Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Library Southport & Oak Island (FOLSOI) supports the mission and programs of the Margaret & James Harper, Jr. Library in Southport and the G.V. Barbee, Sr Library on Oak Island. FOLSOI is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization registered under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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For Info on All Library Events – Please Click Here to Visit

Their Event Calendar.

 

FOLSOI Annual Meeting & Membership Appreciation Event

A Royal Engagement with the Queen of Beach Reads: Mary Kay Andrews

Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 1:00pm

Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay Street, Southport

 

Mary Kay Andrews is a New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels, including her 2026 release Road Trip, as well as Summers at the Saint; The High Tide Club; The Weekenders; Savannah Blues and many more.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, she earned a B.A. in journalism from The University of Georgia and spent 14 years as a newspaper reporter before switching to fiction in 1991, writing ten critically acclaimed mysteries under her real name, Kathy Hogan Trocheck. She assumed the pen name Mary Kay Andrews in 2002 and wrote her first bestseller, Hissy Fit, in 2006, followed by 15 more New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. These days, Mary Kay and her family divide their time between Atlanta and Tybee Island, GA.

Road Trip synopsis:

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters who have been estranged for years. When their mother’s death brings the family back together, the two learn they have inherited a painting–one that could be worth millions. Or it could be a fake. The only way they can solve the problem is to find the original. This means a road trip–to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred years ago.

OTHER INFO:  Registration: This event is free, but registration is required. With the expectation of a full event, registration will open first to those with an active FOLSOI membership on August 1st. Registration will open to the public on August 8th.  Signup links will be emailed to members first then to all mailing list participants.

Books will be available for purchase and signing. Light refreshments to follow.

 

WIN DINNER WITH NYT BEST SELLING AUTHOR MARY KAY ANDREWS!

A winner has been chosen for dinner with Mary Kay Andrews!
 
Erika Dosher, branch manager at Barbee Library, pulled the winning raffle ticket today, 8/24/26.  Nancy Fultz of Southport and her guest will join Mary Kay Andrews for dinner at Joseph’s Italian Bistro on Monday, August 31st.
 
Thank you to everyone who supported FOLSOI’s fundraiser for the “Barbee Library Expansion Project” by purchasing raffle tickets online, at the Once More Bookstore, or in one of our library branches!  
 
Congratulations, Nancy! 

Brunswick County Commissioners have committed $150,000 to expand the meeting room capacity at the Barbee Library on Oak Island. FOLSOI is kicking off a fundraising campaign to raise the other $150,000* to make this dream come true.

Click to donate by credit card or to donate stock & be a part of making our coastal community a better place to live.

Questions? Email us at give@folsoi.org 

Thank you for your support!

Click here for more details!

 

*FOLSOI received an interest-free bridge loan in July, providing the full amount needed for Brunswick County to begin the bidding process. We will continue tracking actual funds raised through our goal thermometer.

Total donated as of 8/31/2026

Created using the Donation Thermometer plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/donation-thermometer/.$150,000$126,126Raised $126,126 towards the $150,000 target.84%

Introducing Book Club in a Bag! This new collection features over 20 “book clubs” ready to go with sturdy tote bags that include 10 copies of a book and book discussion questions.

The collection was selected by a team of library staff and features a variety of award winners, bestsellers, and more. Each bag has everything you need to host a book club discussion with a guide that has questions made up from guides from publishers, authors, and your very own Brunswick County Library staff!

Click here for a link to the Brunswick County page with full details!

Our Impact in 2025

Our mission is to serve our community by supporting excellence in collection and program development and more at Harper and Barbee Libraries.

$ Raised from Grants

$ Raised from Donations

$ Raised from Memberships

$ Raised from Our Book Sales

Friends/Members

Volunteers/Hours Worked

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