Friends assist with library fundraising

MALVERN — Grants obtained through the Friends of the Library have helped the Malvern/ Hot Spring County Public Library fill the void in special programming.

“The budget for the Malvern/Hot Spring County Public Library does not allow for all the programming needed to take library services to our entire population,” a news release said.

“But, the Library — working through the Friends of the Library — has been able to obtain grants to help fill at least some of the void,” it said.

Barry Honold, who works for the library as Bookmobile coordinator, has volunteered to also serve as the grants liaison with the Friends.

“The results have been impressive,” the release said.

The grants received by the Friends included a $ 1,500 gift from US Bank to be used to purchase a new bounce house and prizes for the library’s summer reading program; a $675 grant from Entergy to be used for the Halloween Comic Fest, the Main Street Trick or Treat, and the Birthday Club; and a $ 1,000 grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council to purchase studio equipment for the production of good quality programming videos.

Most recently, a grant in the amount of $ 2,500 was received to help purchase a book sanitizer, a device that will quickly disinfect returned library books.

“This will enable the Library to abandon the threeday quarantine in which books are now held before putting them back into circulation. The Library Board of Trustees matched the grant, and the sanitizer has been ordered,” the release said.

Clif Crawford, president of the Friends of the Library, said Honold’s work on behalf of the Friends grants program is “greatly appreciated.” He also praised Barry for “volunteering his time in seeking grant funding sources and then writing grant applications — often a tedious process.”

Honold has worked at the library for more than seven years. As part of his duties as Bookmobile coordinator, attends community festivals for various schools, and he manages the Books- by- Mail program and the Library Birthday Club.

Honold is a native of Malvern. As a child, he attended Story Time at the library — and he can recall “graduating to the Hardy Boys books before finding the joys of adult fiction,” the release said.