We Believe in the Library. We Invest in the Library.
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library believes that libraries are essential. We act as a catalyst for libraries to strengthen and inspire their communities. Learn more in this short video about our work.
Books and so much more
Libraries are the best way to strengthen communities because they connect individuals of every age, ethnicity, and background with resources that enrich and improve lives.
Has the Public Library Made an Impact in Your Life or Community?
Stronger Libraries for Stronger Communities
“I don’t know how to help my child with their homework, so this helps them. We love it here, and the kids want to come.”
– Safiya, mother
“This storytime means so much to me because my kids get to learn their native language.”
– Po, parent
“The library brings people together. It’s a place to come together around community and information.”
– Darren, small-business owner
“The best thing about this program is that it has all the resources a low-income student may need to do well in school… along with a safe learning environment for students to work.”
– Mai Xee, student
Upcoming Events
“Gatsby at 100” Exhibit
September 13, 2025 – March 22, 2026
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis
“Gatsby at 100,” opening in fall 2025 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, will explore how F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel shaped and was shaped by the visual art of his time. The exhibition will bring together works from Mia’s collection that embody the decadence, social upheaval, and underlying racism of Fitzgerald’s most famous novel, highlighting paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs that are rarely on view. Like Fitzgerald, artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe, Oskar Kokoschka, and Henri Matisse, as well as regional artists like Wanda Gág, Clement Haupers, and Frances Cranmer Greenman, endeavored to capture the contradictions of the Jazz Age, a term coined by Fitzgerald himself. Entry is free.
Learn more here.
Gatsby at 100
2025 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. To mark this milestone, The Friends is convening a variety of programs that invite us to revisit the book and consider how its themes apply today. Learn more and browse programs here.
Enjoy a lively discussion with four multi-genre, Minnesota authors. Moving Words is an opportunity for writers and readers to explore various themes together: the impact of literature in their lives, their connection as fellow Minnesotans, and the lens through which we read.
Moving Words is a program of The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Library of Congress-designated Minnesota Center for the Book. This program is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund, The Harlan Boss Foundation, and the generous support of Bernadette and Jeffrey Janisch.
thefriends.org/movingwords
Teaching The Great Gatsby: Panel discussion
Sunday, November 9| 1:00 p.m.
Online | Register here.
Join Amy Goldman, teacher and moderator of the Teaching The Great Gatsby Facebook group, and local artist and writer K. Woodman-Maynard for a chat about teaching The Great Gatsby in 2025. How are students reacting to a century-old work? What have they learned in years of teaching the novel?
Gatsby at 100
2025 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. To mark this milestone, The Friends will convene a variety of programs that invite us to revisit the book and consider how its themes apply today. Learn more and browse programs here.
Performance: “The Last Flapper,” by William Luce, based on the writings of Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald
November 14 | 7:00 p.m.
(Additional performances November 15 and 16 at 1:00 p.m.)
Landmark Center | 75 W 5th Street, Saint Paul
Get tickets here.
Based on her real letters and stories, this dynamic one-woman show is the definitive portrait of Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald: the glamorous, fun-loving, and tragic Zelda. Set in an insane asylum on the last day of Zelda’s life, the play unfolds as a mesmerizing, hypnotic session.
Performed by Monette Magrath.
Gatsby at 100
2025 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. To mark this milestone, The Friends will convene a variety of programs that invite us to revisit the book and consider how its themes apply today. Learn more and browse programs here.
Performance: “The Last Flapper,” by William Luce, based on the writings of Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald
November 15 | 1:00 p.m.
(Additional performance 16 at 1:00 p.m.)
Landmark Center | 75 W 5th Street, Saint Paul
Get tickets here.
Based on her real letters and stories, this dynamic one-woman show is the definitive portrait of Mrs. F. Scott Fitzgerald: the glamorous, fun-loving, and tragic Zelda. Set in an insane asylum on the last day of Zelda’s life, the play unfolds as a mesmerizing, hypnotic session.
Performed by Monette Magrath.
Gatsby at 100
2025 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby. To mark this milestone, The Friends will convene a variety of programs that invite us to revisit the book and consider how its themes apply today. Learn more and browse programs here.