Who Are We?

The Friends of Thorntown Public Library is a 501c3 organization that supports the library and its programs through advocacy, fundraising, and volunteerism.

What Do We Do?

The Friends host two annual book sales (May & Sept.) and an annual Bingo fundraiser (Sept.) to raise money for library projects.  Monetary donations and membership fees fund a variety of library events, services, and programs.

Like to Join?

We can always use more Friends! Support TPL by joining the Friends of the Library! Memberships begin at just $10 a year! Come in and fill out a membership form or join through Zeffy, a free fundraising platform for nonprofits.

For Zeffy To keep things free, it will ask if you want to make a donation to them (similar to how other sites charge a fee), but it’s optional for you. Choose “other” when they ask for a % donation and enter “0.” If you choose not to leave an additional contribution, the Friends still gets 100% of your donation.

As a member, you will also receive our monthly newsletter by email that includes information on upcoming programs, new materials, and more. Friends also gain early access to the Spring Book Sale!

Meetings are open to the public and are held the 2nd Tuesday in January, March, May, July, September, & November.

Did You Know?

·         The Friends sponsor the local implementation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, providing free books to children 0-5 who live in Thorntown, Advance, and Jamestown ZIP codes.

·         The Friends helped fund arts programming provided by Sugar Creek Arts Center in summer 2025.

·         The Friends provide prizes and incentives for summer reading for all ages, as well as prizes for our Annual Reading Challenge participants.

·         The Friends fund TPL’s annual Family Christmas, featuring free snacks, books, and crafts, a live reindeer visit, the magic of Marc Lehmann, and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

·         The Friends’ largest projects include the Mills Memorial Fountain ($50,000 in 2007) and the Secret Garden on the north side of the library ($35,000 in 2009).