How can YOU help your library?

Volunteers, Friends of the Library, Library Foundation, Donations

In addition to our hardworking library staff, Missoula Public Library depends on a large number of dedicated volunteers to help us provide the best library services possible.

| Volunteer | Friends of the Library | Library Foundation | Donations |

Volunteer @ your library

Missoula Public Library volunteers gave over 10,000 hours of service to MPL during 2002. The pay might not be great, say volunteers, but the working conditions are great! Are you interested in volunteering at MPL? Need to build your resume? Do you have community service hours you need to complete for school? We are always looking for extra help with a variety of tasks and projects. To print a volunteer application form, click the appropriate link below:
Volunteer Application for Those Under 18
Volunteer Application for Those 18 and Over
PLEASE NOTE: You must have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to read and print the application forms. If you do not have Acrobat Reader installed, click here to download a free copy.

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Friends of the Missoula Public Library

"Happy is the house that shelters a Friend..." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Our Mission:

  • To maintain a citizens' association devoted to libraries;
  • To focus public attention on the Missoula Public Library and its branches and their needs;
  • To increase their facilities and services; and
  • To enrich the cultural lives of Missoula area citizens with community events and activities.

The Friends have been active since April 28, 1969.

Friends Annual Book Sale:

Held each year in the fall, the Friends Annual Sale is the group's largest fundraiser. Bibliophiles find books--new, used, antique, and assorted. Friends volunteers work throughout the year sorting and stacking materials donated and withdrawn from the Library's collection.

Book Discussion Group:

Once a month the Third Thursday Book Club discusses a new book. Sponsorship of this program is courtesy of the Friends. They purchase multiple copies of the selected titles and provide them for Book Club Members at cost. Call the Library at 721-BOOK (2665) if you're interested in this active and exciting book discussion group.

Senior Reach Out! Project:

In July 1998 the Friends developed and sponsored the Library's Reach Out! Project. Staff and volunteers make visits to senior residence homes bringing library materials to individuals who may have difficulty visiting the Library. The result is new library users, books in the hands of readers, and a renewed commitment to all Missoula residents.

Montana Book Award:

The Friends of the Missoula Public Library are pleased to announce the creation of the Montana Book Award. Begun in 2002, this annual award recognizes literary and/or artistic excellence in a book published during the year. Eligible titles will be set in Montana, deal with Montana themes or issues, or be written, edited, or illustrated by a Montana author or artist. Books for all ages will be considered for the award.

Projects Funded by the Friends:

Joining the Friends:

It's easy to become a Friends member and support Missoula Public Library. Click here for a .pdf membership form. Fill it out and send it in! Please note: for your computer to be able to read and print the application form, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your machine. If you do not, click here to get a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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Missoula Public Library Foundation

Our Mission:

The mission of the Missoula Public Library Foundation is to enhance the offerings of the library beyond the basic services funded by the taxpayers. This is accomplished through directed gifts and income generated by an independent endowment. In these days of rapid advances in communications, the regular library budget just isn't able to cover the expenses necessary to keep up with important technological changes. This is one place the Library Foundation can step in. For example, the Foundation covered the cost of connecting the Library staff and the public to the Internet, a source of information that is essential for any modern institution concerned with education and the dissemination of information.

Make A Contribution:

When you contribute to the Missoula Library Foundation, the money is placed in a permanent fund. These monies are prudently invested, and the earnings from the investments are used to finance special library needs. The easiest and most common way to give to the Foundation is through a gift of cash. A contribution given in memory of a loved one is a wonderful tribute, a living memorial that will continue to give through the generations. Special occasions such as anniversaries, graduations, and births can be noted with a charitable gift. Contributions made to the Foundation can also be made through bequests in your will. In addition to providing the satisfaction of helping the library in a sustained way, a contribution to the Missoula Public Library Foundation is tax deductible to the full extent provided by law.

Your Gift Continues to Give to Our Community:

When you contribute to the endowment fund of the Missoula Public Library Foundation, your gift continues to give as the interest it generates is used through the years to benefit the Library. The Foundation invests in special projects that would otherwise not be funded--special book collections equipment to stay in step with modern technology, services for people with disabilities--a whole range of worthy projects that will benefit the citizens of our county through the generations.

Examples of Library Enhancements Funded by the Missoula Public Library Foundation:

  • Public Internet Computers
  • Magazine Database Computers
  • Author Presentations
  • Staff Training
  • Conference Attendance
  • Books and Materials
  • Shelving

If you wish to make a contribution, please make checks payable to:

Missoula Public Library Foundation
IRS 501(c)(3)
Tax ID#: 36-3804904

For more information about gifts to the Missoula Public Library Foundation, contact:

Honore Bray, Director
Missoula Public Library
301 East Main
Missoula, MT 59802-4799
(406) 721-BOOK (2665)
Or send an email.

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Donations

Donations are always appreciated. Cash donations directly purchase library materials, or assist with Foundation and Friends projects. Donations of materials are subject to the materials donation policy as outlined below.

Materials Donation Policy:

What happens to the materials I donated? This is a question donors often ask regarding materials that are donated to Missoula Public Library. First and foremost we appreciate your generosity and thank you for thinking of us!

The Library's Materials Donation Policy states that gift materials added to our collection must meet the same guidelines as materials we purchase. We will consider adding materials that are:

a. Up-to-date
b. Not unnecessary duplicates
c. Appropriate additions to our current collection

Items not added to the Library collection will be given to another library, to a nonprofit organization, the Friends of the Missoula Public Library for sale to benefit the Library, or otherwise disposed.

Donated materials are welcome and appreciated. Even though some donations may not end up on the Library's shelves, each gift will be reviewed by staff and handled accordingly. The volume of donations received prevents us from returning any donated items after they are given to us.

Please contact the library with any questions or concerns about our materials donation policy.

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Missoula Public Library, © 2002