Member Spotlight - St. Louis Public Library Central Branch

St. Louis Public Library (SLPL) was established in 1865 as the Public School Library Society of St. Louis. In the beginning, it was a subscription Library open only to paying members. Then it opened to the public for reference and reading on the premises in 1874. With a mission to "provide learning resources and information services that support and improve individual, family and community life", SLPL now has 17 locations across the city, over four million books and items, 2.3 million visitors annually and 83,000 Library cardholders.Library support and staff take advantage of multiple Amigos member benefits such as resource sharing and discount direct, saving money through Amigos negotiated agreements and our vendor partners.

SLPL's Central Library branch, which was made possible by a substantial gift in 1901 from Andrew Carnegie, is located at 1301 Olive Street, St. Louis, MO. Home to many outstanding exhibits throughout its existence, the current "The Birds and the Bees: Pollinators & Native Gardens" takes the experience from the Great Hall to the outdoors with a focus on the Manolo Valdes' sculpture "Mariposas" (Butterflies). "Mariposas" arrived in 2017 and measures 15'1" H x 31'2" W x 16'5" D and serves as the center piece of the Pollinator Garden.

The Pollinator Garden was installed in Fall 2018 and features 27 native plant species that are set to bloom throughout the year. A "pollinator drinking fountain" behind the sculpture uses spritzers and uneven paver stones to provide fresh, untreated water to the pollinators. The special exhibit runs June 10-September 29, highlighting SLPL's new pollinator garden and explores the pollination process. Click here for a list of programming during the exhibit.