The mission of the Duluth Library Foundation is to raise private support to enhance the Duluth Public Library’s capacity to provide programming and materials above the level provided by public funding, and to champion the Library’s role in meeting community needs.

In 1964, the Duluth Public Library was notified that one of its regular visitors, Olga Walker, had died and left the library in her will. The Library Board voted that Mrs. Walker’s gift become the seed money for an endowment to benefit the library in perpetuity and the Duluth Library Foundation was founded in 1990 to manage it. Since then the endowment has grown to more than $2 million. 

Support from generous donors and community partners ensures the library to continue its role as a vital resource for books, digital items, and critical programs and increase its capacity to respond more nimbly to the emerging needs of the community.

The Duluth Public Library strengthens our community by promoting the love of reading and lifelong discovery, helping ensure children are ready and excited to learn, offering robust connections to the digital world, and providing a creative and welcoming environment for all. Library staff help job seekers, students, researchers, and seniors find the answers they need. The computers, printers, and Internet access available at the library make it a lifeline for many in our community.

We welcome your support of our library!