Community Partnerships

St. Louis County Library partners with a number of community organizations to provide innovative programming and services. Some of our current partnerships are listed below. If your organization is interested in collaborating with SLCL, please call 314-994-3300.

Aging Ahead
St. Louis County Library and Aging Ahead offer weekly Choice: Healthy Living for Seniors programs that cover a wide range of subjects of special interest to older people, including health and wellness, nutrition, scam prevention and retirement. 
 

Alzheimer's Association
St. Louis County Library collaborates with the Alzheimer's Association, St. Louis Chapter to provide education on various aspects of Alzheimer's disease and dementia.  
 

Born to Read
The Born to Read program provides early literacy information and a free book to new parents at participating hospitals and clinics. Parents receive a bag before leaving the hospital that contains a book, a bath toy, information about infant development and other goodies. Parents also receive an invitation to celebrate their child’s first birthday at the library where they will receive another free book. Support for the program comes from the St. Louis County Library Foundation.
 

ConnectED Library Challenge
SLCL is one of 57 library districts selected to participate in the White House ConnectEd Library Challenge. The project's goal is to make sure every child enrolled in school receives a library card. SLCL has distributed over 28,000 library cards to area students at nine school districts since accepting the challenge in the fall of 2015. SLCL will continue to expand the program to other St. Louis County school districts in the coming years.
 

Consuming Kinetics Dance Company
St. Louis County Library partners with Consuming Kinetics Dance Company to provide a wide variety of dance classes for every age and technical level.
 

Eye Thrive
Eye Thrive brings their state-of-the-art Mobile Vision Clinic to select St. Louis County Library branches to provide free eye exams and prescription glasses to kids.
 

The Institute for Financial Education
St. Louis County Library partners with The Institute of Financial Education to provide financial literacy education to our community.
 

Fit & Food Connection
St. Louis County Library partners with Fit & Food Connection to provide a variety of exercise classes that ensure strong minds and healthy bodies.
 

Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri
St. Louis County Library works with Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri to provide programs that help to create a healthier community by promoting mental wellness for everyone. Virtual programs are recorded, to give further access that demystifies mental health topics. 
 

Missouri Botanical Garden
SLCL has partnered with the Missouri Botanical Garden since 2016, to bring both sustainable thinking through programs presented by the Earthways Center and education about the importance and benefits of butterfly conservation through presentations from the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House to our community.
 

Missouri Department of Conservation
In 2021, the Missouri Department of Conservation began working with SLCL to circulate fishing poles and fishing equipment kits. Naturalists from the Missouri Department of Conservation also present programs with the library about our regional flora and fauna.
 

MU Extension Small Business & Technology Center
St. Louis County Library partnered with the University of Missouri Extension, the Missouri Small Business Technology & Development Centers, and the Small Business Administration to offer a monthly program called “Mind Your Business: A Small Business Lecture Series.” The lecture series started in September 2012 and was designed to reach out to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and individuals thinking about starting a small business in the St. Louis area.
 

National Park Service
St. Louis County Library partners with the National Park Service to provide programs that preserve local history and celebrate local heritage.
 

Operation Food Search
SLCL partners with Operation Food Search to provide free lunches during the summer months. The program offers a nutritious meal along with activities for kids five days a week each summer. The free lunch program helps combat hunger, and also works to prevent the summer slide–by introducing kids and families to library resources. In 2016, over 12,000 free meals were distributed. 
 

Perennial 
Since 2016, SLCL and Perennial have partnered to bring creative reuse programs to foster sustainable consumer practices and the development of DIY skills to the communities throughout St. Louis County.
 

Safe Place
SLCL joined the Safe Place program in September 2014. All 20 branches of St. Louis County Library are designated Safe Places. The designation allows a young person in crisis to begin the process of receiving help at any SLCL branch. Safe Place is a national program that uses volunteers to assist young people in crisis and to provide immediate assistance. Those in need can contact a library staff person, who will then contact a trained Safe Place volunteer.
 

Seed St. Louis (formerly Gateway Greening)
SLCL and Seed St. Louis (formerly Gateway Greening) work together to create and maintain community gardens at library branches throughout St. Louis County. Local gardeners assemble raised garden beds in early spring, choosing what to sow and tending the beds from planting to harvest. Seed St. Louis also offers gardening programs throughout the year in conjunction with the partnership.
 

St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies
Flow kits from the St. Louis Alliance for Period Supplies are available at select library branches. The free kits contain 20 period supplies.

St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
St. Louis County Library partners with the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank to provide families in need with a supply of diapers each month at select library branches. Families can pick up a supply of appropriately sized diapers or training pants for children ages 3 and under. 
 

St. Louis Astronomical Society
The St. Louis Astronomical Society and SLCL joined forces in 2014 to start a telescope lending program. SLCL has over 30 telescopes available for check-out by the public. The scope comes with tools, instructions and hints on where to look for various constellations. Volunteers from the St. Louis Astronomical Society help assemble the scopes and make them more durable for patron use. The group also presents star parties at several branches to show how the telescopes work and to help area residents learn more about objects in the night sky. St. Louis Astronomical Society volunteers also present programs about topics related to the various aspects of astronomy.
 

St. Louis Audubon Society 
The St. Louis Audubon Society and SLCL have been working together since 2017 to provide opportunities for understanding the birds and wildlife of our region and beyond, both through educational programs and bird walks at branches.
 

St. Louis MetroMarket
St. Louis MetroMarket is a mobile farmer’s market that visits select SLCL branches throughout the year offering fresh, affordable produce, along with recipe ideas and meal planning assistance.
 

Science in St. Louis
SLCL began offering a series of informal science talks in 2015, featuring local scientists and engineers discussing important scientific discoveries and breakthroughs taking place in our community. Science in St. Louis is a partnership between SLCL and The Academy of Science of St. Louis.
 

Turn the Page STL
SLCL is a partnering organization with Turn the Page STL, a city-county wide initiative that works to ensure all children in the St. Louis region are reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. All SLCL locations create a monthly book display based on Turn the Page STL calls to action, encouraging parents and caregivers to read with their children. SLCL continues to work with Turn the Page STL to support early literacy throughout the region.
 

Vitality Ballet
St. Louis County Library partners with Vitality Ballet to provide fitness classes for people of all levels of ability.
 

Warm Up America 
Warm Up America is national organization that encourages crafters to make items for those in need. The project is an innovative way for yarn enthusiasts to donate 7” by 9” sections, which others join together to make finished blankets. Yarn or completed projects such as scarves, hats and gloves are also welcome. Everything is distributed locally. Drop donations off or find a needlework group to join at a St. Louis County Library branch near you.
 

YWCA Metro St. Louis
St. Louis County Library collaborates with YWCA Metro St. Louis to provide programming that helps to eliminate racism and empower women.