Mountain View Public Library
Friends of the Mountain View Library is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds for the Mountain View Public Library through a Lobby Shop, quarterly Book Sales, Amazon and eBay online sales, memberships, and community donations, averaging approximately $75,000 per year for library enrichment programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersMountain View, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mountain View Public Library does
Friends of the Mountain View Library is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) charitable organization (Tax ID 23-7255217) established in 1975 and formalized in its current form in 1997 to raise funds that support enrichment programs at the Mountain View Public Library in Mountain View, California. The organization operates with no paid staff and is governed by a volunteer board; its sole institutional beneficiary is the Mountain View Public Library. To date it has raised more than $1.5 million for library programs including author visits, musical performances, the Summer Reading Program, Best Seller Collections, adult education, and children's programming.
The organization's core operations are a multi-channel retail and fundraising enterprise built around donated inventory. Its revenue-generating channels are (i) quarterly Book Sales held four times per year in the Bookmobile garage behind the library, generating $4,000 to $6,000 per event; (ii) a Lobby Shop inside the library entrance selling gently used books, locally made jewelry, stuffed animals, and gift items, generating approximately $26,000 per year in net revenues; (iii) online sales through Amazon and eBay storefronts for higher-value donated books and media, which produced approximately $34,000 annually prior to the COVID-19 shutdown; (iv) a three-tier annual membership program (Basic $20, Sustaining $35, Contributing $50) running July through June; and (v) monetary donations processed online or by mail. Average annual proceeds directed to library programs are approximately $75,000. Donor and member perks include member-only early access hours at quarterly Book Sales and a 10% discount at Books Inc. in downtown Mountain View under a reciprocal partnership.
The underlying technology stack is standard nonprofit retail infrastructure: Square terminals for in-person credit card processing, PayPal for online donations and memberships, Google Analytics for website traffic reporting, and the Amazon and eBay marketplace platforms for online sales. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven rather than sales-led — the organization relies on word-of-mouth, the library's natural foot traffic, an Instagram presence (@mv_library_friends), email communications, and quarterly Book Sale events as member-only events to drive acquisition, retention, and revenue. The organization is GDPR- and CCPA-compliant via standard website privacy tooling. Customer segments are persona-based: Library Enthusiasts and Supporters (members/donors), Bargain Shoppers and Readers (Book Sale and Lobby Shop patrons), and Community Volunteers who staff all operations.
Mountain View Public Library firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mountain View Public Library
- Legal name
- Friends of the Mountain View Library
- Website
- https://mvlibraryfriends.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Friends of the Mountain View Library is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds for the Mountain View Public Library through a Lobby Shop, quarterly Book Sales, Amazon and eBay online sales, memberships, and community donations, averaging approximately $75,000 per year for library enrichment programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mountain View Public Library industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nonprofit Library Fundraising
- NAICS
- Libraries and Archives (51921), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs (EDAMAJAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries) (EDAAAFAA)
Keywords
Where Mountain View Public Library is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mountain View
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Mountain View Public Library business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Book and Media Sales: One-time transaction sales of donated books, CDs, DVDs, video games, and other media through quarterly Book Sales events, the Lobby Shop, and online marketplaces (Amazon and eBay). Sales typically earn $4,000 to $6,000 per quarterly Book Sale.
- Membership Fees: Annual membership contributions at three levels: Basic ($20), Sustaining ($35), and Contributing ($50). Membership year runs July 1 to June 30. Memberships provide early access to book sales, exclusive email updates, and a 10% discount at Books Inc.
- Monetary Donations: Acceptance of monetary gifts of any amount through online PayPal donations or mailed checks. Tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (Tax ID: 23-7255217).
- Lobby Shop Retail: Physical retail location inside the library entrance selling gently used books, locally made jewelry, stuffed animals, and other gift items. Staffed entirely by volunteers. Generates approximately $26,000/year in net revenues.
- Online Marketplace Sales: Sales of higher-value donated books, CDs, DVDs, and video games through Amazon and eBay stores. Inventory updated weekly. Generated $34,000 in the year prior to COVID-19 shutdown.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Basic Membership - $20/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Sustaining Membership - $35/year |
| Subscription | Annual | Contributing Membership - $50/year |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book Sale Pricing - Most items $1 or less |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Mountain View Public Library product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Friends of the Mountain View Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises money to fund enrichment programs at the Mountain View Public Library by reselling donated books, CDs, DVDs, and video games through three channels: an in-library Lobby Shop open six days a week, quarterly Book Sales events held in the Bookmobile garage behind the library, and curated online stores on Amazon and eBay. The organization also runs a three-tier annual membership program ($20 Basic, $35 Sustaining, $50 Contributing) and accepts tax-deductible monetary donations, with all proceeds directed to library programs such as Summer Reading, author visits, and children's programming.
Product overview
Friends of the Mountain View Library operates a multi-channel retail and fundraising operation consisting of quarterly Book Sales held at the library garage, the Lobby Shop located inside the library entrance, and Online Sales via Amazon and eBay stores. The organization offers a Membership Program with three tiers providing benefits such as early book sale access and local retailer discounts. Volunteer Programs provide opportunities for community members to contribute through donation sorting, shop operations, book sales support, and online listing tasks. The Donation Program accepts monetary contributions and physical donations of books, media, and other materials which are processed and sold through the organization's sales channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Quarterly Book Sales Large-scale in-person book sale events held four times per year (January/February, May, August, November) in the Bookmobile garage behind the library, featuring thousands of gently used books and media most priced at $1 or less, with member-only early access hours and Sunday Fill-a-Bag sales. Open to individual community shoppers seeking affordable books and media.
- Lobby Shop Year-round physical retail store located inside the Mountain View Public Library entrance, selling gently used books, locally made jewelry, stuffed animals, board games, and unique gift items. Staffed entirely by volunteers and open Monday-Thursday, Saturday 11am-5pm, and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Generates approximately $26,000/year in net revenues.
- Online Sales (Amazon and eBay Stores) Curated online stores on Amazon and eBay selling higher-value donated books, CDs, DVDs, and video games, with inventory restocked weekly. Generated $34,000 in revenue in the year prior to the COVID-19 shutdown and ships to customers nationwide (Amazon) and globally (eBay).
- Membership Program Three-tier annual membership program running July 1 to June 30, with Basic at $20/year, Sustaining at $35/year, and Contributing at $50/year. Membership benefits include an extra hour of early access to in-person book sales, exclusive email updates about Friends' events, and a 10% discount at Books Inc. in downtown Mountain View.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1.5 million raised since 1975 for the Mountain View Public Library
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mountain View Public Library
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mountain View Public Library technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Mountain View Public Library partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Books Inc. (Downtown Mountain View)minorLocal bookstore partnership providing Friends members with a 10% discount. Members receive this benefit as part of their membership perks, creating mutual benefit for both organizations serving the Mountain View community.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Mountain View Public Library competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- ThriftBooks: Large-scale commercial used-book seller operating online and through library partnerships (purchasing library discards directly). Adjacent competitor for online used-book inventory and a potential buyer for surplus Mountain View donations.
- Better World Books: Social-enterprise used-book retailer that partners with libraries to purchase donated or discarded inventory. Comparable online sales channel to the Friends' Amazon/eBay stores but at much greater scale and with a global logistics footprint.
Regional players
- Friends of the Berkeley Public Library: Nearby Bay Area Friends group operating a used bookstore inside Berkeley Public Library. Strongest geographic and demographic analog to Mountain View's community profile.
Direct peers
- Friends of the San Francisco Public Library: One of the largest and oldest Friends-of-the-Library nonprofits in the U.S., operating used bookstores, an annual citywide book sale, and direct fundraising for SFPL programs. Closest structural analog to Mountain View in mission, model, and revenue mix.
- Friends of the Boston Public Library: Long-established Friends group supporting BPL through membership, donations, and book sales. Comparable nonprofit structure, membership tiers, and library-beneficiary funding model.
- Friends of the Seattle Public Library: 501(c)(3) that operates bookstore locations inside Seattle Public Library branches and funds SPL programs. Mirrors the Friends of MV Library model of in-library retail plus programming support.
- Friends of the New York Public Library: The largest U.S. Friends-of-the-Library organization, operating used bookstores and major annual book sales supporting NYPL. Direct peer at significantly larger scale but identical business model and mission.
- Friends of the Dallas Public Library: 501(c)(3) Friends group operating a used bookstore and funding Dallas Public Library programs. Matches Mountain View's mix of retail, donations, and program funding.
- Friends of the Hennepin County Library (Minnesota): Friends group supporting Hennepin County Library through book sales and membership. Comparable grassroots nonprofit structure and revenue model in a single-county footprint.
- Friends of the Chicago Public Library: Friends-of-the-Library nonprofit supporting CPL through book sales and membership contributions. Direct peer in mission and revenue model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mountain View Public Library social profiles
Digital presenceMountain View Public Library compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Mountain View Public Library financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mountain View Public Library leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Mountain View Public Library funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mountain View Public Library M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mountain View Public Library
What does Mountain View Public Library do?
Friends of the Mountain View Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises money to fund enrichment programs at the Mountain View Public Library by reselling donated books, CDs, DVDs, and video games through three channels: an in-library Lobby Shop open six days a week, quarterly Book Sales events held in the Bookmobile garage behind the library, and curated online stores on Amazon and eBay. The organization also runs a three-tier annual membership program ($20 Basic, $35 Sustaining, $50 Contributing) and accepts tax-deductible monetary donations, with all proceeds directed to library programs such as Summer Reading, author visits, and children's programming.
Is Mountain View Public Library a public or private company?
Mountain View Public Library is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mountain View Public Library founded?
Mountain View Public Library was founded in 1975. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Mountain View Public Library based?
Mountain View Public Library is headquartered in Mountain View, United States, in the North America region.
How does Mountain View Public Library make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Book and Media Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees, monetary Donations, lobby Shop Retail and online Marketplace Sales.
Who are Mountain View Public Library's main competitors?
Others on record are ThriftBooks and Better World Books. Friends of the Berkeley Public Library is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, Friends of the Boston Public Library, Friends of the Seattle Public Library, Friends of the New York Public Library, Friends of the Dallas Public Library, Friends of the Hennepin County Library (Minnesota) and Friends of the Chicago Public Library.
Does Mountain View Public Library have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mountain View Public Library.
What industry is Mountain View Public Library in?
Mountain View Public Library's product category is Nonprofit Library Fundraising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAJAO, Library, Reading Motivation & Independent Reading Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAA, Library-Based Learning Programs (Public Libraries). Its NAICS code is 51921 and its SIC code is 8600.