At the heart of our Library is the collection … filled with information and transformative content … free and available to all. Each and every day, these shared resources are shaping and uplifting lives of people across our community.

With one of the largest public library collections in the country, Hennepin County Library’s resource materials are in frequent and high demand. In the last five years, Friends of HCL has funded nearly 50,000 books, resulting in shorter hold times, increased circulation, and a broader diversity of titles.

Financial support from Friends helps expand the children’s collection, replace copies of popular, timeworn titles such as Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes ... and add additional copies of in-demand titles such as Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

Friends funding helps preserve our history and maintain or restore over 10,000 items – books, maps, photos, personal artifacts, and more – per year, ensuring the longevity, usefulness, and accessibility of our collection! With your gift, our library’s treasures will continue to be preserved and made accessible for future generations.