Support the Winter Haven Public Library by becoming a member of the Friends of the Library. Membership dues start at $10 a year, or for only $100 you can become a Friend for Life!
As a Friend you will be a part of an all-volunteer group of dedicated individuals who work to improve the library’s services through fundraising and advocacy.
Friends of the Library Meetings take place the second Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m. in the Library Multi-Purpose Room
2023 Meeting Schedule |
| January 12 |
| February 9 |
| March 9 |
| April 13 |
| May 11 |
| June 8 |
| July 13 |
| August 10 |
| September 14 |
| October 12 |
| November 9 |
| December 14 |
In 2014 through a donation from the Estate of Elaine Zaborowski and the generous support of the Friends the SEEDLab was constructed. The SEEDLab encourages people of all ages to explore Science, Education, Exploration, and Design by offering flexible access to learning, research and project space.
In 2019 the Children’s Department received a complete renovation. While new flooring was provided by city funds, the rest of the renovation budget came from the Friends. New furniture, shelving, paint and an all new tween space were made possible through $67,000 from the Friends of the Winter Haven Library.
An anonymous donor offered funds to the library to promote inclusion for children on the autism spectrum and through collaboration with the Friends of the Library and the City of Winter Haven Facilites & IT Departments the Sensory Room was built to serve that need. The Sensory Room is a unique space for children on the spectrum to interact with an array of sensory experiences. The room is designed to allow children to customize their experience by choosing which sensory experiences they wish to use.
The Sensory Garden and Discovery Space is being created for the well-being, learning, and coping needs of children and adults with autism, sensory impairments, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.
The garden will include multi-purpose programming space that will allow users to experiment with and manipulate natural materials, focus attention on sensory experiences, participate in activities that enhance physical wellness, balance and coordination and engage in calming and relaxing activities.
Prior to 2020 the Friends funded the entire collection budget for Overdrive, the library’s digital book, magazine and audiobook platform. Due to an increase in digital usage the city now also provides for the collection, but the Friends still provide 2/3rds of the budget.
In 2019 the library purchased a subscription to the streaming movie service Kanopy, made possible through funds from the Friends. Kanopy offers thoughtful entertainment through an on-demand streaming video platform that offers films and documentaries, as well as Kanopy Kids, which is exclusively children’s programming.
Support for the Excellence in Reading program comes from Friends contributions. Excellence in Reading has been a cornerstone of the Winter Haven Library’s Youth Services Department since 1982. Children read specially chosen books, take tests, and earn incentives and prizes along the way.
Since 2014 the Winter Haven Library has put on an annual lecture series that focuses on Florida-specific topics. The series has become so popular that to accommodate the growing attendance some of the programs had to be moved from the library to Nora Mayo Hall in the Florida Citrus Building. This series, and other programs, are sponsored and funded by contributions from the Friends.
Friends of the Library monies go toward the library’s online databases:
The Friends provide the library with over $39,000 in funds for print and A/V materials.
335 Avenue A NW, Winter Haven, FL 33881
(863) 292-0540
whfolbookstore@gmail.com
Hours
Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Located in the lobby of the library, the Friends of the Library Bookstore is a volunteer run shop that raises funds for the Winter Haven Public Library.
We accept donations of books, CDs, and DVDs in good condition. Our books are shelved by category. Rare books are located in the glass display cases. These books are typically priced at 40% off the online asking price.
Visit our eBay store! https://www.ebay.com/usr/friendsofthewinterhavenpubliclibrary