Friends of the North Castle Public Library

In 1938, four volunteers came together to create what is now the North Castle Public Library. The group, which became the Friends of the North Castle Public Library, Inc. ("the Friends"), conceived, constructed, stocked and staffed the Library until it was turned over to the Town of North Castle in 1956. In the 1980s, the Friends oversaw a major expansion of the Library building and the addition of the 186-seat theater, Whippoorwill Hall.

The Friends is an organization consisting predominantly of residents of the Town of North Castle, New York, that exists to help the Library achieve its maximum usefulness and benefit to the community as its informational and cultural center. The Friends was incorporated as a New York not-for-profit corporation in 1993 as a successor to a predecessor unincorporated association. The Friends creates an awareness of the resources, educational and cultural programs and other activities made available to the North Castle community by the Library. These resources, in turn, not only benefit North Castle and Westchester County, but also residents of neighboring towns and counties. The Friends qualifies as a tax-exempt charitable organization, contributions to which are deductible to the extent provided by law.

The Friends, after consultation with the Library's Board of Trustees and the Library staff, determines how dues and other revenues raised by the Friends can most effectively benefit the Library and its missions and programs. In the conduct of its activities, including the receipt of gifts and bequests given to the Friends, the organization assists in improving facilities and services to the Library and serves as a means of securing and providing volunteer workers and other assistance to the Library, as may be requested.

The Friends' programs and activities are entirely administered by its directors, officers and other volunteers. The Friends raises funds to support its purposes by conducting the Armonk Outdoor Art Show, performances by the Armonk Players and other such programs and activities as the Board of Directors determines. Since 1938, the Friends has maintained a high visibility presence within the community, at the Library and in its theater, by providing funds for the many projects not covered by the town budget. The objective of the Friends is to furnish the "extras" that make the Library so special.

Since its inception, the Friends have given the North Castle community:

The original Library building
The Library wing, doubling its previous size
Whippoorwill Hall, the community theater
Renovation of The Children's Room, the Reading Room, the Young Adult Room and Staff Offices

Recent cultural projects sponsored and funded by the Friends include:

Speakers: Michael Bloomberg, Howard Fast, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Richard Dreyfuss, Donald Gregg
Bluegrass concerts: Nashville Bluegrass Band, Lonesome River Band, Jay Geils
Jazz concerts: Bucky Pizzarelli
New music selections: Copland House, Westchester Philharmonic
Classical music: Allegro String Ensemble, Classical Duets, Chamber Consort
Classic film series: The Third Man, Psycho, Jules et Jim, High Noon
Purchase of a concert quality piano for Whippoorwill Hall
Initiating a DVD collection
State of the art audio-visual equipment
Sponsorship of semi-annual productions plus readings by The Armonk Players
Co-sponsorship of The Winter Walk

In addition, The Friends has also recently updated Library facilities including:

Computers, software, printers
State of the art telephone system
New shelving for the North White Plains Branch
Hand-carved signs
Reference desks and furniture
New furniture for upstairs coming in Spring, 2007

The Friends' major fund-raising event is the annual Armonk Outdoor Art Show. Begun in 1961, the Art Show started as a local show set up in front of the library with paintings hung on snow fencing. The Art Show has since expanded to a 204-booth show held on 10 acres at North Castle Community Park with participating artists coming from coast-to-coast, Canada and England. More than 200 resident volunteers run the Art Show, which for many is a year-long project of organization and implementation. Other volunteers devote themselves for the weekend of the Art Show and the week leading up to it.

For the 40^th anniversary of the Armonk Outdoor Art Show in 2001, the North Castle Town Board issued a proclamation that cited the Friends for its "selfless dedication to the community" and "most gratefully thanks the Friends for its tireless efforts, heartfelt devotion, generosity of spirit and achievements of excellence." The Town Board further congratulated the Friends "for all of its contributions to enhance the Town and its quality of life."

For more than 69 years, the Friends has remained a very vibrant part of the public-private partnership of the North Castle Public Library -- an intellectual and cultural center for the community and its Westchester County neighbors.