The current Friends of the Alpharetta Library (FOTAL) organization was established in 1991. We are proud to celebrate our thirty-third year of existence. Many of those early volunteers continue to work diligently to support the library. Many others have joined in over the years to raise funds to purchase items needed by the library.
The Alpharetta Library started out having a station wagon as their “first” library. Then in 1966, the library was housed in the former City Hall building. It later moved to a commercial building in downtown Alpharetta while waiting for the new 10,000-square-foot library to be built in 1989. That is currently the Arts Alpharetta building. Alpharetta natives, Louie and Gertrude Jones, graciously donated a large amount of funds for that building and thus it is named after the couple. In July of 2015, our present library was built next to City Hall.
Monthly book sales consisting of books donated from the community are held at the library each month from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on the first Saturday. When weather permits, it is held on the porch. During inclement weather, it is held downstairs in the children’s reading room. The Barbara Selwyn Bookstore inside is open daily where more donated books are sold. Sales are also made online.
We have an excellent staff employed at the Alpharetta Library. They are always appreciative of the support and funds they receive from FOTAL. We have a wonderful working relationship with them. We are happy to be able to support them financially while showering them with constant appreciation for all they do for the community.
The active group has been recognized yearly at the Volunteer Recognition program for its hours of dedication. Milton High School students volunteer each month to help with the set-up of the sales and then help in returning any unsold books back to the storage area. The FOTAL organization is thankful to have such great team members for the past 33 years!
Here are titles worth reading (or giving) this holiday season.
1. "Quite a Year for Plums" by Bailey White, a best-selling humorous, South Georgia author. Heartbreakingly tender, often hilarious, this book is a delectable treat from a writer who has been called a national treasure.
2. Bailey White also wrote "Sleeping at the Starlite Motel" and "Mama Makes Up Her Mind."
3. "The Art & Life of Atlanta Artist, Wilbur G. Kurtz" by David O’Connell. If you enjoy Atlanta history, you will want to read this book about this famous artist-historian.
4. "Peachtree Road" by Anne Rivers Siddons. A very interesting and historical book about our Atlanta. She writes about the heart and soul of our beloved city.
5. "A Place Called Sweet Apple" by Celestine Sibley. Ms. Sibley was a columnist at the Atlanta Journal for many years. This book is about her unique log cabin north of Roswell.
6. "The Roswell Women" by Frances Patton Statham. This is an intriguing book about the brave Roswell women who ran the Roswell, GA mill during the Civil War.
7. "Dreamland" by Nicholas Sparks. Any of his 24 novels is worth a good read. This is a poignant love story about risking everything for a dream and whether it’s possible to leave the past behind.
The Barbara Selwyn Bookstore inside is open daily where again books that have been donated are sold.