We All Need Friends: A History of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library Part 2

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of our beloved Friends of the Worcester Public Library. Since the American Library Association and libraries throughout the country are celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week from October 18 - 24, 2026, we would like to take you back in time and share the history of our very own Friends! As we previously wrote in the first post of this three-part series (see part one here), the Friends aid the library through advocacy, raising money through membership fees and fundraising events, and sponsoring programs and library items that the library's budget does not fund. Today's post will focus on the many ways that the Friends have sponsored library programs, initiatives, and equipment over the years. 

Sponsoring Programs and Initiatives

Enriching the Community through Sponsored Programs

The Friends helped the library by presenting and sponsoring programs for patrons including concerts, lectures, workshops, story times, craft programs, performances (including theatrical performances, jugglers, and puppet shows), and film series on a variety of subjects and interests. For instance, in 1972, the Friends hosted an event featuring six recently published Worcester county authors. 

"Area Writers Discuss Their Books and Jobs." Worcester Telegram, January 17, 1972

During the George Stubbs art controversy, the Friends sponsored a talk on the artist by a librarian of the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Speaking of the Stubbs art controversy, in 1979, the executive board of the Friends unanimously agreed that the library should sell the artwork because the library would be better served by the proceeds of the sale than by the actual drawings.

Advertisement for Lecture on George Stubbs by Constance-Anne Parker, October 23, 1978

With the help of the Friends' donation of an Apple II computer, the Children's Department was able to start a computer club in 1981 for children ages 6 to 12 at the Main Library. Members of the club were be required to train newer members (Worcester Evening Gazette, July 6, 1981).

In 1988, the Friends and the Children's Room co-sponsored an author visit by Lois Lowry! At this point in her career, she was known for her Anastasia series and her award-winning book, Rabble Starkey.

Your Worcester Public Library Newsletter, April 1988

When the Main Library closed for the renovations and decamped to their temporary location on Fremont Street in 1999, the Friends continued to sponsor library programs at the new location.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 2, 2000

As part of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Friends, in 2006 the Friends sponsored a children's author event featuring Shrewsbury author April Jones Prince that was followed by a craft inspired by the art of illustrator Giles Laroche.

"The Write Stuff," Worcester Telegram, September 22, 2006.

In 2007, the Frances Perkins Branch celebrated the fifth anniversary of its You Are the Artist (YATA) summer art exhibit, featuring artwork by local children. The Friends sponsored the framing of the artworks and related costs (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, July 13, 2007).

The Friends continue to sponsor library programs throughout the year, especially ones with paid presenters and instructors. 

Sponsoring Library Initiatives

The Friends would also help fund certain library initiatives, including a 1968 pilot program in which $500 worth of paperback books would be distributed throughout the library in unconventional places such as bars, laundromats, stores, and barber shops to encourage reading. These books would have library markings but there would not be a loan policy or even an requirement to return the books, because the potential increase of new readers and library users would outweigh the cost of these paperback books (Worcester Telegram, October 9, 1968). According to the Friends' Summer 1969 edition of their newsletter, "The first deposits of books are now nearly depleted, and area residents are enjoying easy access books in their homes this summer thanks to the generosity of the Friends."

One of the Locations for the Paperback Book Lending Initiative, Friends Newsletter, Summer 1969

Most recently, the Friends took part in the library's Library Card Sign-Up Month in September 2026. For every new Worcester Public Library card issued, the Friends donated $1 to support the Worcester Animal Rescue League (up to $1,000). Plus: each new library card holder received a coupon for $2 off the Friends Bookstore (more about the bookstore in our next blog post in this series).

Flyer for WPL's Library Card Sign-Up Month, September 2026

Contests!

Who doesn't want to enter contests to win prizes? In addition to sponsoring programs and initiatives to support reading, the Friends sponsored essay writing contests like the 1971 "What a Book Means to Me" contest below.

Essay Contest Winners, Worcester Telegram, May 7, 1971

The Friends also offered bookmark design contests, including a summer bookmark contest on the theme of "friendship and the significance of books in a young person's life" for ages 5-16 in 1973 (Worcester Sunday Telegram, June 17, 1973). The winners were featured at the Friends Book Festival held that September. Another bookmark contest was held in 1976 on the theme of "Reading is..." and gift certificates for books were awarded to the winners.

Some of the Winning Bookmarks circa 1973

Bookmark Contest Winners, Friends of the Worcester Public Library Newsletter, November 1973

In 1977, the Friends sponsored a bookplate design contest for books in the children's room collection and two students from Chandler Junior High School won. Later that year, the Friends sponsored an amateur photography contest, where contestants could use "nonadjustable, instant-type" cameras to compete in the black and white or color categories. However, since only one person entered for the black and white category, no prizes were awarded for that category.

The Friends sponsored a contest that began in connection with the eighth annual book festival in the fall of 1980. The "Great Give a Hoot Contest" was intended to name the two library owl statues that still perch on the walls of the Main Library. The library awarded prizes to winners of three age groups, as well as a special prize to one winner. Fourteen-year-old Patrick Holland won the special prize with the names "Whooo" and "Whoom." Each of the three age group winners won a $20 gift certificate for books, and Patrick also won a framed print of an Albrecht Durer drawing of an owl. We've previously written about the contest and the owls in one of our blog posts. 

Application Form for The Great Give a Hoot Contest, 1980

"He Gave a Hoot - And Won," Worcester Evening Gazette, November 8, 1980

A more recent contest sponsored by the Friends was a "Toast to the Worcester Public Library" essay writing contest in 2005, where contestants wrote about why they love their library in 25 words or less. Six winners from each of the three library branches (Main, Frances Perkins Branch, and Great Brook Valley Branch) won a loaf of bread baked by Mrs. Mack's Bakery.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Friends in 2006, the Friends announced a bookmark design contest for middle schoolers as part of a year-long celebration of the organization. The winner received a gift certificate and their design was printed on bookmarks.

The Nickelsen Murals

As we mentioned in a previous blog post, the Friends were instrumental in raising the $1200 needed to bring Ralf Nickelsen's WPA murals to the Worcester Public Library where they were hung after being restored in 1972. The three panels are still on the walls of the Main Library today.

"Farming in the Worcester Region" by Ralf Nickelsen

The Banx Room and Al Banx Day

Several years after beloved Worcester cartoonist James Albert Banks, more commonly known in the world of comics and the Worcester newspapers as "Al Banx," died in 1967, the Friends advocated to name the Worcester Public Library's Conference Room A the Al Banx Room. They also created a committee to plan a day that would honor the late cartoonist. In February 1974, the library board voted on the proposal by the Friends to rename the conference room and to exhibit some of the original Banx cartoons. The tribute to Al Banx on April 27, 1964, featured slide presentations of some of the Banx cartoons, recorded comments in tribute to Banx and his works, and of course, the dedication of the newly renamed space. You can read more about Al Banx in our previous blog post.

Al Banx: Everybody's Cartoonist publication printed for Al Banx Day, 1974

Come in - It's Cool, and Other Ways to Make Library Staff and Patrons Happy

In addition to advocating for the library and related reading initiatives, as well as sponsoring programs at the library, the Friends helped make the library a more welcoming experience for its staff and patrons in a variety of ways. For instance: the Friends helped pay for an air conditioner at the Main South branch in 1977, which was installed in the middle of a heatwave. According to the Worcester Telegram, "'Come in - It's Cool' was the timely boast of a sign in the window there" (July 21, 1977). 

In 1978, the Friends sponsored the repainting of the bookmobile and the installation of its public address system (Worcester Evening Gazette, April 15, 1978). Furthermore, in the same year the Friends helped purchase "book bags for delivery of material to nursing homes and jails..., a small refrigerator for staff use, a window fan for the Tatnuck branch, [and] a portable sound system for the children's room" (Worcester Evening Gazette, December 6, 1978). Over the years, the Friends would also fund a piano, a puppet theatre for the children's room, furniture for the Banx and Saxe Rooms (including $16,500 worth of chairs during the 1988 renovation of those two rooms), and more. Below are some of the items that the Friends gifted to the library in the year preceding July 1980, including the purchase of accessibility technology for communicating with Deaf patrons, stuffed animals, cushions for story hour, and plants (Among Friends, July 1980).

Excerpt from "Friendly Gestures: Gifts to the Library from the Friends," Among Friends, July 1980

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library, the Friends announced that they would contribute to the renovation and partial replacement of the Saxe Room's sound system. During that anniversary in 1981, the Friends celebrated with piano music, cake, and reminiscences of their history. In that year, the Friends funded the $4,900 air conditioning unit for the newly renovated Tatnuck Branch.

In June 1995, the Friends helped fund a CD-ROM project for children, which at that time was an incredibly exciting technological innovation for all of you readers who aren't sure what a CD-ROM is! The program was designed to encourage reading with interactive books for young readers on CD-ROM as well as provide information from reference sources such as a Grolier multimedia encyclopedia. 

"Library Unveils CD-ROM Program," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 17, 1995

A couple of months later, the library announced that the Friends had funded another 13 new computer workstations in the building to the tune of $50,000! These computers would allow patrons to access the internet, do business research, locate people's phone numbers and addresses using the Nynex Fast Track database (basically an upgraded electronic phone book), and even work on their family tree.

Museum Passes

One of the other ways in which the Friends supported the library was that they purchased (and continue to purchase) museum passes for library patrons to borrow. Initially, the Friends acquired passes for the New England Science Center and then the Higgins Armory (Worcester Sunday Telegram, August 1, 1993). As of today's post, the Friends currently make passes available for a dozen Worcester and New England attractions. Our Museum pass page on our website has more information about the current passes. 

The Give and Take Bookshelf

As we mentioned earlier in our post, the Friends were dedicated to encouraging reading, whether or not the readers actually visited the library. A new initiative took place based on the suggestion of one Friends member. Starting in 2012, train and bus riders could grab a free book from "The Give and Take" bookshelf at Union Station, which was stocked with books donated by the Friends as well as books donated by riders. Nicole Apostola came up with the idea after learning about other groups that started similar projects (Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 19, 2012).  

"Books Keep Commuters' Minds on Track," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, March 19, 2012

Benefiting Library Staff

In 1967 the Friends created a charitable trust to encourage gifts that would fund worthwhile projects such as a scholarship for library staff members who wanted to study Library Science. The first recipient of the $600 scholarship for tuition and books was Leonard A. Lucas, a library aide, who was taking graduate evening classes to get his degree in Library Science (Worcester Sunday Telegram, January 8, 1967).

In Conclusion

So now you know some of the ways in which the Friends have helped the library, its staff, and its patrons but you'll have to check in for the next post where we will share how the Friends raised money to pay for all of these programs and projects!

Sources:

"Banx, Saxe Rooms Rededicated." (1988, October 23). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 35A.

"Bookmobile Repair." (1978, April 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 11.

"Bulletin Board." (2000, March 2). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B1.

"Contest Winners Announced." (1977, August 10). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 23..

"Essay Contest Winners." (1971, May 7). Worcester Telegram, p. 17.

"Fletcher Street Teen Wins 'Great Give a Hoot Contest.'" (1980, November 6). Worcester Telegram, p. 37.

Foskett, Jr., S.H. (2012, March 19). "Books Keep Commuters' Minds on Track." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A3.

"Friendly Gestures: Gifts to the Library from the Friends." (1980, July). Among Friends, p. 1.

"Friends of Library to Mark 25th Anniversary Tuesday." (1981, March 29). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 24A.

"Front to Break Big Heat Wave." (1977, July 21). Worcester Telegram, p. 1.

Gourgouras, J.A. (1978, December 6). "Book People." Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 34.

Griffin, G.B. (1998, February 10). "Library, School Dueling for Dollars." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A1.

Hastings, B. (1972, January 17). "Area Writers Discuss Their Books and Jobs." Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

"I Love Library' Theme for Essays." (2005, January 24). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.

Kalaus, E. (1995, June 17). "Library Unveils CD-ROM Program." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2.

"Library to Begin Computer Club." (1981, July 6). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 16.

"Library Bookplate Design Winners." (1977, July 8). Worcester Telegram, p. 4E.

"Library Friends Give Scholarship." (1967, January 8). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 10C.

"Library Friends List Bookmark Contest." (1973, June 17). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

"Library Group Plans Contest for Youths." (1976, March 25). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Library Group Plans Honor for Late T&G Columnist." (1973, December 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 27.

"Library Group Sponsoring Photo Contest." (1977, June 13). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 14.

"Library Project Wins Approval." (1968, October 9). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Library Room Honors Cartoonist." (1974, February 13). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 12.

"The Library's Friends." (1956, January 15). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. A6.

"Library's Friends Celebrate 25th Year." (1981, April 1). Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

McDonald, C. (1995, November 27). "Library Goers Spinning Over Disks. Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B1.

Monro, J.P. (1977, October 23). "Worcester Review Widens Outlook." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 6E.

"Panel Backs Sale of Stubbs Works." (1979, May 1). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 24.

"Pay Study Planned at Library." (1962, December 6). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 25.

"Public Library Friends Organized, 80 Attend." (1956, January 12). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

"Rain or Shine... Tomorrow." (1978, September 15). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 9.

Sheehan, N. (2007, July 13). "YATA! Shows Kids' Artistic Streak." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. E1.

Sheehan, N. (2006, September 22). "The Write Stuff." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. C1.

"6 Students Win Books at Library." (1962, April 14). Worcester Telegram, p. 22

"Stubbs' Art Talk Planned." (1978, October 22). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 36A.

Sullivan, K. (2006, January 22). "Worcester Library Friends Make a Difference." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. B4.

"Tatnuck Library Making a Move." (1981, November 12). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 17.

Tubert, J. (1980, September 11). "You Can Get Wise with the Owls?" Worcester Telegram, p. 9.

"Worcester Library Showcases Technology." (1995, November 6). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.