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
Book Sales
Friends of the Library Sweet Corn Book Sale
Saturday, July 18, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Don't miss the Sweet Corn Book Sale before you head off to the festivities at the park. Enjoy bargain prices for a large assortment of items.
Special Perk – Friends Members are invited early for a “Power Hour” from 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Not a member? You can join that morning!
Also, the Bargain Sale opens to everyone at 2:00 p.m. for a $2.00 donation. What a deal! (Please note: No advance stockpiling of books is allowed.)
Please note: The Friends Bookstore will NOT accept donations throughout July due to preparations for their annual Booksale. They will welcome back donations on August 1st.
Want to volunteer? We can always use help to set up and take down the sale. To volunteer, sign up here!
Murder Mystery Theater Fundraiser
Join us every March for an evening of intrigue, wacky characters, and MURDER! Can you guess whodunnit?
Thank you to everyone who came out this year to help crack the case! Keep an eye out for news on the next installment in Spring 2027.
“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.