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St. Louis is home to one of the top public urban libraries in the nation. The St. Louis Public Library has been ranked among the top five urban libraries for the past six years, and this year is ranked #2. In part due to our well-utilized public library, St. Louis is consistently recognized as one of the most literate cities in the U.S.

With Central To Your World: The Campaign for the St. Louis Public Library, we propose to make our Library even greater by revitalizing its downtown headquarters — the magnificent Central Library — for the 21st century library user, ensuring that it continues to meet the needs of our changing world.

The St. Louis Public Library's history dates to 1865 when the superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools established a subscription library. In 1901, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie shared his vision for the Saint Louis community when he offered St. Louis $1 million to expand and enhance its library services.  Supplemented by $1.5 million from the citizens of St. Louis, Carnegie's gift was used to build a new $2 million Central Library and several branches throughout the City.

Follow progress of the Central Library Project here.

Central Library's massive granite & marble interiors and exteriors have never been fully restored. The building is badly in need of refurbishment and repair to meet the needs of the public.

Our goal of restoring and modernizing Central Library extends beyond bricks and mortar. Central Library will continue to grow as St. Louis' civic living room — an essential component of living in our great city. And with a collection consisting of over 3.5 million items, Central Library will become the place to gather, study, and meet friends.

The cost for the restoration project is $70 million, with $50 million financed from the proceeds of bonds issued by the St. Louis Municipal Library District. We are turning to individuals, businesses and foundations to provide the remaining $20 million. This campaign is a community-wide effort that exemplifies how the people of St. Louis can accomplish remarkable things by joining together for a common cause.