About the Friends for the Public Library

Who are the Friends?

Established in 1969, the Friends for the Public Library is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 organization supporting the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System.

What is the Friends Mission?

Our mission is to maintain a charitable and educational organization to support the library, to increase the library's resources, to advocate for the public library, to recycle donated materials, to stimulate use of the library's resources, and to encourage and support educational and literacy programs through the library.

Bylaws (281K PDF) (Acrobat Reader is required to view PDFs)

How do the Friends support our Libraries?

The Board of Directors of the Friends annually allocates money to enhance library services to benefit the community. Among areas we provide funding for are:

Annual citywide Summer Reading Program for childen and young adults.
Community Outreach and Family Literacy Program.
Cultural and literary events at branch libraries.
Specialized training and development for professional staff.
Center for the Book- a self-guided educational exhibit on the history of books and printing.

How do the Friends raise funds to support our Libraries?

The primary fund-raising activity of the Friends is the sale of books. Our monthly sales, bookshop, and on-line sales raise approximately $150,000 annually.

Monthly Used Book Sales, held every second Saturday, offer approximately 15,000 items each month.
The Main Library Bookshop is open 6 days a week and offers new selections daily.
Items of unique interest or exceptional value are sold via the internet through our consignment bookseller, Simmons & Simmons.

Friends For The Public Library

Who are the Friends?

What is the Friends Mission?

How do the Friends support our Libraries?

How do the Friends raise funds to support our Libraries?