Boston Public Library Fund

Across the Boston Public Library, staff are dreaming up fresh ways for patrons to learn, create, and connect. Through initiatives like the Branching-Out Creative Catalyst Mini-Grant Program, those ideas can grow into meaningful programs shaped by the communities they serve.

This fall, help us raise $100,000 for programs at all 25 neighborhood branches.

Make your gift today: https://na2.hubs.ly/H07W-g20

We're excited to share that the Boston Public Library Fund has been named an Official Charity Partner of the 2027 Boston Marathon® presented by Bank of America. 👟💛💙

Applications to join Team BPL for the 131st Boston Marathon are now open. By running with us, you will help power the Library's mission to remain free and open to all. 📖

https://na2.hubs.ly/H07Pjhf0

Our 2026 Impact Report is here! 📖✨
 
From bringing revolutionary ideas to life, expanding access to programs and collections, to investing in the future of librarianship, your support of the Boston Public Library Fund helps turn the BPL’s vision into reality.
 
This year’s Impact Report celebrates the programs, people, and possibilities made possible by our incredible community of donors—and the many ways your generosity helps the Library remain a place of learning, connection, and opportunity for all.
 
Thank you for being part of another impactful year.

What’s next for one of Boston’s most treasured public spaces? 📚

The historic McKim Building welcomes more than one million visitors each year, but aging infrastructure and accessibility barriers mean nearly 40% is no longer accessible to the public.

Now, with a philanthropic investment through the Boston Public Library Fund, the Library is undertaking a comprehensive planning process to prepare McKim for its next chapter.

Join our next Library People conversation with Beth Prindle, BPL’s Director of Research & Special Collections, and Paula Sakey, Executive Director of the BPL Fund, to learn more about the future of McKim’s spaces, services, and collections.

Thursday, October 1
12:00–12:30 p.m.
Zoom Webinar

Register today! https://na2.hubs.ly/H07Hfn10

Planning a gathering? The BPL can help! 🍽️✨

From small dinners to City of Boston block party permits, grants, and everything in between, the BPL’s Chef-in-Residence Suman Shah is here to help. Schedule a one-on-one appointment for personalized guidance, helpful resources, and even a few cooking tips along the way! 👩‍🍳 https://na2.hubs.ly/H07x3jn0

The Chef-in-Residence program is funded by the Boston Public Library Fund, helping bring resources like these directly to BPL patrons.

Learn more about Suman and her story in this video feature from New India. https://na2.hubs.ly/H07x7hY0

✨ Night in the Stacks is back for its 5th year and it’s bigger than ever!

Step right up for Midnight Circus, an unforgettable night inside the Boston Public Library featuring circus acts, tarot card readers, curated book displays, magicians, live music from the SweetBeats Band, delicious food, dancing, and more. 🎪

Get your tickets for this soon to be sold-out event now before prices increase on Sep 1.

Today, we remember Dolly Parton and the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind. Not only through her music, but also through her philanthropy supporting early literacy.

Launched in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, regardless of their family’s income. As of 2025, the program had distributed more than 300 million books to children!

Her commitment to putting books into the hands of young readers is a powerful reminder of the lasting impact that access to reading can have. At the BPLF, we remain committed to supporting the BPL’s work to provide children and families with early literacy programs and opportunities to discover a lifelong love of reading. ❤️📖

A huge thank you to our incredible summer interns, Anna Wong and Dana Blatte, for all of their hard work and dedication to the Boston Public Library Fund! 💙📚 One of our favorite parts of the summer was catching them enjoying lunch in the Courtyard and taking in the behind-the-scenes spaces of the BPL.

We’re so grateful for everything Anna and Dana brought to our team and wish them both so much success in their next chapters: Anna as she finishes her degree at Connecticut College and Dana as she begins graduate school at Georgetown University.✨

Ann Patchett is coming to the BPL! I repeat, Ann Patchett is coming to the BPL on Saturday, October 3 to headline the 2026 Maury A. Bromsen Humanistic Literary Arts Lecture!

✍🏼️Hear the award-winning author speak on her work and writing career of over 30 years. As one of TIME ’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, Patchett has won a National Humanities Medal, the PEN/Faulkner Award, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

Programming at the Boston Public Library is funded through private support. To learn more about supporting the Library, please visit the Boston Public Library Fund's website, Boston Public Library Fund.

Register and learn more: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/6a0723853246e7b84b4f4473