In June 2024, a torrential downpour in northern Minnesota swelled the Little Fork River and flooded downtown Cook. The small Northwoods town remained inundated for the better part of a week, causing infrastructure damage so severe that one meteorologist termed it “a once in a generation event, at most.” The beloved Cook Public Library was not exempt. Flood waters saturated the carpets, compromised drywall, and wrecked wooden shelves. For many months thereafter, the City could offer only limited library services while waiting to learn if they would secure FEMA funds to restore the facility.

Bees and Trees took root (pun intended) after the Friends learned that the Pine County Soil and Water Conservation District (PCSWCD) hosts occasional tree and shrub sales. After crunching some numbers, the board realized that they could procure a significant number of saplings for a reasonable cost and host some kind of community giveaway.

With a population just shy of 3,500, the west-central Minnesota town of Benson faces a challenge familiar to many rural communities of its type: outside of school-sponsored extracurriculars, local youth have few recreational or social outlets. Benson Public Library has tried to step into that void.

Last week brought exciting news to no fewer than fifty Friends of the Library groups across the country. Penguin Random House announced these as awardees in the second cycle of its annual Grants to U.S. Rural and Small Libraries program.

MALF is pleased to announce the first three recipients of our new Minnesota Good Neighbor Grant Program: Friends of the Babbitt Library; Marine Library Association; McGregor Friends of the Library.

As communities across Minnesota navigate a year like no other, the Minnesota Association of Library Friends wants to empower Friends of the Library and their libraries to rise to the occasion. MALF’s new Good Neighbor Grant is making monetary grants up to $1,000 available to member organizations eager to support solutions to whatever problems loom largest in your community. What’s the catch? There isn’t one.

TOMORROW is the cutoff to apply for United’s second annual Grants to U.S. Rural and Small Libraries program. (In its inaugural year, sponsor Penguin Random House awarded monetary grants and in-kind gifts worth $25,000!)

United for Libraries (the Friends and trustees arm of the American Library Association) is partnering with Penguin Random House for a second year of Grants to U.S. Rural and Small Libraries. (In its inaugural year, the partners awarded monetary grants and in-kind gifts worth $25,000!)

Barb Brylinke leads book sales for the Friends of the Heritage Library in Lakeville. According to her colleagues, Barb understands that the most important words at a sale are not those found in the books available to shoppers – they are those used in the promotional materials and wayfinding signage needed to make residents aware of and excited for the opportunity.

Congratulations to Friends of the Moorhead Public Library, winners of the 2025 Evy Nordley Award for ‘Best Project by Friends of the Library.’ They won top prize earlier this month for Bookmarked! A Celebration of the Arts. Bookmarked! was a fundraiser – but also so much more. It evolved from separate, Friends-led conversations with Zoltar (a tattoo parlor) and Swing Barrel (a craft brew staple in downtown Moorhead).

Moorhead will soon be home to Minnesota’s newest library. While still under construction, this 48,000-square-foot architectural gem is already a prominent, permanent fixture in the downtown district. In April, supporters had the unique opportunity to support this generational project by getting something “prominent and permanent” of their own: a library-inspired tattoo!

The Minnesota Book Awards is currently seeking reader-judges for the program’s 38th year (2025-26). Each year, more than 50 judges are involved in this evaluation process. Panels are comprised of Minnesotans from many walks of life who have interest in and aptitude for critical appraisal. Judges commonly include authors, editors, educators – and yes, librarians and Friends.