The Sojourner Truth Library at SUNY New Paltz is one of the few resources on campus that can claim to have touched the lives of nearly every student who has passed through our institution. But one of its best kept secrets is the group of dedicated community members who volunteer their time and talent to make the Library exceptional. 

The Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library is an association of faculty, students, alumni and neighbors who work to promote and enhance the Library as a shared resource for the extended community.  

“The Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library is made up of highly dedicated individuals who engage in many activities that enhance the student experience,” said Susan Frey, dean of the Sojourner Truth Library. “The SUNY New Paltz community is lucky to have an organization run by such great people.” 

For nearly 30 years, the Friends have raised funds to help build the Library’s robust collection of books, academic journals and more to give all library patrons an enhanced and improved experience.  

How the Friends bolster the Sojourner Truth Library’s impact on and off-campus 

The Friends of the Library hosts public events throughout the year to further their impact on and off-campus. 

One of their most visible events is the periodic Monster Book Sale, which features a variety of donated used books and media, with all proceeds going back to the Library. Its most recent event in April 2025 raised over $3,000 in one day. 

This sale is a reminder of how much community support on campus and beyond matters in keeping the Sojourner Truth Library alive. 

“People who come to our book sales love libraries, and the purpose of their cash infusion is to help this Library,” said Olsen.  

Additionally, the Friends of the Library encourages patrons to become members, which allows people to borrow books, starting at a minimum $30 annual membership , which in turn helps raise funds for the Library.  

From these sales and memberships, the Library's impact stretches to enhance academic culture on campus, and in some cases, goes even further than that. 

“We want to remind our patrons that the door here is always open, whether they’re studying or engaging with the Library in other ways,” he said. 

One example of this impact can be found in its newly acquired Birds of the World database, which is open to all looking to learn more about birds native to the Hudson Valley and beyond. 

While this new database is an asset for New Paltz’s Ornithology student-faculty project, a long-running endeavor within the Department of Biology, it is also a vital resource for residents passionate about birding. 

“It’s a terrific starting place for people wanting scientific information about particular bird species,” said Associate Professor of Biology Kara Belinsky, who has studied the local bird population for years with her students. “I’m pleased that the Library chose to provide us with this resource, and in some months, it has been the most-used database in our Library system, which means that in addition to my students and I, many more people are enjoying using it.”

New endowment fund enhances the Friends of the Library’s impact 

The Friends association is now enhancing their commitment to the Sojourner Truth Library with a new endowment fund intended to ensure that their work continues forever.

“The endowment is by far the most significant development of our nearly 30 years as a committee; it will be a game-changer, allowing  us to guarantee an annual gift in perpetuity, regardless of book sales and membership patterns, and we hope the endowment will continue to grow with additional donations in the future,” said Olsen. 

Already, the Library is supported through the patronage of 5,000 regular visitors, with more than 3,500 transactions handled per week by the Library’s front desk, but the endowment will allow for the Library to further maintain its centrality to campus life.

“The Friends of the Library will always be strong and have enough volunteers, but the endowment will build that capacity by giving us consistent funding over time,” said Madeline Veitch, collective development librarian for the Sojourner Truth Library. 

As libraries across the country continue to face challenges in funding, this endowment fund is an example of how community support can keep libraries alive. 

“Everyone on campus comes across this library, and we value the role that community support across campus has in keeping this institution alive,” said Olsen. 

For more information on the Friends of the Library, including giving today, visit here.