Friends of the Library are resilient, versatile, and endlessly creative. Sometimes, we don’t give ourselves enough credit! That’s one of the reasons that MALF proudly hosts the annual Evy Nordley Award for Best Project by Friends of the Library – the longest-running state-level prize of this kind.

The Peggy Barber Tribute Grant awards $2,500 to three libraries to support their programming efforts. Competitiveness is determined in large part by a candidate’s ability to demonstrate an acute financial need (and, as a result, a general track record of under-funded programming).

Thanks to everyone who joined MALF last week for our last webinar of the year – and most experimental webinar ever. Special gratitude goes to our guest speakers, Alison Aten and Riley Jo Davis (Minnesota Historical Press) and Ill Nippashi (Graywolf Press), for leading us off with a sneak peek at their impressive winter/spring catalogs.

Happy #GivingTuesday! If your Friends of the Library are running a campaign in conjunction with the nation’s unofficial “giving holiday,” we wish you well. But if you missed out on November’s prime giving holidays (Giving…

As the days grow shorter and colder, many of us indulge in the simple whim to hole up at home with a good book. MALF wants to make sure your “TBR” pile is well stocked with great Minnesota reads this winter. Please join us December 14 (12:00-1:00 p.m.) for our last webinar of 2022: Warm Books for Cold Days: Minnesota Authors Recommend. This free webinar will comprise three separate sections...

In case you missed it: United for Libraries hosted the Friends of the Austin (Minn.) Public Library last month for a fundraising webinar held in celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week. Board president Bethie Carlton profiled Flockin’ Flamingoes Fundraiser, a colorful and memorable project that won Austin MALF’s 2021 Evy Nordley Award.

We have an exciting announcement to share – and National Friends of Libraries Week seems like the perfect time to do it. After a months-long research and design process, MALF has just launched a brand new website! Check it out for yourself at mnlibraryfriends.org.

Have you heard of the "I Love My Librarian Award"? This annual, national honor is intended to honor “librarians who have made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community.” Each year, up to 10 librarians will be honored with a $5,000 cash prize and special ceremony held in their honor.

What, you might be asking, is a “Saturday Splash”? In short, it is MALF’s annual mini-conference – a morning of content curated by, for and about Friends of the Library. Itinerary will include a splash of this, and a splash of that (thus the name); but as connective tissue, every program module will celebrate Friends work or offer learning opportunities to further that work.

The Minnesota Book Awards is currently seeking reader-judges for the program’s 35th year (2022-23). Each year, more than 50 judges are involved in this evaluation process. Panels are comprised of Minnesotans from many walks of life who share a love of literature and aptitude for critical appraisal. Judges commonly include authors, editors, educators – and yes, librarians and Friends.

In some circles, Friends of the Library is seen as a near-synonym for used book sale. While it is true that Friends offer the best book bargains around, our contributions to library work these days are much more diverse, creative, and crucial than the outdated stereotype suggests. In recognition and celebration of that fact, MALF proudly hosts an annual Stand Up for Standout Friends recognition program.

What’s the difference between a challenged and a banned book – and more to the point, why are they dominating our headlines? Is there any precedent for it? Above all, what can Friends do to help their libraries navigate this climate? MALF’s summer webinar, "Living in Challenging Times: Book Banning Then and Now" will tackle these timely questions.