The Friends is a volunteer 501 (c)(3) organization that raises funds to provide and enrich adult and children’s programming, enhance the physical space and gardens of the library, and promote awareness of library events and services.
Become a Friend for as little as $10
Friends Turns 50 with Community Meet & Greet Celebration
A capacity crowd celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library at the second-annual Meet & Greet, hosted by the Friends, at the library. Community members of all ages, elected officials, past board members, and new members were in attendance. In addition to the community celebration, Councilor Ben Weber shared an official resolution to congratulate the organization and its members.
“Celebrating 50 years of fostering an appreciation for the value of learning; promoting a love of books and reading; and supporting access to educational, cultural, and social opportunities for members of the West Roxbury community,” read the City of Boston’s resolution.
The West Roxbury Branch Library has traditionally had the highest circulation of any branch in the Boston Public Library system, aside from the central downtown branch.
The Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library was created in 1974 when Fred Kerrick and Alice Hennessey convened a small group of library lovers to discuss ways to help the branch. The Friends worked closely with library staff and helped with children’s story hours and other special programs.
At that time, the facility only consisted of the older, single-story building and was bursting at the seams. After years of effort from the Friends and city, the addition that includes the Circulation Desk and the Children’s and Community Rooms was dedicated on September 24, 1989.
With the expansion of the library, services have flourished. Today the Friends programs include: an annual Poetry Contest, a Book Discussion Group, the West Roxbury Reads (WRR) initiative, and a Summer Reading Program for school-age children. Membership dues also pay for passes to Boston museums and the Franklin Park Zoo and subscriptions to an assortment of magazines and newspapers.
To read our full history, click here.
Upcoming Event – Mystery Writers Panel
Monday, December 9, doors at 5p.m. & panel at 5:30p.m.
Community Room in West Roxbury Branch Library
Mystery writers Leslie Meier, Frances McNamara, Dale Phillips, and John Nardizzi will join Leslie Wheeler, of Sisters in Crime-New England, for a panel discussion followed by a book stroll where copies of the author’s works can be signed. Titles will be available for purchase via Rozzie Bound Co-op.
Introducing Our New Poetry Contest Judge
We are pleased and honored to have Anne Elezabeth Pluto take on the role of selecting award winners for the 2025 Poetry Contest for all ages.
The Friends’ annual Poetry Contest is a community-wide event held each spring for more than 35 years.
Anne is Professor of Literature and Theatre at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. She is an alumna of Shakespeare & Company and was a member of the Worcester Shakespeare Company 2011 – 2016. She was a member of the Boston small press scene in the late 1980s and is one of the founders and editors at Nixes Mate Review and Nixes Mate Books. She has two full-length collections: The Deepest Part of Dark, Unlikely Stories Press, NOLA (2020), and How Many Miles to Babylon?, Lily Books, (2023).
The 36th annual poetry contest will get underway in late January of 2025 with the announcement of this year’s theme. Poets will have approximately 6 weeks to submit their entries and the awards ceremony will take place in early May, where each wining poem will be red aloud for the public.
Submissions may be entered by hand at the library, via email, or mailed directly to the Friends. Watch this website for more details about the contest.
Friends Author Named Among Prestigious 2024 MacArthur Fellows
Congratulations to Jason Reynolds! Recently Reynolds was named a 2024 MacArthur Fellow along with 22 other “genius grant” recipients, becoming the first Friends’ author to earn the prestigious honor. The children’s author was awarded a Lois Lowry Award for Young Adult Authors from the Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library in 2016 and visited the branch to discuss his work.
Today, Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books, including Look Both Ways, All American Boys, Long Way Down, and Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi).
In addition to being named a MacArthur fellow, Reynolds has been the recipient of a Newbery Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors. He is on faculty at Lesley University, for the Writing for Young People MFA Program, and lives in Washington, D.C.
Other past recipients of the Friends’ grant include, Katie Bayerl, author of A Psalm for Lost Girls, and Karen McManus, author of One of Us Is Lying.
As a member of the Friends, your support and engagement strengthens our branch’s role in the West Roxbury community and the broader literary culture of our country. Thank you for your continued commitment and congratulations to Jason Reynolds!
Thank you for shopping the Used Book Sale!
The community came out in droves to support the recent West Roxbury branch library Used Book Sale! On the first day alone, we surpassed previous sales by about 25 percent. As a reminder, every dollar raised during Friends programs is reinvested back into the branch to fund community events, children’s activities, and provide supplies that exceed the city’s allocated budget. In addition to strong sales, we also welcomed several new members to the Friends.
If you’re also interested in becoming a Friend of the West Roxbury Branch Library, please click here.
36th Annual Poetry Contest
May 5, 2025
Community Room in West Roxbury Library
The Friends’ annual Poetry Contest is a community-wide event held each spring for more than 35 years. Once the year’s theme is announced, local poets of all ages may enter their work into the competition. Winners are then invited to a ceremony at the West Roxbury Branch Library where each winning poem is read aloud. This year’s judge will be Anne Elezabeth Pluto. Stay tuned for details here.
Upcoming in 2025
Spring Used Book Sale
ReadBoston’s Storymobile
Much more…
President Obama extends support for American librarians in open letter.
Read his letter as posted on the American Library Association website: President Obama Extends Support to American Librarians in an Open Letter | News and Press Center (ala.org)