Friends of the Forest Grove Library was established in 1973 to support our community library, the Forest Grove City Library in Forest Grove, Oregon.  (see more history, below)

The primary purpose of Friends is to raise money for library programs.  See the most recent version of the Friends Strategic Plan: SP Adopted February 2020.  Almost all of the cultural events, children’s programs and teen programs at the library are funded in part  by your Friends of the Forest Grove Library.  See Friends’ Bylaws

Friends Board members are Martha Robertson (President), Susan Schubothe  (VP), Katie Allnutt (Secretary), Mike Smith (Treasurer), Dave Pauli, Charlene McCloskey, Angela Mooney and Jane Romig (Board Members).

Email us: fgcl.friends@gmail.com

The start of Friends
The following are some reminiscences by Mike Smith, City Librarian back when Friends got their start.
Friends was established, as I recall, in 1973, the year before I arrived to become the City Librarian.
The library—the Rogers City Library located on the corner of College Way and 21^st Avenue since 1909—was in crisis.  The Library Board recommended that the city buy the post office building (when its lease expired) to become the new library building.   The City Council, on which Aldie Howard was a new member, and City Manager, Tony Baldwin, balked at the idea.  The City Librarian resigned and soon after the Board resigned in protest.  The governance of the library was questioned by Council.
The Library Board had been created under ORS 357 which gave them, as the governing board, a lot of say in the selection and acquisition of property but no taxing authority.  The governing board model can and, in this case, did conflict with the powers of the Council.  The new City Library Commission, defined as advisory to City Council, was created by City ordinance in the fall of 1974.
Into this maelstrom stepped the creators of the Friends.  Names that come to my mind are Millie Hagen and Gwen Walker.  I know that Ellen Bump helped with the paperwork founding Friends as a non-profit organization under state law.
The point is that Friends formed, in large part, to assure that our public library would survive.  They were not sure what the name of the library would be after the dust settled. That’s why they are named Friends of the Forest Grove Library; without “public,” “city,” or “Rogers.”