You can start dropping off your book sale donations on Tuesday, July 18 from 6-8pm.

For the rest of the summer, we will receive donations dropped off at the front door of the sale site, 69 Huron St. on Tuesdays 6-8pm; Wednesday to Saturday from 10am-noon. Drop offs may not be done on Sundays or Mondays.

This is the ONLY location that will be receiving donations for the sale. Please note that the public library branches are unable to accept donations for the sale.

Please review this year’s guidelines on the website’s Book Sale Donations page before packing up your boxes.

With the sale scheduled a month earlier than usual, the last day to drop off donations will be early in September, so don’t delay!

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The Mayor, Guelph City Councillors, Library Board, Staff, and Friends of the Library take turns with the shovels at the official groundbreaking on June 20.

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Way to go Friends of the Guelph Public Library, winners of the 2023  Guelph Today Community Builders Award in the Arts category!

Read all about it in Guelph Today

Our thanks to Guelph Today, as well as to Guelph Medical Imaging for sponsoring the award this year, and to Anne MacKay and Steve Kraft for the video highlighting the work our volunteers have done to support the library in the community over the past 20 years. And are still doing today!

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Donations will be accepted starting Tuesday, July 18 – at the book sale site, 69 Huron St. on the following schedule:

Tuesdays – 6:00pm-8:00pm
Wednesdays to Saturdays – 10am-noon
Closed Sundays and Mondays – no drop offs, please!

Visit the Donations Page to see what we will and will not accept for the sale.

Donations will be accepted until early in September. Watch the website for the final drop off date, but please don’t delay.

With regret, donations will not be accepted at any library branch – please do not take them there!

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Congratulations to the newly installed Executive Team of the Friends of the Guelph Public Library!

Back row: GPL CEO Steve Kraft; Friends Vice-Chair Paul Young; Library Staff Liaison Lisa Cunningham; Friends Chair Ian Findlay; Library Board Liaison Bang Ly; Friends Secretary Tara Signorelli

Front Row: Member-at-Large Kathy MacLean; Membership Coordinator Mary Mulholland; Member-at-Large James Gordon; Member-at-Large Linda Kearns; Friends Treasurer May Goodwin; Members-at-Large Nancy Ryan and Anne MacKay

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AGM – April 19 – Update

The Executive of the Friends were thrilled to hold its first “in person” Annual General Meeting on April 19 since Covid-19 forced the cancellation of meetings from 2020-2022.

At the business meeting the members passed a new set of Bylaws, a budget for the upcoming year, and a new slate of executive members. We bid farewell to our founding Chair, Virginia Gillham, who has decided that after more than 15 years of dedicated service to the Friends and to the public library it is time to pass the torch to a new executive. Her contribution to the success of the Friends, and to the annual fund-raising initiative, the used book sale, is beyond measure. Her energetic leadership will be missed.

Following the business meeting we were delighted by our guest speaker, Architect, Duncan Bates, who gave us an extensive “tour” through the amazing features of the new main library.

Thank you! to all of you who recently responded to our requests for membership renewal – your support of the Friends is always appreciated!

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Who are the Friends of the Guelph Public Library?

We are an arms-length group of community volunteers who believe that the Guelph Public Library is a necessary & vital community institution.

We support the goals of the Library.

We volunteer to make a great library even better.

We promote the Library in the community through special programs, fundraising, and advocacy.

Our main fundraiser is our annual Community book sale.

After an annual gift to the library for current programming, investments from revenue sources such as the annual Book Sale accrue to nearly $1 million. This will be available for use when a new library is built.

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Mary Elizabeth Macrae
d. March 25, 2023

The Friends of the Guelph Public Library are sad to announce the passing of a true friend and staunch supporter of the public library, Elizabeth Macrae. We wish to recognize her  faithful support of the Friends of the GPL, and extend our condolences to her family and friends. For more about Elizabeth’s exceptional life click here.

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Please click here to read a thank you message to the Friends Book Sale Volunteers from our 2022 Core Committee Coordinator, May Goodwin

And to our sponsors, donors, suppliers, neighbours, and faithful customers –  a warm thank you for your invaluable support!

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The Customer Feedback survey from this year’s sale has gathered some great feedback that will help us plan for next year’s sale. But it is closed now, and we have drawn a winner for the Market Fresh $25 gift card. The winner this year is L. Bowman – congratulations!

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