1. FRIENDS of the TOWSON LIBRARY
MAY 2011 VOL. 10, NO. 3
Friends’ Annual Book
Sale Is a Big Success
Customers of all ages made
this year’s sale a hit!
The Friends of the Towson Library (FOTL) book to pay the balance of its pledge to the library.
sale which ran for four days at the library, ending
Sunday, April 17, grossed $13,314 in sales, which Without equivocation, the success of this year’s book
was substantially higher than the past three years. sale is due to the hard work and long hours, sometimes
In 2010, sales were $12,590, in 2009, $10,909 and days, of a team of more than two dozen dedicated
$9,035 in 2008. This year’s net after sales tax and volunteers. FOTL expresses its heart-felt thanks to Nora
expenses was $11,808. Kotula and her crew, who labored to sort books, stack
sale tables and replenish tables as books were sold, staff
According to Friends’ member Pat Fraher, more the checkout counter, and clean up after the sale. It was
than 8,500 donated books, CDs, DVDs and tapes truly a labor of love -- love of the library and of books.
were available for the sale this year. The materials
that did not sell were donated to The Book Thing, Many volunteers were customers too, finding treasures
a free book distributor in Baltimore. for their own collections. It may seem trite to say, but is
still very true, we couldn’t have done it without you and
Friends’ Treasurer Susan Gillette remarked, “I all the customers who purchased books!
think the rainy weather is good for library business
and book sale visits. I believe the 2009 sale was on Among the volunteers who helped throughout the year
picture-perfect or even hot days, and 2010 weather collecting and sorting books as well as those who helped
was more iffy. This year a drenched Saturday during the sale were: Edie Blum, Tasia Cavas
apparently drove hordes to the library.” Amelia and Fay Citerone, Sue Cornish, Charles Cottrell,
The good results from this year will enable FOTL Please see Volunteers, page 3

2. Nominations to the
FOTL Board
At the annual meeting on May 3, the FOTL
will vote on the following nominations:
Officers for a one year term from July 1, 2011
to June 30, 2012:
President - Patricia Fraher
1st Vice President - Fay Citerone
2nd Vice President - Judy Gregory
Secretary - James Ransom
Treasurer - Susan Gillette.
Renomination of present board members to a
3-year term starting July 1, 2011:
Dorothy Fraquelli and Clarence Reisler.
Pat Fraher presented three names to be new
board members to a three-year term starting
July 1, 2011: Katie McGuire, Lee Starkey, and
Mary Lou Stenchly.
A book sale customer has his hands full!
FROM THE MANAGER OF THE TOWSON LIBRARY
Early in April we were happy to drop the curtain at our fiction wing and reveal the new layout, carpet, modern
shelving and lighting for the collections housed there. We were also especially pleased to offer the new service
of two study/conference rooms available in the old large-type area, and open to the public for two-hour time
slots. Signup is required, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. The rooms offer a more private setting than
the other group meeting space we have upstairs on the Mezzanine.
Other improvements we expect to have this fiscal year will be individual carrels with electric outlets for laptop
users, thanks to the generous Friends funding this year.
Kudos to the Friends Book Sale Committee, especially to leaders Pat Fraher and Nora Kotula, for the most
successful book sale ever. This October through mid-March project was the Friends’ 17th and it gets bigger and
better every year.
I hope to see you at the Annual Meeting in May.
Jennifer C. Haire

3. Volunteers, from page 1
Pat Fraher, Dorothy Fraquelli, Susan Gillette, Anne
Groth, Judy Gregory, Nora Kotula, Art Lynch, Eve
McGovern, Marta Mills, Laura Merkle, Hannah
Pickworth, Jim Ransom, Clarence Reisler, Dot Seim,
Lee Starkey, D&L VanWye, Susan Ward, and E
Wilbur. Many thanks also to photographers John Peige
and Sally Foster for sharing their wonderful talent
with us.
At left, Towson University student Justen Davis carried
hundreds of boxes of books to help the Friends set up
for the book sale.
Below, on opening night on Thursday, April 14, dozens
of book lovers lined up for the first-choice books.
The power of books to spark imagination
‘When I was a tadpole there was really only one thing that I
collected. I had a file of newspaper and magazine articles
on Frogs in Show Business. It was a small collection, but I
think it influenced me a lot.’
– Kermit (the frog) from It’s Not Easy Being Green by Jim Henson,
2005, Hyperion, NewYork.

4. Come to hear ‘Courageous Women’ speakers on May 3
The end of the Friends’ year is quickly coming to a In late April, the Friends’ presented four gifts of $25
close. Our annual business meeting is on Tuesday, each to Towson Library volunteers at the Annual
May 3, 2011 in the Towson Room on the ground Volunteer Luncheon. These gifts were given in lieu of
floor of the library. Officers and board members the Marianne Westcott award.
will be elected. At 7 p.m., hear our speakers
Eleanor Randrup and Katherine Kenny, authors In May, the Friends will be represented at the Ribbon
of “Courageous Women of Maryland.” Copies of Cutting for the renovated Towson Library. If you
their book will be available for purchase and the have not visited the library recently, please do so. You
authors have agreed to inscribe copies for attendees. can admire the new meeting rooms, carpet, shelving
Light refreshments will be served. Please come and and lighting in the fiction and reading groom areas.
help us close out the 2010-2011 year.
FOTL has been the recipient of a number of news
As you will read elsewhere in the newsletter, the articles in the Towson Times and in the on-line
Book Sale was a big success, grossing more than any newspaper the Towson Patch. Articles on the book
previous book sale. It also added another data point sale, the garden and the speakers for our May meeting
to the correlation of poor weather and good book have been recently published.
sale results. Thanks to Nora Kotula and Pat Fraher,
who chaired this year’s book sale committee, and to Thank you for your support throughout the year.
all our board members and volunteers who helped
sort books, set up for the sale on Wednesday evening - Dorothy Fraquelli, FOTL President
and staffed the sale.
Save us postage by sending us your email address! Send to towsonfriends@gmail.com
Friends of the
Towson Library
Dorothy Fraquelli, President
320 York Road
Towson, MD 21204
towsonfriends@gmail.com
Marta Mills, Newsletter Editor
Mission:
To increase and improve
the services, facilities
and resources of the
Towson Library.