In 1967, the Beatles recorded a song that summed up the importance of friendships in our lives and how we all "get by with a little help from (our) friends."

At Mancos Public Library, we also rely on friends' dedication and support to enable us to provide a multitude of resources and services to the Mancos community.

Oct. 19-25 is the ninth annual celebration of National Friends of the Libraries week, so I'd like to give a special thanks to a group that works tirelessly behind the scenes, while dedicating their efforts to the library: our Friends of the Mancos Public Library.

The Friends have been instrumental in the library landscaping. The Friends helped raise the money for the foliage and lawn, worked tirelessly planting and moving dirt, and coordinated efforts for thanking all of those who gave.

The Friends also give generous financial support to the library. Since the construction on the library building began in 2008, the Friends have donated over $63,000 to the Mancos Public Library. They gave a large donation to help complete the library solar system and have helped us to purchase a new vacuum for the meeting room, a bulletin board for the teen areas, software for the library computers, a barcode scanner, summer reading program reward books, research database subscriptions, and much more. They've even donated topsoil from their yards.

Their fundraising comes from hours of hard work. They host book sales and bake sales, sell Stanton Englehart posters and cards, volunteer at library events and fundraisers and are constantly looking for ways to raise money.

The Friends also host membership drives so they can increase their capacity to give. However, more engaged members are needed. Please consider getting involved today by calling Lee Hallberg at (970)533-7600 to find out more.

Lee Hallberg is the director of the Mancos Public Library.