Meet the Association:

About the Salmon Bake: June 20, 2004 marked the 35th annual Friends of the Library Father's Day Salmon Bake, and this community tradition is still going strong. A fairly steady stream of people rolled through the Port of Manchester parking lot outside the library to join in the festivities. Many visitors not only purchased salmon dinners but bought ice water sold as a fund raiser, visited the Library's book sale, played games at the Manchester Community Association's Kids' Mini-Carnival (a new addition to the event), and bought raffle tickets for a beautiful trunk made out of wood from the original Manchester Library -- a renovated chicken coop. Live music was provided by a great local band called the Whistling Oysters.

In all, 500 pounds of salmon were broiled over a fresh, outdoor, alder wood cooking fire. The book sale earned $500, another $500 in ice water and raffle tickets changed hands, and several people took the opportunity to sign up for free library cards. All told, the event raised approximately $1,800 for the Friends of the Library's coiffers. Volunteers at the MCA Kids' Mini-Carnival had a great time playing games of all sorts with children who dropped by, and look forward to having even more fun next year. We hope everyone thoroughly enjoyed their Father's Day.

If you missed this year's Salmon Bake, or attended and wish you'd brought your camera, you might be interested in our virtual tour of the event. Click the link at the top of the page to travel through the 2004 Salmon Bake, from start to finish.

Funding the Library: Did you know that events like the Salmon Bake are the library's only source of funding for utilities, building maintenece and other major expenses?

Many people feel that the Manchester Library is a vital part of our community, but don't realize that the library both belongs to us and depends upon us for its survival. Without our support through donations and fund raising efforts like the Salmon Bake and book sales, the Manchester Library could not exist at all. At best, it would be a couple of librarians standing in a parking lot, surrounded by boxes of books -- and even then, someone would have to pay for their use of the land.

Our Library is a branch of the Kitsap Regional Library System, and as such it receives books and other materials it circulates, as well as things like computer equipment, from the library system as a whole. The library system also supplies funds for staff salaries and some children's events. However, all other operational expenses, including utilities, supplementary children's programs, maintenence fees and the cost of erecting and remodeling the very building that houses the library are the sole responsibility of the community. The Friends of the Library, working on behalf of the people of Manchester -- not the tax system -- generate the money necessary to keep our library operational, through efforts like the book and plant sales and the famous annual Salmon Bake.

Thank you! To everyone who made a contribution to the library this Father's Day by buying a book, a book bag, a meal, a t-shirt, ice water, or a raffle ticket, we thank you. Many additional thanks to the men, women and children volunteers who felled a tree, cooked some fish, set up tents and tables and served the food. Thanks, also, to the MCA for providing children's entertainment, and the Whistling Oysters for setting the event to music.