Activities and Events

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale

Shop the Friends of the Library Book Sale any time the library is open. The Book Sale is regularly refreshed by gracious donations from the community. All proceeds from the sale go to the Friends of the Library of Olean, NY, Inc. Book Endowment fund which supplements the purchase of new material for loan.

Born to Read

The Born to Read program continues to supply new readers with gift bags including a brand new book, an Olean Public Library card application, and information about the library’s infant/ toddler programs. The Olean General Hospital disseminates these bags to newborns and their families.

FeBREWary Beer Tasting

Around the middle of February look for the Friends of the Olean Library to host their FeBREWary social and fundraiser! Sample the best local beers, listen to some great music, and enjoy the company of great Friends!

…You might even win one of the most highly coveted Basket Raffles of the year!

Peg Bothner Annual Bookmark Contest

Elementary School Students from the Olean, Portville, Hinsdale, and Allegany-Limestone schools design bookmarks which are then displayed throughout the month of May in the Library’s Art Gallery!

Peg Bothner was a cherished member of the Friends of the Olean Public Library. A lover of the arts who celebrated creativity – especially the Friends Bookmark Contest – Peg carefully helped the board craft each year’s theme to give participants the broadest range of expression for their artwork.

Read Between the WINES Wine Tasting

Western New York is home to some of the best wine in the world, the only thing that could make it better is a good book! Read Between the Wines is the Friends of the Olean Public Library’s Fall social and fundraiser. Celebrate the harvest a little early for a great cause with great Friends, music, and basket raffles!

Friends of the Olean Library Poetry Contest

The Friends of the Olean Public Library sponsor a poetry contest for high school students to promote creativity. We hope your school will participate this year. Cash Prizes are awarded for winning poems in each grade from 9th to 12th in each school.

“…Poetry has the virtue of being something students can do on their own. In this strange new world we live in poetry gives young writers a chance to express things that isolation has fostered. Poetry can be a friend, someone to talk to, a release of the inner tensions. It helps us to understand ourselves. It promotes thinking in images and translating the visual into words as well as understanding metaphor.”

-Helen Ruggieri