Martha Jacob – Ripley Bee
Ripley residents are encouraged to join their local Ripley Friends of the Library group which continues to be among the most active groups in the village.
President of Ripley’s Friends of the Library, Shelly Sroufe, has been involved with the group for about eight years.
“Our group is very active in the community, a community that has been very good to us I have to say,” Sroufe said. “And we want to keep that going as members of the Friends of the Library. Ripley is such a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
“We do a lot of things to generate money for the library. Each year during the Ripley River Village Christmas celebration we have events like a wooden fish auction. Local artist paint and decorate wooden cutouts of fish then they are auctioned off, sometimes bringing as much as $200 to $300 each.”
She continued, “We also have something called a Chairity Auction, where we decorate chairs from simple to elaborate and they are also auctioned off.”
Sroufe said that this year oars will be painted and decorated and auctioned off.
The library has purchased the building located right next to it and has plans to renovate it into a community center where residents can hold wedding receptions, club meetings, baby showers, etc., which will  be free to the public. It will be called the Library Annex.
“We think being able to offer this Annex to our residents is just another way to give back to the community,” Sroufe said.
The mission of the Ripley Friends of the Library, which is a 501 c (3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to fostering wider recognition, use and support of the Ripley Library. The library offers a summer reading program, physical improvements and equipment, musical performers, shows and holiday
The library brings in well known authors,  guest speakers and entertainers for adults, teens and children.
“We appreciate everything that’s done for the library,” Sroufe said. “We currently accept donations of hard back and paperback books in good condition, VHS tapes, Cds and DVDs in good condition.
   To contact the Ripley Friends of the library please email friendsripley@yahoo.com.