About the Friends
The Friends of the Chatham Area Public Library was founded in 1986, and is a volunteer 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to supplement the Library’s annual budget for materials and programs and supporting literacy initiatives in the Chatham community. The Friends welcome new members and offer service opportunities for youth and adult groups.
The Friends of the Chatham Area Public Library are that and a whole lot more! Some of the other things the Friends do to make the library services better for our patrons include:
- Hosting the annual Murder Mystery Dinner Theater Fundraiser
- Sponsoring the Teen and Adult Summer Reading Programs
- Providing volunteers to help with various library programs
- Sponsoring the Rolling Prairie Digital Consortium e-books and more databases
- Providing computers and equipment for the library
Murder Mystery Theater Fundraiser
Join us every March for an evening of intrigue, wacky characters, and MURDER! Can you guess whodunnit? Watch this space for information about our 2026 production!
Book Sales
Thank you everyone who donated for and bought books at the Sweet Corn Book Sale. We raised over $2000 for the Library's services and programs.
Book connoisseurs enjoyed bargain prices for a large assortment of items.
Special Perk - Friends Members were invited early for a “Power Hour” from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. We had individuals take advantage of joining that morning.
Also, the Bargain Sale opened for everyone at 2:00 p.m. for a donation of $2.00. What a deal!
Want to volunteer? We can always use help to set up and take down the sale. Contact friends@chathamlib.org if you or your group are interested in assisting.
“I Got my Library Card” tote bags for children ages 15 and younger.
To celebrate the special milestone of receiving a child’s first library card, the Friends of the Chatham Area Public Library are providing a child-sized book bag for kids 0-15. Kids who sign up for their card will receive this fun bag featuring our very own literacy dinosaur Lyle Barry – FOR FREE – when they sign up for their first library card.
This early literacy initiative is funded by the Friends of the Library. The Friends do many things for our library by fundraising and volunteering at our annual book sale, Murder Mystery Play, and bookstore.
Click here to learn more about joining the Friends of the Library. Click here to learn more about the Bookstore and how you can donate books or volunteer.