Friends' Award-winning Impact

“The support from the people of San Francisco is what made this possible. Even in difficult economic times, they put their money where their mouth is…The people of the community know and expect that when needs arise, libraries come to the fore.” ​

Luis Herrera, retired City Librarian

Friends provides over $1 million in direct support to the San Francisco Public Library. While the city covers the Library’s staffing and operational costs, private donations allow Friends to fund expenses that fall outside of the city’s capacity and to quickly respond to needs. Support includes fees for subcontracted service providers; honorariums for authors, artists and curators; collections acquisition; equipment; program supplies; food; multilingual materials production; and professional training to keep librarians on the leading edge of innovation. Friends’ support is spread throughout:

Children, youth and family programs

The Mix at SFPL teen digital media lab and makerspace

Connected Community, system-wide program themes promoting dialogue and connection throughout the branches

Grants to 27 branches for cultural, wellness, cooking, dance and crafts programs and open houses

History, art and literary exhibitions

Special collections at the San Francisco History Center and the Main affinity centers 
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Discover & Go free museum passes 

Professional development training for library staff, and consulting services for strategic planning projects 

Public relations and marketing of library programs and services in multiple languages 

​Community Partnerships

​Additionally, we work in tandem with SFPL on key signature community partnerships, including Summer Stride, One City One Book, the Effie Lee Morris Children’s Literature Lecture Series, Connect with Tech Week, the James Hormel LGBTQIA Endowment, the Wiley Innovation Fund, and the Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Writer’s Residency. 

Together, our partnership makes the award-winning difference: Friends, the Library, and YOU. 

​Library Laureates 2019 celebration. Top right: Ingrid Rojas Contreras, Elaine Castillo, Thi Bui and Marie Ciepiela. Lower left: Daniel Handler and Dave Eggers.