Free Webinar on Starting a Friends Group during National Friends of Libraries Week, Oct. 20-26

United for Libraries is coordinating the eighth annual National Friends of Libraries Week Oct. 20-26, 2013. As part of the celebration, United for Libraries Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed will present a free webinar on how to start a Friends of the Library group at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, Oct. 22. National Friends of Libraries Week offers a two-fold opportunity to celebrate Friends – promoting the group in the community, raising awareness and increasing membership and also giving libraries and boards of trustees the opportunity to recognize the Friends for their help and support of the library. Friends groups, library trustees and library staff can access a variety of online resources to help them celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week. Materials available at www.ala.org/united/events_conferences/folweek include promotional ideas, editable publicity materials, camera ready bookmarks, ideas from past celebrations and much more. Those celebrating the week are encouraged to share their activities by emailing united@ala.org or tweeting with the hashtag “nfolw13.” United for Libraries is pleased to announce a seventh year of awards in conjunction with National Friends of Libraries Week. Two awards of $250 will be given to Friends of the Library groups for activities held during National Friends of Libraries Week. Application materials are available at www.ala.org/united/grants_awards/friends/friendsweek. Entries are due by Dec. 2, 2013. Register now for the free webinar on how to start a Friends of the Library group The webinar will be archived and available on the website in early November. United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association that supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries. United for Libraries brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. For more information or to join United for Libraries, visit the United for Libraries website or contact Jillian Kalonick at (312) 280-2161 or jkalonick@ala.org.