On one of the national library listservs, folks recently shared information about the size of their Friends groups. The numbers seemed low given their cardholder populations:
| Population | Cardholders | Friends |
| 245,000 | 174,000 | 600 |
| 100,000 | 45,000 | 200 |
Coincidentally, at about the same time I attended meetings of two separate Friends groups in Massachusetts. Officer terms were due to expire in October for both groups. During the meetings the group presidents asked “Will people volunteer to stay on another year?” Officers quickly agreed and the meetings proceeded. Board positions weren’t posted, there were no elections — it was a fait accompli.
The data from the two large libraries and my first-hand experience caused me to wonder whether as ‘library people’ we ask enough for help and support — and whether we’re truly giving our neighbors enough opportunities to extend it.
