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Making a house feel more like home for Mid-South families is the purpose of a new partnership between the Memphis Library Friends and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis. The new literacy initiative, which started earlier this year, benefits Habitat for Humanity homeowners throughout Shelby County by including a new bookcase and books for every family member in each new home.

Friends of the Library President Jacqueline Wallace helped to spearhead the program.

“We want each home to be a haven for an opportunity to have well-read children. Habitat for Humanity informs Friends about the specifics for each family, like their ages and reading genre, and we fill bookcases from there,” Wallace said.

Friends’ bookcases and books have already found new homes in Shelby County Habitat for Humanity areas. Homeowner Tawana Clemons was one of the first to receive a new home library. “I have always taught my children that the best gift you can give or receive is knowledge,” Clemons said. “Thank you so much for thinking of my family for such a blessing!”

“We at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis are so pleased that the Friends of the Library is donating new bookcases and gently-used books to every new Habitat homeowner in Shelby County,” noted Juliet Douglas of Habitat for Humanity. “Better, affordable living conditions lead to stronger childhood development, and access to more books is an important part of that. We greatly appreciate the generosity of the Friends and look forward to delighting many more families through this wonderful endeavor!”

For more information about this new literacy initiative, call 901-415-2840.

Friends have teamed up again with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis and Rotary International District 6800 to celebrate World Polio Day October 24 – Building for a Change – A Foundation to End Polio Now.

For this new initiative, a bakers dozen of “library houses” will be built and placed in Habitat neighborhoods. A thirteenth little library will be placed in an area to uplift homeless populations through easy access to books. Friends of the Library will provide books for each little library and will replenish them as needed. It’s another way that Friends are “Changing Memphis – One Book at a Time”!

The Friends’ recent Senior Health Fair was an overwhelming success, with hundreds of senior citizens and their families in attendance to learn more about how to improve their health.

Held at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, the fair was intended to draw attention to some of the health issues that plague communities and to offer helpful resources from a variety of vendors.

“Friends of the Library contribute to the holistic health of communities, not just educational and academic,” noted Friends President Jacqueline Wallace, who is a registered nurse. “We want people to know that Friends care, and we want to introduce our seniors to better health practices and community agencies that specialize in these areas. Ultimately, we want to make seniors’ older years their golden years!”

Dozens of agencies participated in the fair, helping to make it a success.

“We couldn’t have done it without our vendors,” Wallace said. “We certainly appreciate all they did to support and uplift this Friends event and the Memphis community.”

For more information about other upcoming Friends of the Library programs and events, call 901-415-2840.

Entering the doors of Cornelia Crenshaw Branch Library (531 Vance Ave.) might feel like home. A warm welcome from staff members and overall family feel has made this small but impactful library a main attraction in South Memphis for generations. Named after Civil Rights activist and trailblazer Cornelia Crenshaw and only blocks away from the local headquarters of the NAACP, this historic haven is rich with culture, Southern hospitality and a love for learning. This can be seen by the DiscoverREAD Learning Center for kids and parents that encourages family time and educational play; the rows of computers for public use; creative and fun library displays about current events or upcoming holidays; and shelves of books on a near-endless variety of topics.

“Every day, we try to make a difference in Memphis, one customer at a time, one interaction at a time,” said Branch Manager Inger Upchurch. “There’s nothing more rewarding than to see smiles on customers’ faces after they’ve polished their resumes or attended a library program or holiday party. We identify our customers’ needs and work to supply that. But, working with the kids is the best! Making a difference for them is certainly a long-standing passion of mine.”

But one thing Cornelia Crenshaw Library doesn’t have is Friends. This literary force in South Memphis needs a driver, and we hope that person to start a Friends organization to raise funds and support programs, events, and other needs at Cornelia Crenshaw Library is you!

“Everyone could use a ‘Friend,’” Upchurch continued, “and by becoming our Friend, you will make many more friends than you could ever imagine!”

For more information on how to start a Friends group at Cornelia Crenshaw Library, call 901-415-2840.