FRIENDS OF THE SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY
1080 MONTREAL AVE NO 2, ST PAUL, MN 551162311 www.thefriends.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: WE ACT AS A CATALYST FOR LIBRARIES TO STRENGTHEN AND INSPIRE THEIR COMMUNITIES. AS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, THE FRIENDS INVESTS LOCALLY IN THE LIBRARY THROUGH FUNDRAISING, ADVOCACY, AND PROGRAMMING. OUR STATEWIDE AND NATIONAL IMPACT INCLUDES WORK AS OUR STATE'S LIBRARY OF CONGRESS-DESIGNATED CENTER FOR BOOK AND THROUGH OUR NATIONAL LIBRARY CONSULTING WORK. OUR VISION IS A DYNAMIC LIBRARY AT THE HEART OF EVERY COMMUNITY AND WE ARE GUIDED BY FIVE CORE BELIEFS (OUR VALUES): WE BELIEVE IN CONNECTING; WE BELIEVE IN LIBRARIES; WE BELIEVE IN EVERYONE; WE BELIEVE IN POTENTIAL; AND, WE BELIEVE IN LEARNING.

THE FRIENDS OF THE SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY ACTS AS A CATALYST FOR LIBRARIES TO STRENGTHEN AND INSPIRE THEIR COMMUNITIES. AS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, THE FRIENDS INVESTS LOCALLY IN THE LIBRARY THROUGH FUNDRAISING, ADVOCACY, AND PROGRAMMING.

THE FRIENDS OF THE SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY ENVISIONS A DYNAMIC LIBRARY AT THE HEART OF EVERY COMMUNITY. TO THAT END, FIVE STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES DEFINE AND GUIDE OUR DAILY WORK: RESILIENCE; FUNDRAISING; ADVOCACY; COMMUNICATIONS; AND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. OUR RESILIENCE WORK IS A COMMITMENT TO NONPROFIT ADMINISTRATIVE BEST PRACTICES (INCLUDING POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND REPORTING), INNOVATION, EQUITABLE AND ANTI-RACIST PRACTICES, INVESTMENT IN STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND STRONG AND SUPPORTIVE LEADERSHIP. OUR CORE FUNDRAISING WORK IS ON BEHALF OF THE SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY AND OUR OWN PROGRAM AND SERVICE EXPENSES. IN 2019, INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT FUNDED WORKFORCE INNOVATION, FAMILY AND YOUTH SERVICES, CITYWIDE READING PROGRAMS, EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAMS, A LIBRARY SOCIAL WORKER AND RELATED TRAUMA-INFORMED TRAINING, STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY CULTURAL LIAISON POSITIONS AND WORK. INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY RESULTED IN BOTH RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR LIBRARY AND FRIENDS OPERATIONS, PROGRAMS, AND SPECIAL PROJECTS. OPUS & OLIVES, OUR SIGNATURE GALA EVENT, FEATURED FIVE NATIONALLY-RENOWNED AUTHORS, INCLUDING ACTRESS, AUTHOR AND EMCEE KATE MULGREW, SPEAKING ABOUT THEIR WORK TO 900+ GUESTS. OUR 2019 ADVOCACY EFFORTS HELPED BRING PILOT PROGRAMS PREVIOUSLY FUNDED THROUGH FRIENDS PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY ONTO THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET OF THE CITY OF SAINT PAUL, INCLUDING FUNDING FOR A SOCIAL WORKER POSITION. ADVOCACY EFFORTS ALSO STABILIZED INVESTMENT IN LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND MATERIALS THAT SUPPORT DIGITAL ACCESS AND INCLUSION. AT THE MN STATE LEGISLATURE, THE FRIENDS' SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR AND SECURED FUNDING TO CONTINUE ITS WORK AS THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS-DESIGNATED MINNESOTA CENTER FOR THE BOOK. FRIENDS COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES INVOLVE SHARING STORIES AND COMMUNICATING ACROSS A VARIETY OF DIGITAL AND PRINT PLATFORMS IN ORDER TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, EMBRACE, AND SUPPORT THE CONTEMPORARY WORK HAPPENING IN LIBRARIES EVERY DAY. THE FRIENDS COMPLETED A BRAND REVIEW AND UPDATE IN 2019. AND FINALLY, OUR PROGRAMMING CONTINUED TO GROW EVEN WHILE IT FOCUSED ON SERVING WRITERS, READERS, AND LIBRARIES IN SAINT PAUL, THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAM, THE MINNESOTA BOOK AWARDS, IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST ROBUST LITERARY RECOGNITION PROGRAMS. MORE THAN 800 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE AWARD CEREMONY, AND A NEW STATEWIDE TOUR OF AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS, ENTITLED MOVING WORDS: WRITERS ACROSS MINNESOTA, REACHED ALL 12 LIBRARY REGIONS IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA AND SERVED 1,792 PEOPLE. MORE THAN 1,200 BOOKS WERE DONATED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM TO PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN GREATER MINNESOTA. WE ALSO DESIGNED AND OFFERED DOZENS OF PROGRAMS IN SAINT PAUL PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCHES, INCLUDING THE FIRESIDE READING SERIES. WE ALSO ADMINISTER THE REGIONAL AUTHOR SERIES, CLUB BOOK, AND A STATEWIDE STUDENT WRITING COMPETITION, LETTERS ABOUT LITERATURE. THE FRIENDS IS A MAJOR PROGRAMMATIC PARTNER IN THE CITY'S READ BRAVE SAINT PAUL PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDED MORE THAN 6,000 FREE COPIES OF YOUNG ADULT AND OTHER BOOKS FOCUSED ON HOUSING INSECURITY AND HOMELESSNESS TO SAINT PAUL TEENS AND ADULTS. LIBRARY CONSULTING CLIENT SERVICES INCLUDED STRATEGIC PLANNING, CAPACITY BUILDING, FUNDRAISING, AND ADVOCACY CONSULTING SERVICES TO 33 CLIENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN 2019. IN LATE 2019, THE FRIENDS BECAME THE OFFICIAL HOME TO "FITZGERALD IN SAINT PAUL," FOLLOWING AN ACQUISITION AND MERGER WITH THE STATE'S PREMIER ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF MINNESOTA WRITER F. SCOTT FITZGERALD. FINALLY, IN ALIGNMENT WITH ITS STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS, THE FRIENDS LAUNCHED "CATALYST | CONVERSATIONS AND BROUGHT IN RENOWNED AUTHOR AND SOCIAL SCIENTIST ERIC KLINENBERG TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS BOOK, "PALACES FOR THE PEOPLE" WITH SAINT PAUL MAYOR MELVIN CARTER III AND DISCUSS THE CRITICAL ROLE LIBRARIES PLAY IN SUPPORTING SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

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