Friends Of The Seattle Public Library

The Friends of the Seattle Public Library operates the FriendShop, a gift store located in the Central Branch of The Seattle Public Library. The FriendShop acts as an ambassador for The Seattle Public Library, selling used books and gift items that celebrate reading and support the Library's mission of bringing people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. The FriendShop sells custom-designed items related to The Seattle Public Library, such as t-shirts and book bags. The FriendShop also sells memberships to The Friends of the Seattle Public Library and disseminates information about the Friends. An additional used book store, located in a community known to be a book desert, operates to further The Friends' mission by making books more accessible to this community.

The Friends of the Seattle Public Library advocate on behalf of The Seattle Public Library. The Friends educate and inform its members, library patrons and the greater Seattle community about the Library, its services and the issues that it faces. The Friends support the Library's efforts to create lifelong readers through its Books For Teachers program. Through its surplus book program, the Friends gave books to community organizations in Seattle, including food banks, health clinics, homeless shelters, children's programs, education organizations, and many others.