FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friends of the Jacksonville Public Library is pleased to announce its recent incorporation as a Texas nonprofit corporation. Articles of incorporation were filed effective September 22, 1999, in the office of the Secretary of State of Texas. Named as initial directors of the new corporation were Claudine Mellinger, Barbara Greig, and Frances Beall Whiteside.

The next step, say the directors, will be applying for status as a 501(c)(3) corporation under the Internal Revenue Code. A second project is a drive to enlist individual, family and patron members for the year 2000, set to kick off in November with interest sheets, mailings, and a variety of opportunities. Each lifetime member of the unincorporated Friends association that has supported the library for over 25 years will automatically receive lifetime membership in the new corporation.

"The Friends exist to support and enhance our already excellent library, its staff, and its board of trustees," said Ms. Whiteside. "We'll seek to involve every part of our community in this effort."