Friends of the Library

The Friends of the Smiths Falls Public Library was started in 1994. Since its inception the Friends of the Library have held many successful fundraising events, in addition to actively seeking grants to be used towards fulfilling its mandate.

We now have a Facebook page! You can find us here!

Some of our fundraising activities, and some of the many ways we contribute to the community are as follows:

Annual Book Sale
In addition to raising funds for the Friends of the Library, this book sale provides books for community bookshelves at the foodbank, the senior’s activity centre and other locations that put them to good use.
2025 Book Sale
Our next book sale will be held on Saturday, June 7th outside the historic library building located at 81 Beckwith Street North. 
We will start collecting books in the spring, but please feel free to contact us if you have books that need to be cleaned out now.
Stay tuned to our Spring 2025 Newsletter or our Facebook page for additional details.

Film Night International
Friends of the Library and the Smiths Falls Community Theatre work together to present the best in foreign and independent films as part of “The Film Circuit”, TIFF’s film outreach programme. 

The season will include six films beginning in October 2024. The dates for this year’s films, which is subject to change, are:

2024
Oct. 10th
Nov. 21st

2025
Jan. 23rd
Feb. 27th
Mar. 27th
Apr. 24th

Showtimes are Thursdays at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at the Station Theatre, 53 Victoria Ave. Smiths Falls. Read our quarterly Newsletter or follow our Facebook page for the title and confirmation of the dates for each film. All profits are shared between the Friends of the Library and the Smiths Falls Community Theatre.

Patient Pastime Library
We provide books and activities for the “Tea and Toast” cart operated by the Ladies Auxiliary in both campuses of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital.  This is funded through a grant from the Perth and District Community Foundation.

Duncan J. Schoular Public School Breakfast Program
The Friends of the Library help support this Breakfast Program.
Our volunteers prepare and serve food on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 to 10:00 for any student who wishes to participate.
If you are interested in volunteering for the 2024/25 year, please contact us by e-mail at the address below.  You will see first-hand how rewarding it can be to roll up your sleeves and give back to the Smiths Falls Community.

Give a Child a Book
In the spring of each year, students in specific grades at select local schools are presented with an age-appropriate fiction book to treasure as their own. We try to do this on World Book Day, which in 2025 is Wednesday April 23rd

Details of the presentations can be found on our Facebook page or in our quarterly Newsletter.

This year we are assisting in raising funds towards the purchase of furniture, including movable shelving, intended for the Children’s Library in the newly renovated Children’s Department, which is on its way.

How can you help?

The Board for the Friends of the Library meets on the second Tuesday of each month at the Smiths Falls Public Library – temporarily located in the former post office building at 30 Russell Street, East.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to become a member of the Board, help us financially or volunteer to assist us with any of our fundraising activities.

Note:  As a registered Charity, donations of $20 or more are eligible for a receipt for Income Tax purposes.