The Friends of the Weymouth Libraries started in the 1970s as an informal group that organized small book sales as fundraising events for the town’s libraries.  In 1984 head librarian, Judith Patt suggested to Mary Quinton and Margaret Haley that they organize a more formal Friends of the Weymouth Libraries group to help expand and organize the yearly book sales.  Meeting on Wednesdays, this small group of women collected donations and sorted books for large semi annual book sales and varied smaller ones, including the annual Cookbook sale.

Since then, the group has grown and become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is run by volunteers.  Fundraisers are held more often and have supported programs and other library needs that aren’t typically covered under the libraries’ yearly operating budget (e.g., smaller library programs, furniture, specialty books and films, or landscaping efforts during the Fogg library restoration in 1998).  Today the Friends have formed a vital partnership with the Weymouth libraries, helping them to continue to evolve and grow.