Why Do We Matter?
We matter because The Friends make a visible difference in our community. Friends members make a difference for library users. Below are some examples.
Members of The Friends are local residents who, like you, recognize that the Horsham Library has much to offer our community and want to support it. To become a Friend, complete and submit a membership form.
Summer Reading Program – Promoting reading for all ages
The Summer Reading Program is a major focus for the fundraising done each year by the Friends. The theme of this summer’s 2023 Summer Reading Program was All Together Now and ran from June 16 – August 11, 2023. Daniel the Tiger visited on Kick-Off Day. There were 551 participants (up from 517 people in 2022), including children, teenagers and adults, and they logged 657,344 minutes of reading (up from 467,000 minutes in 2022.) The program was again run primarily through the Beanstack application, and 752 reviews were written in Beanstack.
There were 2464 people who attended one or more of the 68 programs that were offered through the summer. Successful programs included Mad Science of NJ, Teen Art Afternoons, Eyes of the Wild, and the Dance Party Story Time. Programs for adults included an adult improv show, Mocktails and Quizzo, and Senior Movies. Book Bingo and more. Indoor and Outdoor Story Times were other Summer Reading Program offerings.
Prizes were awarded to 12 lucky Summer Reading winners. This year’s summer program once again concluded with a free bike helmet distribution and the ever-popular Kona water ice treats.
Special Programs – Enhancing lives with educational opportunities
Thousands of people enjoy Friends-sponsored events every year. From family programming to hands-on teen events to engaging and informative discussions and lectures for adults, there’s something for everyone at the Horsham Library. Several new author visits, more gardening presentations, and other events are in the planning stages for 2024.
Museum Pass Program – Extending learning into the wider landscape
The Friends sponsor membership FREE passes to several local museums, arboreta and a zoo. As our community begins to scale back on the need for pandemic mitigations, the Friends will be offering additional museum pass opportunities.
The Horsham Library currently offers the following Museum Passes:
-
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (2 adults and 5 children per pass)
-
Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve (2 adults and accompanying children)
-
Elmwood Park Zoo (2 passes; 2 adults, 6 children each)
-
Eastern State Penitentiary (6 people)
-
John James Audubon Society (2 adults, 4 children)
-
Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle (2 people)
-
Museum of the American Revolution (2 adults, 4 children)
-
Mütter Museum (4 people)
-
National Constitution Center (2 adults, 4 children)
-
Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum (2 people)
The Friends fund the purchase of these museum passes. Each museum offers free admission; the number of people is determined by them. Passes are checked out for 3 days; they cannot be reserved or renewed.
Check out this video that describes how you can use the museum passes.
