Fall 2025 Newsletter
Yesterday’s News, Today’s Gift
“Too Late!” headlined the top story in the Stillwater Republican newspaper on October 20, 1870. The article tells a fascinating story about the politics, rivalry, and conflict surrounding an effort to build a railroad line from St. Paul to Stillwater.
Thanks to donor support, stories like this are no longer buried deep in a library’s archives or hidden on microfiche, because many Stillwater newspapers are now included in the Minnesota Historical Society’s Digital Newspaper Hub.
This hub provides a searchable newspaper database so anyone can easily search topics by location, name, or event to uncover a part of our shared past.
This summer, Terry and Roxie Johnson made a generous donation to the Stillwater Area Historic Newspaper Initiative, which includes the Stillwater Public Library Foundation, to begin Phase 3 of digitizing Stillwater Gazettes from 1946-1977. When complete, over a century of Stillwater’s history will be preserved and searchable as a gift not just for students, researchers, and genealogists, but for anyone curious about how our community has grown and changed.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the independent spirit of Stillwater, as evidenced by the last sentence of the 1870 article:
“Stillwater interests are safe in the hands of her own citizens, much safter than they would be in the nands of St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, and ‘twenty or thirty St. Paul capitalists.’”
- The Stillwater Republican
The Friends and the Foundation
—What’s the Difference?
Why are there both a Friends of the Library and a Foundation? It’s a question we hear a lot! Both the Friends of the Stillwater Public Library and the Stillwater Public Library Foundation provide financial support for the library, but we do it in different ways.
The Friends were established in 1999 and focus on raising funds through membership and used book sales. The Foundation, established in 2007, concentrates on long-term financial support using donor gifts and investments to fund a significant portion of the library’s budget beyond what the City provides.
New Foundation board members in 2025: Lori Houston, Ingrid Youmans, and Cindy Selnes.
Both organizations are 501(c)(3) charities guided by volunteer boards. Recently, the Foundation earned certification from the Charities Review Council after completing a rigorous process of developing policies and procedures.
The Foundation has three part-time staff members. As part of our collaborative efforts, Susie Danielson, the Foundation’s volunteer coordinator, dedicates a portion of her time to assisting with the Friends popular book sales.
Together, the Foundation and the Friends make a powerful team!
Volunteers at a Friends Book Sale: Mary Pat Flandrick and Stillwater Library Trustee Kim Glidden.
We Need Your Help for a
November 11 - 12 Photo Session!
We’re collaborating with the Library to create a photo project to showcase the impact of Stillwater Public Library - and we need your help to make it meaningful. We’re looking for library lovers of all ages to join us for a short photo session on Nov. 11 or 12. Click here to sign-up today.
Important Dates
for November, 2025
Book Sale - Friends of the Stillwater Public Library
November 12th (Members Only)
November 13th - 15th Public Sale
Browse a fantastic selection of gently used books with most priced at just $1 - $2, with every purchase supporting the Stillwater Public Library. Click here for more information.
Give to the Max Day | November 20, 2025
Give to the Max Day (GTMD) is Minnesota’s annual celebration of generosity and we’re thrilled to participate and offer donors another way to support the library.
Early giving for GTMD25 has begun and culminates with Give to the Max Day on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Click here to dontate.
Thank you for supporting reading, learning, and the Stillwater Public Library
Elsbeth Howe, Executive Director
