The Friends of the Meriden Public Library was founded in 1984 by a group of individuals seeking to support the efforts and offerings of the Meriden Public Library through pirvately organized fund-raising endeavors. Over the years, the Friends have grown in both number of members and scope of funding efforts. Today, the Friends of the Meriden Public Library boasts a new location for its bookstore with a large selection of gently used books. The Friends also hosts a variety of cultural and educational events as well as a variety of literacy-based programs, informational speakers, family-friendly activities and literacy building events. As a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, the Friends of the Meriden Public Library provides a variety of services to the citizens of Meriedn in support of the free public library system. Some of the programs and services of the Friends include: Summer Children's Programs, Books for Babies, Friends Bookstore, Library Museum passes, varous special collections, and fundraising for the MPL renovation fund and the Holocaust memorial fund.