History of the Norfolk Public Library
The Norfolk Public Library was founded in 1880. A gift of 100 volumes was given by a private citizen’s group known as the Norfolk Library Association and by the loan of additional books from the Norfolk Farmer’s Club. For 12 years the library was housed on the first floor of the old Town Hall. It was only open from 7:00 to 9:00 on Saturday nights to coincide with the Norfolk Brass Band rehearsal, which was held in the same room. There arose the question of where to house the growing book collection. In 1898, the library was moved to the tower room on the second floor of the Center School where it stayed until 1919 when the town appropriated $350.00 to rent and furnish a room in the old Baptist Church. There it remained until the Grange bought the building and requested that the library be moved.
In 1951, the oldest portion of the present building was prepared for occupancy. Records show that the present local history room was built in 1845 to serve as the North School on the south corner of Cleveland and Fruit Streets. From that time until 1870, Norfolk was a part of Wrentham and the North School was one of 18 schools in the larger town. Shortly after 1900, a hook and ladder company was organized in Norfolk and housing was needed for their equipment. It was decided to use the North School building, which was taken down, piece by piece, and re-erected in its present location. It was used until 1926 when a new fire house was built farther down Main Street. For a number of years the building was used for band rehearsals and social gatherings, and in 1951 it again became an educational institution as the Norfolk Public Library.
In 1962, an additional 600 square feet was added to the original structure. In 1985, another addition was completed, bringing total available space to 8,000 square feet. In 2004, the library relocated to temporary quarters while a major addition/renovation was undertaken. In November, 2005 the library opened the new 23,000 square foot facility.
(Strategic Plan 2025-2029)
History of the Friends of the Norfolk Public Library
In 1973 that a group of avid library users realized that the library needed a support organization to further the mission of the library, to raise community awareness of the library, and to provide supplementary funding. This was the beginning of the Friends of the Library. In a low key way, they began to solicit memberships, hold book sales, offer author nights, and programs for teens and senior citizens.
In 1985, at the time of the library’s first expansion, the Friends contributed $10,000 to the ‘”furnishings fund”.
In 1986 the Friends formally incorporated and received their 501(c)(3)designation.
Throughout the 1990’s the Friends continued to support library activities, particularly in the area of emerging technology. They helped the library join the automated consortium to share resources, automate circulation, and provide an on-line card catalog.
Over the years membership in the Friends has grown to 500 through an annual membership drive.
And each year the Book & Bake Sale has grown exponentially. After outgrowing the library meeting room, the sale was moved to a large outdoor tent. After several years and one hurricane, the tent became too small so the sale was moved to the town highway garage. The book sale features over 30,000 volumes and attracts book aficionados from a wide geographic area. The sale is now held at the Freeman-Kennedy School on Boardman Street.
In the early 2000’s the Friends started a capital campaign fund, and by the time the new 23,000 square foot facility was under construction, they contributed $140,000 to the project.
Once the new building was completed the Friends are again focusing their support on programs and services that improve the quality of services and directly impact library users. The Friends work closely with library staff and trustees to ensure that their support is aligned with the library’s development plan.
The Friends of the Library contributes to the library by providing funding for programs and services that are beyond the scope of the library’s operating budget. Annual commitments are as follows: Providing passes to area museums in order that patrons have access to these museums at reduced fees; sponsoring adult, teens and children’s programs.
In 2006, when the newly renovated building was opened, not only did The Friends contribute to the purchase of the library’s self-check out system and automated check-in & sorting system, they also volunteered to help tag the entire collection with RFID tags. This was a major undertaking and the Friends coordinated a great number of volunteers who worked 12 hours per day for 3 weeks to tag the entire collection.
The Friends continue to support technology and have purchased printers, servers, and computers for our patrons to use. They have also purchased a DVD/CD inspection and cleaning machine in order to keep our audio-visual collections in good condition. To enhance communication with our patrons, they purchased an electronic bulletin board for our lobby.
The Friends of the Norfolk Public Library is a volunteer run, not-for profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Membership is open to all upon payment of annual dues, as set forth by the Executive Committee. Each dues-paying member is entitled to one vote at the annual meeting. The annual meeting takes place in May or June of each calendar year and elects the officers for a term of one year. The officers consist of the co-presidents, recording secretary, membership chair and treasurer. In between annual meetings the operations of the Friends is conducted by the Executive Committee.
The Friends of the Library is a volunteer organization with no paid staff. 100% of the net proceeds are used to promote the library and support library activities. In the unlikely event that the Friends should dissolve, any monies held at the time of dissolution will be turned over to a trust fund for the benefit of the Norfolk Public Library.
(written by Robin Glasser, former Library Director of the Norfolk Public
Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, Inc. 