The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library

Our Mission
The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library, founded in 1949, is a 501(c)(3) organization that helps make our libraries thriving community centers of intellectual discovery and lifelong learning. With 3,800 members, The Friends is one of the largest and most accomplished library support groups in the country. We have twice received the Award of Excellence from Friends of Libraries USA for the best large Friends group in America.

About Us
The Minneapolis Public Library (MPL) is Minnesota's largest and most accessible gateway to books and other information resources. MPL is comprised of the Central Library, 14 branch libraries, 3 computer training centers, and 2 literacy centers. With 3.2 million items, MPL houses one of the largest and most significant public library collections in the country. At a time when many public libraries are devoting their entire budgets to "popular" collections, MPL is distinguished by its commitment to preserving books and materials of historical interest for future generations.

Nearly 7,000 people use MPL to access information each day. Locally, 75% of Minneapolis households use MPL at least once each year, and nearly 25% of households use the library more than 20 times annually. But use extends far beyond Minneapolis. Of MPL's 350,000 registered borrowers, roughly 70,000 live outside of the city limits. In a typical year, MPL circulates 2.53 million items, answers more than 1 million reference questions, welcomes 1.5 million on-site users, and supports web hits from 1 million unique internet addresses.

The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1949 that helps make our libraries thriving community centers of intellectual discovery and lifelong learning. With 3,800 members, it is one of the largest and most accomplished library support groups in the country. We have twice received the Award of Excellence from Friends of Libraries USA for the best large Friends group in America.

As the vehicle for private support of our public libraries, the Friends help bring millions of dollars into our library system, nearly doubling the library's resources. Our major forms of support include financial support for library-based literacy programs, the coordination of library volunteers, production of educational programs that promote reading, the operations of the Friends Book Store, and library advocacy.