LAKE CITY - Several public libraries have a group of people who give support by volunteering and raising money.
These groups are known as Friends of the Library.
The Lake City Public Library has one of these groups, and one of its members is Sylvia Streufert.
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At the Lake City Library, Sylvia Streufert, a Friends of the Library board of directors member, picks up a book on the shelf. Streufert said she enjoys seeing how the community interacts with each other, which she comes across frequently in her position.
Streufert said she was asked to serve on the Friends board by the library board president after she moved to town four years ago.
"We do a lot of events in the community," she said.
These include the Aldo Leopold Afternoon, which is a discussion on nature in Lake City, and the Wee Read Program, which is done in partnership with the local hospital.
"We provide hand-sewn bookbags to the new mothers," she said.
She said Friends of the Library also teams up with other organizations in the community.
"We've partnered with Shady Oaks Care Center for the Great Getaway," she said. "Shady Oaks provides a meal with food from a different country."
That event is held in March, July and October, she said.
Streufert added she's also involved with planning the Lake City farmers market.
"I'm a member of the planning committee," she said. "It's held Tuesdays from 4 to 6 in the square. It's really fun to see that going."
Right now, Streufert said the Friends of the Library are in the process of planning Picnic in the Park, which is set for July 1.
She said the event, which is a fundraiser for Friends of the Library, can best be described exactly as it sounds; as a picnic in the park.
"This year and last year we piggybacked with Western Days, which is an annual celebration here in town with a rodeo and fireworks," she said. "It will be held from 12 to 1:30 on Sunday, July 1."
Streufert described Friends of the Library as being very community-oriented.
"People think about other organizations and how to make something wonderful," she said. "There's a great sense of community there."
Friends of the Library isn't the only community activity Streufert is involved in
"I teach piano and work part-time at Mid-Iowa Insurance," she said. "I do a lot of volunteering, not just with Friends of the Library but also with Shady Oaks Care Center and with the hospice."
In her four years in Lake City, Streufert said she's come to love the town.
"I love seeing how the partnerships effect the quality of life here in Lake City," she said.
Even simple gestures, she said, show how Lake City is set apart from other communities.
"Everybody waves down here," she said. "Even complete strangers will wave at you. I feel that really says somebody wants to be a part of the community."