Friends of the Library is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Gainesville, Florida.  We support the Alachua County Library District and literacy programs throughout Alachua County.  (Check the 'Projects' link at the left.)

To continue serving the Alachua County Library District, Friends of the Library welcomes community support through donations of books and other materials, through memberships and financial donations, and through the participation of volunteers on a weekly, semiannually, or as-needed basis.  View the video to learn more about Alachua County's Friends of the Library organization.

A Bit of History

FOL’s first organizational meeting was held on September 30, 1954, at JJ Finley school.  The first book sale in October, 1954, raised $80.  A few years later FOL, made its first donation to the library: $600 for purchasing and installing folding doors for the children's area of the "new" 1956 library.  Among other projects supported by FOL are a scholarship fund for library employees, annual author's events, children's literacy festivals, and FOL's Mini-grant program.

In 1989, Friends of the Library and Gainesville's Junior League purchased the current Bookhouse, providing FOL with its first permanent home for donations, sales, organizational records, and events.  With permanent housing, FOL was able to expand from annual to semiannual book sales.  These book sales now feature as many as 500,000 items and have become one of the biggest of its kind in the southeastern United States.