Memorial Day heralds summer, and with it comes several grant and award deadlines for MALF member groups. Coming up first: Friday, July 5 is the cutoff to submit for the annual Evy Nordley Award for Best Project. Common project types entered into this contest include special events, successful fundraisers, membership drives, and advocacy campaigns – but the sky is the limit! Don't think your Friends conducted any activities on the scale of an Evy Nordley prize contender over the past year? Consider contributing to our inclusive and ongoing Stand Up for Standout Friends project instead!

MALF is pleased to announce that our popular Friends of the Library “mini-conference” is returning for 2024. Mark your calendars Saturday, October 5 for MALF’s fifth annual SATURDAY SPLASH. Why do we call this event Saturday Splash (aside from the obvious fact that it’s always held on a Saturday)? It’s because our half-day itinerary will include a splash of this, and a splash of that! As the connecting thread, every program module will celebrate Friends' work or offer value learning opportunities to further that work.

Congratulations to this year’s Minnesota Book Award winners! If you missed the celebration back on May 7, you can read up on the 2024 honorees via the Star Tribune or Pioneer Press. Better yet: You can watch the archived simulcast of the live event on the YouTube channel of the host organization, The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.