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
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Wednesday, July 16
6:30 p.m. Discussion
Utepils
225 Thomas Ave N,
Minneapolis
This event is FREE and open to the public.
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After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.
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With The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Tuesday, July 22
6:30 p.m. Discussion
Urban Growler
2325 Endicott St
St. Paul
This event is FREE and open to the public.
—
After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.
But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.
—
With The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to Saint Paul. Even if you don’t like the featured book, he “guarantees a good time at our entertaining discussions.” All are welcome to try this moderated reinvention of the book club.
Fitzgerald Around Saint Paul Walking Tours with Mark Taylor
Saturday, July 26 & Saturday, August 23, 2025
Start time options: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., or 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral Hill, Saint Paul
To book, email Mark directly and mention The Friends.
Enjoy the Minnesota summer and immerse yourself in the charm of the 1920s as Mark guides you through locations that played a significant role in Fitzgerald’s life and novels. Fitzgerald walking tours cover a 1.5 mile loop and are capped at 20 people. The Friends will cover the usual $20 tour fee when you mention our name at booking.
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.
Fitzgerald Around Saint Paul Walking Tours with Mark Taylor
Saturday, July 26 & Saturday, August 23, 2025
Start time options: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., or 4:00 p.m.
Cathedral Hill, Saint Paul
To book, email Mark directly and mention The Friends.
Enjoy the Minnesota summer and immerse yourself in the charm of the 1920s as Mark guides you through locations that played a significant role in Fitzgerald’s life and novels. Fitzgerald walking tours cover a 1.5 mile loop and are capped at 20 people. The Friends will cover the usual $20 tour fee when you mention our name at booking.
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.
“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.