Go ahead and hum or sing a couple lines from the song Bette Midler's rendition pops into my mind - and think about how important your friends are. Friends are also important to the library.
    We are lucky to have a wonderful group of volunteers who call themselves Friends of the Cresco Public Library. Basically, the Friends group is made up of individuals who love the library and want to help support the library. They raise money through membership dues and other fundraising efforts. The group meets four or five times throughout the year. Dues are $5 a year for an individual plan or $10 a year for a family plan. People can join as an active member and volunteer, or they can join as an inactive member and know that their membership dues help with financial support of the library.
    The Cresco Public Library Friends organize two major fundraisers each year for the library. The proceeds from the silent auction in October support the children's summer reading program which features entertainers, prizes and stories. Each spring the Friends group organizes a used book sale and those funds help the library purchase additional books, audios, movies and other special items for the library.
    This year, the Friends Book Sale is Thursday, April 24 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, April 25 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, April 26 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will be in the library's program room and includes donated books, videos and audiobooks. Many of these items are like new and most are $1 or less. If you are interested in finding out more about the Friends of the Cresco Public Library, stop by the book sale and visit with one of the friends or call the library at 563-547-2540. Thanks to the Friends for all they do for the library!

NEW ITEMS

ADULT: Duma Key; Miss Julia Paints the Town; Compulsion; Mudbound; Winter Study; A Child's Garden; Kabul Beauty School; Growing Up Country; Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl.
TEEN: Firegirl; Breathe My Name; Slam; River Secrets; Freak; Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian; Midnight Games.
CHILDREN: Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls; Cirque Du Freak; The Hannah Montana series; The Belly Book; Franklin Rides a Bike; Outcast.