When the Mill Valley Public Library closed in March of 2020 and the Friends could no longer offer in-person shopping opportunities, its team of volunteers knew they needed to pivot to an online shopping option. After much research, the online bookstore was created and was up and running in August 2020.
The Friends receive nearly 10,000 donations a month and books that are in good to excellent condition are added to the bookstore (many are like new). The prices are quite reasonable and the inventory changes daily so it’s a good idea to shop often.
There are categories on the left, so if you want to browse, click on one of the options such as Childrens or Fiction or Cookbooks to see what books are available for purchase. If you are looking for something specific, click on the magnifying glass at the top right corner of the site and search.
When you are finished shopping and place your order, you will be notified when it is ready for pickup at the front desk of the library. These times are posted on the Mill Valley Public Library website (https://www.millvalleylibrary.org/430/Library-Hours-and-Location).
The money raised from the store is donated to the Mill Valley Public Library to support the many programs and services they offer.
The Friends of the Mill Valley Library and the Mill Valley Library Foundation operate with the same goals in mind but do so in very different ways. As we’ve reported widely in recent years, the Mill Valley Library Foundation is a powerhouse, announcing in 2019 a unique public-private partnership between the foundation and City of Mill Valley allowing the foundation’s board to reach a capital base sufficient to initiate an endowment starting at $2.3 million.
While the foundation has historically coalesced around large projects like the endowment, the Friends have a similar but distinct mission. The Friends is a membership organization that focuses more on the day-to-day.
Now’s your chance to so support the library via Friends of the Mill Valley Library!