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"Whatever the cost of our librairies, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation"

Walter Cronkite

About the Foundation

The Library Foundation, Inc. was established in 1975 to support the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library. Our mission is to enrich publicly-funded Library services by raising private funds to enhance collections, resources and facilities.

Foundation Highlights:

• Raised over $300,000 to complete the new building.
• Began the Building a Foundation for Life campaign to establish an Endowment Fund, which had grown to over $900,000 by 2008.
• Raised over $36,000 to construct the coffee shop inside the Library. Gelato d’Italia opened in June 2007.
• Announced the Children’s Library Renovation Campaign on October 3, 2007. Needed: $600,000 to renovate the 20-year-old children’s area to meet the needs of children in the community in the 21st century.
• Annually contributes funds to purchase books, CDs, DVDs, computer equipment and so much more.

A Brief History of the Library

Bismarck Public Library was established in 1917 in a building funded by Andrew Carnegie at 6th Street and Thayer Avenue. In 1963, a modern building was erected at 6th Street and Avenue A to provide more space. The new library was called the Veterans Memorial Public Library, because a bond levy honoring World War II and Korean War veterans helped fund the building.

Major library expansion took place in 1989, giving the library 70,000 square feet of space and a new name: Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library. The facility occupies the block between 5th and 6th streets north of Avenue A. Today the library has over 6,000 visitors each week; over 41,000 people have library cards; and over 509,000 items were used in 2006 from the library and the bookmobile.

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