The Friends of Eufaula Memorial Library received the John Harkey Best Friends Award at the FOLIO (Friends of Libraries in Oklahoma) meeting on Friday, March 8.

The FOLIO meeting was held in conjunction with the Oklahoma Library Association conference in Tulsa.

Robyn Burris, FEML treasurer, was at the meeting to accept the award, along with Branch Manager Amanda Grantham and EOLS Director Christine Linz.

FOLIO presented two awards to Friends’ groups that demonstrated exemplary success in support of their local library in 2023.

The John Harkey Best Friends Award of $500 recognizes a Friends’ group in a city or town with a population of less than 10,000.

This award was started by Eufaula’s own John Harkey, who was very active in FOLIO which makes it even more special for the Eufaula Friends to receive it.

The award application told the story of the Veterans Memorial Bricks display at the library and the many phases it took to bring that project into fruition.

The last two bricks for McIntosh County soldiers killed in the line of duty should arrive by the end of the month.

With those Operation Enduring Freedom names in place, the display will be complete.