Did you know that FOLSOI marked its 30th anniversary in September, 2020? Disappointingly, COVID-19 cancelled the annual meeting where the party (complete with cake and ice cream!) was to be held.

The 12-person volunteer board of directors is just not going to let the milestone pass without fanfare. Kicking off the festivities, the summer issue of South Brunswick Magazine published “One for the Books,” an article highlighting how FOLSOI is building a stronger community through strong public libraries. Read the story here (on Page 49).

The story notes that FOLSOI is the only Friends group in Brunswick County that supports two libraries. And that requires a large group of dedicated enthusiastic volunteers who work to raise funds to fill the gap left by North Carolina state funding.

Every year, FOLSOI helps provide educational and cultural adult and child programs, expands the libraries’ book collections, purchases library supplies, and engages the community through outreach efforts.

By far, the group’s biggest fundraiser is the FOLSOI book store located in Southport Realty. It contains a wide range of titles to catch the eye of every kind of reader, from kids’ stories to classics, historical tomes to how-to books, paperbacks and hard covers.  It’s an extremely organized collection of more than 10,000+ gently used books, CDs, puzzles and vinyls.

Volunteers manage the bookstore, organize and host programs and events, and ultimately ensure responsible spending of the funds. And despite COVID, they never skipped a beat.

Memberships to Friends are the second biggest fund raiser. And while the book sales  (right now) are once a month (plus the Southport Summer Market, Wednesdays in Franklin Square 11am-1pm), you can become a member of FOLSOI at any time!

So, there are lots of reasons for FOLSOI to celebrate, even a year late! It’s finally time to recognize all of the volunteers including founding members, present and past board members, and the many accomplishments over thirty years.

The anniversary fanfare will culminate at the annual meeting on September 21, 2021 at the Southport Community Center.  All Friends, old and new, are invited to attend.

And yes, there will be cake!

Read the complete South Brunswick Magazine story here (on Page 49).