The Minnesota Library Association annual conference is right around the corner: Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9. In years past, many Friends of the Library have reported to us that attending is impractical for them due to travel logistics and cost. If this describes you, 2026 may be your year! For the first time since the pandemic, this annual conference will be fully virtual.

Labor Day is in the rearview mirror, and that means the traditional “busy season” for Friends book sales is now upon us! If your group is holding a book sale, author program, fundraising gala, or other special event, MALF wants to hear about it. We maintain a statewide, crowdsourced Friends calendar for just this purpose. 

Book banning is not a new threat. As evidence of this fact, the American Library Association spearheaded the inaugural Banned Books Week way back in 1982! It has been a staple on the calendars of libraries, bookstores, publishers and authors ever since. Unfortunately, threats to the Freedom to Read are more numerous and acute today than ever before....

When a community builds a new library, a grand opening event is almost par for the course. In contrast, far fewer take the time to celebrate the legacy library that is about to be decommissioned and replaced. In February 2026, the Friends of the Moorhead Public Library afforded Clay County residents an opportunity to do exactly this through a thoughtful event that looked back while also looking forward.

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.

Literary legend C.S. Lewis once quipped: "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." If you share that sentiment with the Narnia creator, you may want to look into the latest news from the Minnesota Book Awards.

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.

United for Libraries Virtual 2026 is fast approaching. United is the umbrella division of the American Library Association devoted to Friends, foundations and trustees. Mirroring its member base, this online conference spans three days and dedicates one day of programming to each group.

How should a Friends board of directors prioritize its limited time and precious funds? How should a board approach the discussion of sensitive topics? How should board peers hold each other accountable? Propel for Nonprofits covered these and many other important “shoulds” at yesterday’s webinar, Effective Board Decision-Making.

The summer months have a strange way of slipping through our fingers. With the Fourth of July lull just around the corner, don’t forget these July deadlines: Evy Nordley Award - Friday, July 10 // Stand Up for Standout Friends - Friday, July 31

Minnesota Libraries Read Together is back for 2026, and the new name is not the only notable change. This time around, festivities will stretch for multiple days, between September 18-20. This expansion is intended to allow more libraries to coordinate tie-in events that fit their calendar and “at a level that fits their capacity, partnerships, and community needs.”