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
We Need Your Unwanted Books
Is your New Year’s Resolution to declutter and get organized? We can help!
The Friends are collecting donations of unwanted books in preparation for the February Used Book Sale. Specifically, we’re looking for Children’s titles, Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Romance and assorted nonfiction, including textbooks less than five years old. Additionally, we also accept CDs, DVDs, and antique literary collections.
Simply leave your donations in the library’s lobby under the stairs across from the Circulation Desk, and your materials will be processed and resold for $1 to help fund new programs and resources for our branch!
The Friends are a 501(c)(3) charity; all donations are fully tax deductible.
An End of Year Message to Our Members
Dear Neighbors,
As our 50th year in support of the West Roxbury Branch Library draws to a close, we can look back on all that has been accomplished with delight and optimism for the future. As you know, we exist to strengthen and expand the Library’s value to its patrons and, in doing so, to make its resources more attractive and available to the diverse community that Librarian Sheila Scott and her talented staff serve in so many creative and productive ways.
All of us have acquired the practical strategies of Covid avoidance, and the results are measured by the growing number of visitors to the Library; the increasing number of eager buyers at this year’s book sales; the enthusiastic participants in this year’s thirty-fifth annual Poetry Contest; our special lecture programs featuring noted authors and journalists; and our annual Meet and Greet open house. We’re honored to welcome so many new faces to our extended family though these efforts.
The Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library is a volunteer organization. Our income from the sale of used books donated to us by so many individuals brings us revenue that enables the Friends to augment the Library’s limited resources in the pursuit of broader awareness that the library is not merely books on shelves, but a veritable Swiss army knife of educational tools designed to stimulate and enrich curious minds of all ages.
We welcome your continued participation and support as we embark on our next half-century of service to our wonderful friends from West Roxbury and beyond.
Our board evolves from year to year, as long-serving members step back and new arrivals enrich our activities with their own ideas and talents. We urge those of you who already support us in spirit to consider the board as a worthy platform for your creative energies.
Sincerely,
Andrea & Bob
Co-Chairs
Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library
Low Temps, High Spirits at Holiday Market
Saturday evening was the perfect time to celebrate the season with fellow book lovers. It was the West Roxbury Main Streets Holiday Market at the Rockland Trust Lot, and the Friends joined dozens of other vendors, hosting a booth that stayed busy with holiday visitors and library lovers.
Despite the frigid temps, the community came out in droves and the littlest book lovers enjoyed collecting their goodie bags from the Friends, which were stuffed with chocolates, stickers, branded pencils, and bookmarks.
Many visitors to the Friends’ booth expressed their appreciation for the library, its free resources, knowledgeable staff, and busy programming, especially activities for children and toddlers. Neighbors agreed that it was the cornerstone of the local community.
We’re also very grateful to everyone who did their last-minute holiday shopping at our mini mobile book sale where we raised about $120 dollars. Those who bought at least five books received a free tote bag.
The best news? Several new members joined the Friends, including one lifetime member!
If you missed us at the holiday market but would still like to join for the New Year, please click here to learn more about becoming a Friend of the West Roxbury Branch Library.
It was truly a festive event, only made possible by the organizers, West Roxbury Main Street, and our wonderful member volunteers! Thank you to everyone who donated your time and talents to our first appearance at the Holiday Market.
As we head into 2025, we’re still seeking a few more volunteers for the annual Poetry Contest, which takes place in May. Committee meetings will begin in January. If interested, contact Jan: jekriz964@comcast.net.
Final Authors Talk Closes Year with Mysteries
The Friends extends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our recent Mystery Authors Stroll!
The evening was a great opportunity to connect with fellow book lovers, delve into the art of crafting compelling mysteries, and meet five truly talented authors—Leslie Meier, Frances McNamara, Dale Phillips, John Nardizzi, and Leslie Wheeler.
Their insights into the world of suspense, plot twists, and the intricacies of character development made for an engaging and thought-provoking session.
Despite the rainy weather, there were approximately 40 members in attendance. If you missed the event but are interested in learning more about the talented authors, their novels are available for purchase via Rozzie Bound Co-op.
To read Phillips’ blog post about the evening, please click here. 
We look forward to more author events in the new year and hope to see you all again soon!
If you have suggestions for future programming for 2025, please send them to FriendsoftheWestRoxburyLibrary@gmail.com.
This Giving Tuesday, Give the Gift of Time
The Friends of the West Roxbury Branch Library is seeking volunteers for two upcoming community events.
The engagement of our members is critical to the Friends and the vitality of our branch. When you volunteer at a Friends event, you give back to our community in the best and most direct way…plus it’s fun!
Below is more information about the opportunities; no prior experience needed.
West Roxbury Holiday Market: The Friends will have a booth at the annual holiday market in the Rockland Trust Parking Lot (1920 Centre St). Volunteers are needed to help set up the 10×10 stall, which consists of a folding table, books, and giveaways for children. Additional members are needed to man the booth and engage with guests. Set up is 2:30-3:45pm on Dec 14, and the market runs from 4-8pm that day. If interested, contact Blair: Blair.hammond85@icloud.com
Annual Poetry Contest: Members are invited to join the poetry committee whose marquee event is its poetry contest in the spring. In addition to selecting the 2025 contest theme, the committee publicizes the contest, collects the entries, notifies the winners, and plans the awards ceremony. This year’s ceremony will be held on May 5, 2025. Committee meetings to select this year’s theme and finalize a timeline will begin (via zoom) the second week of January. If interested, contact Jan: jekriz964@comcast.net
We hope you consider giving your time to these wonderful opportunities. Your support is what makes the Friends so special!
Join Our Next 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.
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.
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)