The Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library sponsors or supports activities to promote reading and learning by members of our community. For adults, the Friends sponsors two book clubs. Our annual meetings feature authors, journalists, and newsmakers from Takoma Park, and it is where members elect the board. We have a monthly radio show — organized around a theme (like a local mother-daughter book club) — on Takoma Park’s WOWD, There is an annual “Favorite Poem Evening,” where anyone can bring a poem to read. The Friends also sponsors Spring for Poetry. Each year, beautifully-designed posters with a poem or two are placed around the community.

For children, the Friends provide financial support or sponsorship for Spanish Circle Time, taking place twice each Thursday, featuring singing and dancing to Spanish songs that teach basic language concepts. There is also a once-a-month French Circle Time. The popular SummerQuest and WinterQuest reading adventure programs is sponsored by FTPML, as is the annual Scary Stories program, Eaglebear, craft programs, and special events, like Harry Potter’s Birthday.

The Friends co-sponsor events with other organizations to bring cultural programs to the city. For example, FTPML has partnered with the City of Takoma Park’s “We Are Takoma” cultural series to bring thought-provoking programs related to politics, culture and history.

We are chiefly supported through membership and by selling donated books at our book sales, which take place three times a year. Learn more about our book sales, and find out when the next one will take place, here.