“Give Time. Give Gratitude. Give Support.” These are the three ways that Giving Tuesday, the nonprofit organization that conceptualized this event of “radical giving,” suggests you participate every year, on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
There are many ways you can consider giving to your library tomorrow and in the days, weeks, and months that follow. I am privileged to be writing on behalf of both the Converse Free Library’s Board of Trustees and the Friends of Lyme Library (of which I have been a contributing member since 1989).
Give Time
- Consider becoming more active with the Friends of Lyme Library (FoLL). They are currently seeking new board members. Here’s how to get in touch and learn more: https://www.
friendslymelibrary.org/home/ about-us; email: friendsoflymelibrary@gmail.com - Volunteer at the library. We have a limited number of volunteer opportunities, but we welcome your inquiries and involvement! Some jobs are just once a year, some are on a regular basis. Start by filling out this form: https://lymenhlibrary.
org/library-information-2/ about-us/getting-involved- volunteer/ - Think about running for a spot on the Board of Trustees. Every year, three seats on the board open up (sometimes contested, sometimes not); all nine of the positions are elected by the voters of Lyme. Learn more about being a Trustee by contacting someone on the current board: https://lymenhlibrary.
org/library-information-2/ staff-and-board/
Give Gratitude
I am the fortunate recipient of much gratitude directed toward the library because of the position I hold here, but a lot of what comes my way is due to the work of our staff, board, the Friends, and our many volunteers. For instance, did you know that volunteers Peggy Plunkett and Sara Chaffee hide themselves in our workroom downstairs for several hours every week in order to cover new books, upgrade existing ones, and repair some much-loved books that still have life left in them? Did you know that it is Friends Treasurer Andrea Colgan who selects and maintains all the outdoor seasonal decorations? Her colorful containers that line the ramp have become legendary and she always makes the front entrance look so inviting. We are graced with many caring and attentive support people in a variety of positions. I am grateful to each of them.
Here’s what Giving Tuesday suggests for ways to show gratitude: “Write thank you cards, post on social media, and share your appreciation for the people and organizations who are helping your community.” #lymenhlibrary
Give Support
There are two ways you can financially contribute to the library beyond the relatively small amount it receives via property taxes:*
1. The Friends of Lyme Library supports the library by funding public programs and purchasing needed furnishings and enhancements not normally covered by our budget with the Town, where we receive our annual appropriation. The Friends pay for our digital New York Times subscription and the daily print Valley News, along with several other subscriptions and online services. They paid for the major improvements to the side entrance this past year. We are so grateful for the Friends. They give about $12,000 a year to the library (with your help) and are a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit entity not directly affiliated with the library. Their address is P.O. Box 218, Lyme, NH 03768. You can also use this link to donate via the PayPal Giving Fund:
2. The Lyme Town Library (doing business as Converse Free Library) also has a fundraising arm, established in 1980 when Lyme citizens were planning the addition of the back wing to the library. The tax-exempt entity continues to this day, which is how we are able to receive grants and private donations. Monies donated here can go toward general operations or can be directed toward a specific purpose (with final decisions entrusted to the Library Director). Donations made directly to the library are also tax-deductible “to the fullest extent of the law.” We are a SOUNK organization, which governs the rules around deductibility. Our address is 38 Union Street, Lyme, NH 03768 and checks can be made out to Lyme Town Library. Here is the library’s PayPal Giving Fund link: https://www.paypal.com/
For more information about the Lyme Town Library/Converse Free Library and its plans for the future, see our current Strategic Plan. Members of the Board of Trustees are looking at how to sustain the library, its building and contents and its essential role in the community, in the years to come. We welcome you at any of our public meetings. (See our mission statement at the bottom of my signature.)
*For 2026, the library is requesting $234,232.00 for its budget appropriation, a 2.75% increase over last year. In 2025, our request represented less than 8% of the town’s operating budget. After combining town and school budget totals, the library’s request represented just 1.8% of the town’s overall operating expenses. That’s a lot of library bang for your tax buck! Like many libraries, we rely on grants and donations to pay for expenses beyond what the town’s allocation can cover. Please call or email me if you have further questions.
However you decide to give to your library—and I do hope you will consider giving in some way to this 117-year-old institution/89-year-old building, a cornerstone of our extraordinary community—we thank you for your patronage.
For more information on Giving Tuesday: https://www.
