Merchandise available for purchase at the library serves both a useful and promotional purpose. Courtesy Friends of the Springfield Public Library
SPRINGFIELD – The Springfield Public Library is now offering several promotional items for sale at their front desk, in addition to other items provided by Friends of the Springfield Public Library (FSPL) for patron convenience.
FSPL works behind the scenes to support the Library and encourage community involvement. The Friends have traditionally sold reusable totes, USB flash drives and headphones available in the library.
”Some of the things that were useful for patrons who are in the library who use the computers or maybe need a bag to carry all their books, so it was more useful things,” Michele Tierney, Friends of the Library liaison, said. ”Recently, we started selling merchandise to be able to promote the library and its services.”
The promotional items include vinyl stickers, cloth patches and metal enamel pins. ”We just wanted to be able to support the library in another way,” Tierney said. ”We don’t make a lot of money off of these, it’s just a small amount on each item.”
The new promotional items for sale at the front desk of the library all carry the Springfield Public Library’s logo. The vinyl stickers cost $2, the sew-on patches are $5 and the enamel logo pins are $10.
The Friends have been offering a heavy-duty and a reusable tote, earbuds and USB flash drives as a convenience for patrons who might find themselves without a way to listen to music or a movie, carry books or save or transfer files. These are available behind the counter upon request.
”Additionally, the library has a photocopier machine with a scanner/photocopier so they can copy materials right onto the flash drive using that photocopier, and it doesn’t cost anything, like making copies would; so, many people choose that option and simply purchase a flash drive instead,” Tierney said. ”We still have the other merchandise because there is a need for it here in the library. They can buy a flash drive that has a logo on it for $5, so it is affordable.”
These items carry Friends of the Springfield Public Library logos and the costs are $10 for a black and green, heavy-duty tote, $2 for a green reusable tote, which is similar to a shopping bag, $5 for a 1GB USB flash drive and $1.50 for earbuds. ”We carry all of it now,” she said. ”We just want to help support and promote the library as much as possible.”
More info: wheremindsgrow.org/friends.html and Facebook @friendsofthespringfieldpubliclibrary.
