History of Friends of Libraries Week Awards

FOLIO’s Friends of Libraries Week inaugural awards were in 2017

2024Library serving fewer than 10,000No entries received
Library serving more than 10,000Friends of Southwest Oklahoma City Library
2023Library serving fewer than 10,000No entries received
Library serving more than 10,000Friends of the Helmerich Library - TCCL
2022Library serving fewer than 10,000No entries received
Library serving more than 10,000No entries received
2021Library serving fewer than 10,000Friends of the McLoud Public Library
Library serving more than 10,000SOKC Friends of the Library
2019Library serving fewer than 10,000Friends of the Elgin Community Library
Library serving more than 10,000Friends of the Tulsa City-County Library
2018Library serving fewer than 10,000Friends of the Grove Public Library
Library serving more than 10,000Elk City Friends of the Library
2017Library serving fewer than 10,000Friends of the McLoud Public Library
Library serving more than 10,000Friends of Southwest Oklahoma City Library

FOLIO instituted Friends of Libraries (FOL) Week awards in 2017. Started in 2005 by United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, Friends of Libraries Week is an annual national week of recognition in October. The celebration offers a two-fold opportunity: (1) to celebrate Friends: creatively promote Friends in the community, to raise awareness, and to promote membership, and (2) to reward Friends: an excellent opportunity for library and Board of Trustees to recognize the Friends for their help and support of the library.

Based on FOLIO’s Best Friends awards and on the national FOL week awards, FOLIO board member Michele Ramsdell developed the criteria for two FOLIO awards, one award for a library serving more than 10,000 people and one for a library serving fewer than 10,000 people. Selection was made in November 2018, and award letters and checks were mailed before the end of the year. Awardees were recognized in the FOLIO newsletter and also at the FOLIO Annual Award Luncheon in the Spring. The annual award is promoted through the FOLIO newsletter and website, through messages distributed via OLA listserv and website, and the Public Library listserv maintained by ODL, and by FOLIO board members.