LEWISTON — Lewiston library supporters Esther Shapiro, 90, and Gillian Bavis, 44, are friends. They want more friends.

The two are members of the Friends of Lewiston Public Library, a group of individuals that donate annual membership fees of $10 for individuals, $25 for families to the library.

The group is on a mission to boost its membership, donations and provide aid to programs. Library Director Rick Speer recently put out a mass appeal looking for new friends.

Because of city budget cuts, the library reduced its hours in June from 57 to 52 a week, eliminated Cindy Larock’s job of cultural center coordinator, and cut $25,000 from the book budget.

On Nov. 5, hours were cut back again by two a week. The library opens at 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“The city’s been fair,” Speer said. “The library’s been impacted like every other department.”

While the friends’ individual donations are small, they add up to $10,000 to $12,000 a year, Speer said. The donations help buy books and beef up programs for children, teens, adults, seniors and immigrants.

“The library has given us so much, not just books,” Bavis said. Her children are 4 and 9. She’s taken them to the library’s story time where they’ve met other families they’ve continued to be friends with for years.

Her son has taken art and cooking classes through the library. They’ve gained home improvement know-how, researched travel information and rented movies. “You can rent movies for $1 a week. A lot of the children’s movies are free,” Bavis said.

With the tough economy and city budget cuts, the library has lost the ability to buy more books. “It’s sad,” she said. The way society, technology and budgets are headed, Bavis worries about libraries’ futures.

If libraries were to close, “people would be losing a connection to what is important,” like community and physically holding a book.

Shapiro doesn’t get out as easily as she used to, but still gets plenty of books through the library’s outreach program, where volunteers drive books to the doors of homebound patrons.

The retired ninth-grade Lewiston English teacher said, “I’ve always been an avid reader. I love books.” 

Reading gives people a chance to learn about people from all walks of life, the past and present. “Reading is broadening,” she said.

Everyone should support the library, Shapiro said. “It’s such an important part of the community.”

To learn more about joining the friends, ask at the library or go to www.lplonline.org and click on the friends link.

AUBURN — Unlike Lewiston’s library, the Auburn Public Library is not a part of city government; it is a nonprofit organization.

The Auburn library is looking to add members to the advocates of the library, which help raise money for programs, library Director Lynn Lockwood said.

“Most of our funding comes from the city,” Lockwood said. “In the last four years we have had no funding increases.” That comes at a time when libraries are seeing more users than ever.

The library has responded by reducing energy use, eliminating one reference position and hiring a full-time fundraiser. Because of a lack of volunteers, it has stopped its books on wheels service for seniors.

Auburn’s advocates hold a number of activities to raise money, including running a kiosk in the lobby that sells goods, a spring English tea, a book sale three times a year and an autumn bizarre. “We love our advocates,” Lockwood said.

To learn more about the advocates, ask at the library, or look up the Auburn Public Library Advocates on Facebook.com.