of persons interested in the welfare of the Library.  The Society shall raise funds to meet specific Library needs, promote library services, and advocate on behalf of the Library.

Every year, the Society, in conjunction with the Sherwood Park Mall, has a Christmas Gift Wrapping fundraiser where anyone can get their gifts wrapped for just a donation. Recently, the Friends has partnered with Sobey’s in a summer BBQ, where again County residents had the opportunity to donate to the support of the library. For the future, the Friends is developing a sponsorship program that will help put on 3 raffles each year, which was piloted in 2019 with a very successful Valentine’s Raffle. In 2019 too, the Friends has made it possible for individuals to give tax-deductible donations online, so those who do not have time to volunteer or come out to support our events can still contribute.

Since its inception, the Friends of Strathcona County Library Society has raised over $500,000 for the Strathcona County Library through such fundraisers as casinos, raffles including the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation 50/50, and grants. For 15 years (2001-2016) the Friends organized garden tours, with the support of Salisbury Greenhouses, Aqualine Waterscapes and other partners. It has also put on a county heritage tour, Books, Bites and Bubbly events and book sales.

The Friends has both a website and a Facebook page, where the Friends promotes its own events as well as promoting and advocating for our Library.

Our People:

The Society, in late 2019, has over 100 committed supporters, of all ages, from under-18s to seniors. A large number of supporters have joined within the last few years. Almost 40 supporters have made the extra commitment to becoming full members of the society, including 15 board members. The rest are our committed volunteers who help out at both Friends events and Library events. More individuals are becoming members or volunteers almost every month. It is these dedicated individuals who enable us to achieve such worthwhile results over the past quarter century.