Calendar of Events

One way The Friends invests in the library is by connecting readers and writers statewide through a range of programs. For more than 30 years, we have offered programs that entertain, enrich, and nourish curious minds.

Our events are always open to the public and most are free. Browse our calendar below.

Captioning is provided for our livestream events; ASL interpretation is available upon request with at least seven days’ notice. To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, contact [email protected] or 651-222-3242.

Full Calendar of Events

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1
Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection 10:00 am
Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection @ The Minnesota History Center
Mar 20 @ 10:00 am – May 31 @ 4:00 pm
Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection @ The Minnesota History Center
Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection at the Minnesota Historical Society March 20 – May 31 2025 The Minnesota History Center 345 West Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul  View objects from Fitzgerald’s life and world on display…
Featured Book Collection: Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920’s 10:00 am
Featured Book Collection: Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920’s @ George Latimer Central Library
May 1 @ 10:00 am – May 31 @ 5:30 pm
Featured Book Collection: Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920's @ George Latimer Central Library
Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920’s – Featured Collection May 2025 George Latimer Central Library | Magazine Room (Third Floor) 90 West 4th Street, Saint Paul   Go beyond F. Scott Fitzgerald with these works…
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
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14
15
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19
20
21
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley 6:30 pm
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley @ Sociable Ciderwerks
May 21 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Books & Bars: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley @ Sociable Ciderwerks
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Wedsday, May 21 6:30 p.m. Discussion Sociable Ciderwerks 1500 Fillmore St NE Minneapolis This event is FREE and open to the public. — In the near future, a…
22
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25
26
27
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley 6:30 pm
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley @ Urban Growler
May 27 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Books & Bars: "The Ministry of Time" by Kaliane Bradley @ Urban Growler
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley Tuesday, May 27 6:30 p.m. Discussion Urban Growler                                                              2325 Endicott Street St. Paul This event is FREE and open to the public. — In the near future, a…
28
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Grand Marais 6:00 pm
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Grand Marais @ Grand Marais Public LIbrary
May 28 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Grand Marais @ Grand Marais Public LIbrary
Author Discussion Wednesday, May 28 6:00 p.m. Grand Marais Public Library | 104 2nd Ave. W Grand Marais, MN 55604 Free event | Registration not required Enjoy a lively discussion with three multi-genre, Minnesota authors.…
29
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Becker 5:30 pm
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Becker @ Becker Great River Regional Library
May 29 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Moving Words Writers Across Minnesota | Becker @ Becker Great River Regional Library
Moving Words: Author Discussion Thursday, May 29, 5:30 p.m.   Becker Great River Regional Library |11500 Sherburne Ave, Becker, MN 55308 Free | Registration not required Enjoy a lively discussion with three multi-genre, Minnesota authors.…
30
31
Fathers Shaping the World: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood 2:00 pm
Fathers Shaping the World: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood @ Rondo Community Library
May 31 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Fathers Shaping the World: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood @ Rondo Community Library
FATHERS SHAPING THE WORLD: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood Event 1 of 2 Saturday, May 31 | 2:00 p.m. Rondo Community Library 461 Dale Street N, Saint Paul thefriends.org/father Join Imam Makram El Amin,…

Ongoing Series

Books & Bars

With The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, moderator Jeff Kamin brings his unique take on a public book club show to our computer screen every first Wednesday of the month.

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.

May
21
Wed
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley @ Sociable Ciderwerks
May 21 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Wedsday, May 21
6:30 p.m. Discussion

Sociable Ciderwerks
1500 Fillmore St NE
Minneapolis

This event is FREE and open to the public.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.


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.

May
27
Tue
Books & Bars: “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley @ Urban Growler
May 27 @ 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

Tuesday, May 27
6:30 p.m. Discussion

Urban Growler                                                             
2325 Endicott Street
St. Paul

This event is FREE and open to the public.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.


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 in Saint Paul

The Friends stewards F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legacy through programming that celebrates the life and literature of the revered author and inspires people to reflect on both his historical and contemporary significance.  Learn more here.

Mar
20
Thu
Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection @ The Minnesota History Center
Mar 20 @ 10:00 am – May 31 @ 4:00 pm

Exhibit: Gatsby & Fitzgerald Collection at the Minnesota Historical Society
March 20 – May 31 2025
The Minnesota History Center
345 West Kellogg Boulevard, Saint Paul 

View objects from Fitzgerald’s life and world on display at the History Center. Items from the collection will be on display in the Gale Family Library through May. Entry is free.  

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. 

May
1
Thu
Featured Book Collection: Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920’s @ George Latimer Central Library
May 1 @ 10:00 am – May 31 @ 5:30 pm

Minnesota Women Authors of the 1920’s – Featured Collection
May 2025
George Latimer Central Library | Magazine Room (Third Floor)
90 West 4th Street, Saint Paul  

Go beyond F. Scott Fitzgerald with these works by women authors of the 1920’s. Explore rare copies of books on loan from the Minnesota Historical Society (for in-library viewing only), and check out Saint Paul Public Library’s own jazz-age collection of women writers from across the country. 

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. 

This publication was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.

Jun
10
Tue
Author Talk: “Beautiful Little Fools” by Jillian Cantor @ Riverview Public Library
Jun 10 @ 6:15 pm – 7:45 pm

Beautiful Little Fools: Author Talk with Jillian Cantor 

Tuesday, June 10 | 6:15 p.m.
Riverview Public Library
1 George St E, St Paul, MN 55107
Livestream also available. | Register for livestream here.

Author Jillian Cantor will talk about her book Beautiful Little Fools. The book tells the stories of the women of The Great Gatsby in the years leading up to the events portrayed in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book.  

Jillian Cantor is the best-selling author of 13 novels for teens and adults. Her work has been translated into 15 languages. She currently lives in Arizona.

To request ASL interpretation or other accommodations, contact [email protected] or 651-222-3242 at least seven days in advance. The livestream will be captioned.

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. 

 

Fireside Reading Series

Cozy up for four weeks of readings with great writers. In partnership with Saint Paul Public Library, Fireside Reading Series highlights some of Minnesota’s finest writers who have published new work. Events take place Wednesday evenings in January at 6:30 p.m. at Rondo Community Library and via Zoom.

January 8 | Taiyon Coleman, Traveling Without Moving: Essays from a Black Woman Trying to Survive in America

January 15 | Jokeda “JoJo” Bell, Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms

January 22 | Naomi Cohn, The Braille Encyclopedia

January 29 | Pallavi Sharma Dixit, Edison

Captioning will be provided for all four Zoom livestream events; ASL interpretation will be provided for the 1/31 event and is available upon request for the other events with at least seven days’ notice. Contact [email protected] or 651-222-3242.

These programs are made possible in part through an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature to The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library as the Minnesota Center for the Book.

 

Previous Seasons:
Watch the 2024 recordings here.
Watch the 2023 recordings here.
Watch the 2022 recordings here.
Watch the full playlist of events from 2020.
Listen to podcasts from previous years.

 

 

Read Brave Saint Paul

Read Brave is Saint Paul's annual citywide book club hosted by Mayor Carter and Saint Paul Public Library. Read Brave taps into the power of books to bring residents together to read and talk bravely across generations about an issue critical to Saint Paul and its future. The 2024 Read Brave book pick is the young adult novel Man o’ War by Cory McCarthy

Sign up for the Read Brave e-newsletters or visit the Library's Read Brave webpage to learn how to access books and events.

More Than a Single Story

More Than a Single Story is a series of panel discussions/public conversations where writers of color discuss issues of importance to them in their own voices and in their own words.

The 2025 Series is "Songs for Our Fathers: A Series to Celebrate Fatherhood" This series includes two panel discussions that aims to bridge cultural, racial, and generational divides as single fathers, married fathers, stepfathers, and grandfathers gather to explore the songs and silences passed down by our fathers, and the stories we’re crafting now as we raise, support, and stand beside the next generation.

Moderators: Suleiman Adan and Ben Weaver   

Panel discussions will be posted soon.

May
31
Sat
Fathers Shaping the World: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood @ Rondo Community Library
May 31 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

FATHERS SHAPING THE WORLD: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood
Event 1 of 2

Saturday, May 31 | 2:00 p.m.
Rondo Community Library
461 Dale Street N, Saint Paul
thefriends.org/father

Join Imam Makram El Amin, Larry (Lars) Morris, Josh Tecumseh Wabaunsee, and Long Vang as they explore how fathers leave a legacy that lives on – through their labor, their lessons, and sometimes, through their absence.

Co-Moderators: Suleiman Adan and Ben Weaver

These events are part of More Than a Single Story: Our Stories Our Selves.

Jun
7
Sat
The Glory that is Fatherhood: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood @ Rondo Community Library
Jun 7 @ 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

THE GLORY THAT IS FATHERHOOD: A Panel Discussion to Celebrate Fatherhood
Event 2 of 2

Saturday, June 7 | 2:00 p.m.
Rondo Community Library
461 Dale Street N, Saint Paul
thefriends.org/father

Join Alexei Casselle, Nick Metcalf, Abdirahman Mukhtar, and Mohamud Nur as they explore the struggles, joys, and fears fathers face as well as where they are finding inspiration, support, resilience, and fortitude in this complicated time to raise children.

Co-Moderators: Suleiman Adan and Ben Weaver

These events are part of More Than a Single Story: Our Stories Our Selves.

The need for a strong library is greater than ever.