Who We Are

Many people know about us because of our bookstore, but we’re much more than that. While it’s true that we sell books, media, and other items at affordable prices, that’s just one way that we support the Lexington Public Library. Throughout our long history, the Friends of the Lexington Public Library has had a major impact on the library and other amazing organizations in our community. For a brief overview of our work, watch the video below. Or, continue reading to learn more about what we do.

The main goal of the Friends of the Lexington Public Library is to provide financial, advocacy, and volunteer support to the Lexington Public Library. Our fundraising efforts for the Lexington Public Library include direct monetary support to the library, as well as donations for the funding of library branch construction and direct donations for the promotion of library activities as well as gatherings for library staff members. Through our varied and robust fundraising efforts, we have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Lexington Public Library over the years. Between 1972 and 2024, a majority of the constructed library branches were partially funded by our aggressive fundraising efforts.

Our history begins in 1966, when Rabbi William J. Leffler proposed forming a Friends of the Library organization to the library’s board of trustees. The Friends organization was established in 1968 under the auspices of a community-wide steering committee, chaired by noted Lexington historian Richard S. DeCamp. Articles of incorporation were filed January 17, 1969, in Fayette County Court.

Our main source of revenue is our bookstore, the Friends Book Cellar. Opened in 1998 in the lower level of the Central Library, the Friends Book Cellar maintains an ever-growing inventory of tens of thousands of items and is the main reason for our monetary success. With competitive pricing, wide variety, and friendly staff, the Friends Book Cellar is a popular downtown Lexington institution and a community favorite among local bookstores!

The Friends Book Cellar location is also the site of our online sales operation, a rapidly-expanding effort to list higher-value, unique, and interesting items on eBay and Amazon. In recent years, we have been holding our book sales at the Friends Book Cellar space as well. Twice a year, we hold a large book sale that allows the public to purchase a wide variety of items at prices even lower than those of our store. These are major ways that we raise funds for the Lexington Public Library, but they aren’t the only way.

Recently, we have been actively partnering and coordinating with other local organizations and groups in the Lexington area for off-site book sale events and other promotional activities. Hosting these events allows us to spread our fundraising efforts away from our main base in downtown Lexington while simultaneously allowing us to expand general knowledge of our brand and mission. Additionally, we have also donated books and other relevant materials to other community organizations on several occasions. This allows us to establish ourselves in the community while simultaneously helping other groups fulfill their own missions.

Some Organizations that we’ve worked with include:

Finally, the Friends of the Lexington Public Library provides ample volunteer support for the Lexington Public Library. Through the Friends Book Cellar, we are able to provide a way for book lovers and other people interested in our organization to work with us and gain hands-on experience with what we do. Our volunteers allow for increased efficiency within our organization, which means an increase in support for the library. The volunteer-driven model of our organization, simply put, allows for greater support for the Lexington Public Library.

We take an active role in our community, and we are highly dedicated to supporting the Lexington Public Library and other local organizations in the Lexington or Kentucky communities. Our commitment to supporting the library is widespread, and our community advocacy efforts are widespread. Through our efforts, we are able to provide a high level of monetary support to the library, and our volunteer efforts ensure that our productivity level and contributions are high. You can help us in our efforts by donating to us, checking us out at an off-site sales event, or visiting the Friends Book Cellar. All of our proceeds are invested directly back into the Lexington Public Library.

To ensure that we can continue our mission, please consider donating to us directly, using the link below. Any amount helps, and all donations are tax-deductible.