The only way to have a friend is to be one. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dine Out for the Library

Enjoy a tasty meal at locally owned, Bloomington Sandwich Company. Stop by Wednesday July 12, 19, and 26 from 2 - 5 pm, and choose from fresh salads, homemade soups, and special sandwiches like reubens, Italian beef, muffulettas, and Panini melts. Don't forget a refreshing Italian ice! Show your flyer available at library kiosks or print from our website and 15% of your purchase will support library programming. Your meal will taste even better knowing you’re contributing to an award-winning library for all in the community.

And another opportunity to dine out for the Library this month! Stop by either Bucceto's Bloomington location on Tuesday, July 25, for lunch or dinner from 11 am to closing, dine-in or carry-out. Show your flyer and Bucceto's will donate 20% of your purchase to the Library!

Your dining out has brought in more than $10,000 for the Library! Thank you for enjoying all that great food.

Join us for Coffee with Friends with Janet Cheatham Bell. She is the author of The Time and Place That Gave Me Life, a coming-of-age memoir that confronts race and gender issues in middle America during the pre-Civil Rights era. Janet Cheatham Bell’s riveting memoir recounts her experiences as an African American girl in Indianapolis from the late 1930s to the mid-1960s. Please drop in Sunday, August 27, 2–3 p.m. Meeting Room 1B, Main Library. Free and open to the public! 

You can make an extraordinary difference in our community. Your gift to the Campaign for Excellence contributes to a thriving, dynamic Monroe County. Your generosity will help the Library improve literacy, continue to innovate, spread the joy and power of reading, and reach out to people throughout the community. Your act of giving speaks loudly.Please join Audrey and John McCluskey and donate today! Your contribution:

• Supports award-winning Library programs for all ages
• Builds the Library's collection—from books, movies, and music to mobile wi-fi hotspots and digital creativity tools
• Prepares children for success in school through early literacy initiatives, the Summer Reading Program, and access to new technologies
• Provides an eAccess library card to every student in Monroe County, enabling access to top-quality Library content in the classroom
• Will have a greater impact thanks to a matching grant from the Carol R. Nicholas Trust!
• Your Library works hard every day to provide equitable access to information and technology for everyone in the community. Your donation makes it possible.

The Power of Words: MARCH

Changing Our World—One Author at a Time

The Friends of the Library and Monroe County Public Library were honored to present The Power of Words featuring the authors of March: civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and local artist Nate Powell at the IU Auditorium.

Congressman Lewis and his co-creators inspired all as they discussed their groundbreaking graphic novel series, March, an engaging and award-winning first-hand account of Lewis’s lifelong struggle for civil and human rights.

Both March books are New York Times Bestsellers and are available for check out at Monroe County Public Library or for purchase at the Friends of the Library Bookstore.

Our format for The Power of Words involved four parts: Read, Discuss, Meet, Act. Continue your journey with this year's Power of Words and ACT. Lewis, Aydin, and Powell stressed the importance of being engaged and voting. Make your voice heard! The Library is proud to partner with the League of Women Voters as your go-to place for information on voting and elections. Use our tools to exercise your rights and fulfill your duties as a citizen of a democracy.

Mission Statement

The Friends of Monroe County Public Library support the mission, vision, and values of the Library. The Friends advocate for Monroe County Public Library and support Library collections, services, programs, and staff development.

Friends of the Library Office

303 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408

Office Hours: M–F, 10am-6pm
(812)349-3050, ext. 1080

FOL at mcpl.info