Golden Friends

Preserving the Past, Building the Future: Golden Friends Launches Dual Campaigns for Library and Community Upgrades

Golden, Il - For 35 years, a dedicated group of local volunteers has quietly served as the backbone of the Golden Library and the broader community. Founded in 1991 to help physically clear the building, source books, and stock shelves, the oraganization officially became a 501 3c nonprofit in 2016 under the name Golden Friends. From wrapping the entire library in new metal siding in 2020 to organizing the annual July Summer Reading Camp and spearheading the town's Christmas Open House, this small but mighty group has left an indelible mark on the Village of Golden. 

This year, the Golden Friends are launching their most ambitious effort yet: a dual focused fundraising campaign split between preserving the town's rich history and modernizing the interior of its beloved library. Donors are invited to contribute to either initiative, with 100% of the proceeds directly impacting the community.

Campaign 1: Saving 60 Years of "Golden Memories"

The first campaign is a race against time to permanently protect the fragile historical record of the town. For over six decades, local historian Larry Haschemeyer has meticulously collected, recorded, and researched the history of the Golden community. His personal collection, "Golden Memories" contains thousands of photographs, historic newspaper clippings, and deep genealogical research tracing the families who built the town from the ground up. 

Currently this invaluable history exists only on physical paper. To ensure it is never lost to time or decay, the Golden Friends is raising funds to purchase professional grade archival scanners and specialized software. The ultimate goal is to digitize the entire collection, creating a permanant , free online repository where residents, descendants, and researchers can access and share Golden's history forever.

Campaign 2: Upgrading the Patron Experience

The second campaign turns its focus inward, aiming to overhaul the library's heavily utilized interior spaces to better serve local youth and daily patrons. Over the years , the Golden Friends have supplied the library with evertyhing from STEM materials and computers to games and toys. Now , they are tackling the building's physical infrastructure.

Funds raised for this initiative will directly bankroll three major interior upgrades:

Permant Storage Cabinets: The flimsy plastic drawers currently used to hold Storytime materials and youth craft supples will be replaced with durable, buil-in cabinetry.

A Functional Checkout-Desk: The current , mismatched "hodge-podge" checkout desk will be replaced with a streamlines, professional, and highly functional service hub.

Dedicated Computer Workstations: The temporary folding tables currently holding the library's public-use computers will be swapped for computer desks designed to maximize space and improve patron comfort.

A Legacy of Community Spirit

The dual campaigns represent the core identity of the Golden Friends; honoring where the community came from while building a better space for the future. Every donation made to the 501 3c organization is tax-deductible and goes entirely toward project costs, continuing a decades-long tradition of ensuring that the Village of Golden remains vibrant, well-supported, and deeply connected.