We Believe in Our Community.
We Invest in Our Library.
Your support makes a difference –
now and in the future.
We Invest in the Library.
Our Community Stays Connected.
The need for library services is greater than ever. In the midst of a pandemic and a time of social upheaval, residents – including neighbors facing social and economic challenges – are turning to the library for reliable facts and credible resources, educational guidance and tools, employment and workforce information, resources on race, social connection, and to escape through stories.
Dear Friends, I don’t know what I’d be doing now without the Wi-Fi hotspot from the library. This is a lifesaver for me who otherwise used the library for internet. I wanted you to know that this service of the library MATTERS to me, and I thank you for any role you had in making it possible. I am using it to translate Italian into English, do genealogical research, stay in touch via Zoom…and especially, not feel so isolated as an older Saint Paul resident living alone.
– Friends Supporter
The library is here for Saint Paul. The mission of Saint Paul Public Library – to welcome all people to connect, learn, discover, and grow – has long been reflected in the daily work of the library, and is now the foundation for the radical reinvention of the library’s service delivery model in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to supporters like you, the library has been able to do what it does best: respond to community needs through innovation.
• The library has connected over 500 parents and educators with
distance learning resources through Library Go webinars and support.
• Cultural Liaisons have helped families for whom English is not their
first language navigate the new digital world and connect to
resources and each other.
• Librarians have supported the citywide emergency response by
advising on the Bridge Fund and staffing the language resource line.
• Librarians created a list of resources on race to help residents have brave conversations.
• Patrons have borrowed over 6,500 books and materials through
contactless pickup.
• People have connected to critical resources through computer
access at a safe distance in select library branches.
• All 13 library locations have activated Wi-Fi signals from 6 a.m. to
10 p.m. to provide residents access to free internet near the buildings.
• Virtual storytimes and early educational programs have been viewed
over 51,000 times, providing joy and comfort to children and adults
and even helping young viewers acknowledge George Floyd in a
meaningful way.
Funding Spotlight
Bookmobile Brings the Internet
This summer, thanks to a grant from Verizon Foundation, Saint Paul Public Library is introducing a new strategy to bridge the digital divide, bringing critical internet access to communities through one of the library’s oldest mobile resources – the Bookmobile. Here’s how:
• The SPPL Bookmobile has become a large, traveling hotspot,
providing free Wi-Fi access to residents within a close proximity to
the vehicle.
• Additional stops have been added to the weekly Bookmobile route,
specifically in neighborhoods with high concentrations of households
with no or uncertain broadband access.
• A hallmark of the library is to provide guidance alongside access to
resources, so the staff of the Bookmobile are offering digital literacy services to residents in multiple languages.
• The Bookmobile is offering additional mobile hotspots for checkout
and distributing free books and STEM learning kits to youth who
cannot benefit from virtual learning due to lack of internet.
The Bookmobile has been connecting residents to resources for years, thanks to long-time sponsor HealthPartners. This summer strategy is the next step toward the library’s goals to support digital inclusion, education, and social connection across our city.
Friends like you make our community stronger.
Your investment in The Friends helps libraries strengthen and inspire their communities – especially in challenging times.
Thank you for your continued belief and support.
CLICK HERE for a .pdf of the Summer 2020 Impact Report.
CLICK HERE for a .pdf of Summer Library Services
