Impact

“Think about the people in this community who are going to lead and keep our country and city strong – it’s the kids who are going to those libraries right now. That’s an investment worth making.”

– MayKao Y. Hang, President and CEO of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation.

Each year, The Friends provides vital support to the Saint Paul Public Library. The Friends raises almost $2 million a year to provide free resources and learning opportunities that enrich the lives of learners of every age and socioeconomic background.

Make an Impact

Click here to see how you can make a donation, join or renew your Friends membership, and support the Minnesota Book Awards.

Business and Corporate Community

Email us to learn more ways your company can get involved.

The Friends' Support of the Library

Thank you to the 1,752 individual contributors to The Friends in 2015 who helped us meet—and exceed—our annual financial and programming goals. Thanks, also to the 135 businesses and foundations that supported the library through grants and sponsorship last year. Your gifts made it possible for us to provide nearly $2 million in support to the Saint Paul Public Library!

Pre-School and Family Literacy

The Library offers numerous opportunities for families with young children to develop strong literacy skills. The Friends actively invests in the future of Saint Paul’s youngest residents, providing funds from its operating budget for the Saturday Live! Program, as well as fundraising for installation of age appropriate literacy developing activities.

Student Support

The library offers a spectrum of support for students of all ages, whether they are learning to read, earning a GED, or taking college level calculus. The Friends consistently works to leverage community resources to enhance these services of the Library. Over 55,000 visits were made to programs for children and teens last year.

Summer Learning

The goal of the Summer Learning Program is to give children positive reading and library experiences, and help them retain the reading skills they develop during the school year. Each year, The Friends raises money from the community, and grants it to the library to support the performances and materials used in this program.

Workforce Development

The Library plays an active role in helping job seekers, teaching computer literacy, and supporting small business development under the WORKplace umbrella of services. The Friends has supported these community services since the 1990’s, starting with raising the funds to launch the Small Business Resource Center.