Friends of Library to hold annual meeting

The Friends of the Rochester Hills Public Library will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, October 17, at the library's multi-purpose room at 500 Olde Towne Road in downtown Rochester.

The meeting, which starts at 6:30 p.m., is held each year by the group, which helps the library through volunteer work and fundraising. The meeting is free and open to the public.

The evening's agenda includes a pro-forma meeting, which will include an introduction of Friends officers and board members, brief financial and operational reports and two presentations, Volunteer of the Year and the presentation of a $190,000 check from the group to the library director Christine Hage.

Following the meeting, Anneke Burke-Kooistra, of Mayville, will speak as the group's featured speaker. She lived in Utrecht in the Netherlands from 1942-45 and will tell the story of how her family protected eight Jewish refugees from the occupying Nazi forces. Incredibly, Burke-Kooistra and her two sisters never knew their presence until the war ended because the children were too young to be trusted with a secret that could expose all involved to Nazi wrath.

The Friends group this year raised money through its book and media sales, proceeds from the library store and membership dues from its 800-plus members, as well as from other fundraisers during the year, such as Wine, Wit & Wisdom and the Holiday Home Tour. New members can join at the meeting.