What we do

Mission Statement

Our mission is to elevate the Library and inspire the love of reading in our communities. 

Vision Statement

Vibrant and equitable communities connected through a flourishing Library. 

What The Friends Do

The Friends of The Seattle Public Library was established in 1941, the 50th anniversary of the library system. The Friends have sponsored many different programs over the years. Events popular in the 1940s, such as teas, gave way to programs serving contemporary needs, including those of underserved populations. Through sponsoring programs, supporting adequate facilities and funding for the Library, providing volunteers, and collaborating with other Library and civic groups, the Friends have helped Seattle maintain a world class, inclusive library system.

The FriendShop is a gift shop in the Central Library loaded with literary-themed gifts and supplies useful at the library. It is a showcase for Pacific Northwest artists, design and innovation. Come visit us at the FriendShop to see what else we are working on and how you can easily be a part of something big.

The Friends provide a program for children six and under getting their first library card.  Upon signing up for their first library card at any branch, children receive a child-sized book bag with a special design celebrating this milestone. In most years, approximately 5,000 totes are distributed.

Read our 2023 annual report here.

Get Involved

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

The Friends have many ways to get involved, including becoming a member, joining the board, volunteering at our book sorting facility, helping out with book sales, donating books, and working in the FriendShop at the Central Library. Join us for a great way to meet new people who share your love of books and libraries.

Become a member

Membership is a great way to show your support for the Seattle Public Library, help fund library programs, and encourage reading in our community.

Become a member

FriendShop Volunteer

The volunteer application is for volunteering at the FriendShop gift shop at the Central Library in downtown Seattle and for our Georgetown event location. Meet people from around the world and get a special volunteer discount at the Shop and book-lovers at our Georgetown location. Apply today!

Volunteer Application

Join the Board

Want to help the Friends in their endeavors as a member of the board? The board meets once a month and has several committees (communications & marketing, board development, operations, outreach, and finance). The Friends welcome your application to our Board! We consider applications one to two times per year and we will get in touch with you the next time we are considering new board members.

Board Member Application

Board Member Appreciation: Kim's Journey with the Friends

What motivated you to become a board member of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library? Did you have any experience with any other organizations?
I’d been on a few school-based boards and was looking around at other local organizations and causes that were important to me. Reading has always been a big part of my life, and I have sappy feelings about the ways that library systems step up and play critical roles in communities and families. When I saw the blurb in the Friends’ newsletter calling for potential board members, I clicked the link right away.
What accomplishments are you most proud of during your tenure on the board? If you can recall, is there a specific instance in which you felt the work of the Friends had an impact in our community?
When I heard about the Books for Teachers program that the Friends administers, I knew I needed to be a part of that initiative. We use a grant from the Renee B Fisher foundation to distribute books to teachers in Title I schools, so schools with high-needs populations. We spend a lot of time sorting through book donations and then purchase books to fill out our inventory with diverse titles and newer titles and genres that are engaging for kids. We invite teachers from Title I schools to come in for special teachers-only events where they can select books for their classrooms. It’s a really intimate setting and we get to hear about their challenges and successes in the classrooms. The teachers who come out have so much enthusiasm and energy, and they do SO much for the kids. It feels good to be able to contribute in a small way to their work of nurturing not just readers, but growing community members.
In what ways did your time as a board member of this organization contribute to your personal and/or professional growth?
I mean, “Board Member” or “Trustee” sound pretty impressive when thrown onto LinkedIn or a resume. But it really is just like getting together semi-regularly virtually, and occasionally in person, with a bunch of people of similar mind. I have found that volunteership of any sort is a good way to work on skills that maybe aren’t ready for prime-time. You’d like to hone your abilities at leadership/grant-writing/advocacy/graphic design/marketing/program management but don’t have enough history in those areas to add them to your next job title? Taking on volunteer roles that get you up-close experience with those skills, especially with the people around you to help you muddle through, can get you the success and confidence to add those to your professional toolbox.
What are some qualities you think a future board member should have? 
#1 quality is the willingness to jump in where you think help is needed and start working where there may not be an existing blueprint. Being a visionary is great, but finding a person who is willing to take an idea, their own or someone else’s, and start plotting a path and implementing that idea is key. Being on a board isn’t like your typical job with pre-stated tasks and responsibilities. There’s a certain amount of self-starting you need to embrace. Which can be scary, but also immensely satisfying.
A close #2 is inquisitiveness. I think there’s this idea that a board is full of strong personalities with loud opinions and forceful ways. My favorite co-board members are the ones who are always asking questions. It helps everyone think about the reasons behind a thing, and consider the best way to proceed. There’s always going to be someone who’s willing to take the lead, but a good question-asker will get everyone engaged.
What lessons or takeaways from your experience would you share with individuals interested in serving on the board?
Do it! Whatever your skillset, whether actual or aspirational, you can put it to use on the board. If you have a passion that aligns with the organization mission, the board can be a space for you to act on it!
Is there anything you envision in the future of the FoSPL or anything you’d like for future board members to accomplish?
I would love for the board to find a project or initiative that has us working in more branches.

Advocacy

The Seattle Public Library is facing massive budget cuts that will affect staff and services at every branch.

Equity, Opportunity, and Essential Services for All The Seattle Public Library brings people, information, and ideas together to enrich lives and build community.

Let your Seattle City Council members know that The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is essential to a healthy, equitable, and livable city.

SPL shows an unwavering commitment to learning with access to knowledge, books, and collections, but also to digital equity and access, economic development and job support, literacy programs, support for families, and engaging kids and students of all ages.

SPL serves every neighborhood and supports all people in our community. Their work listening and building relationships in the community has allowed SPL to develop creative approaches to supporting individuals and families.

Trusted, valued, essential: Seattle loves its Library

  • 26 Branches + Central Library
  • 396,000 active library card users
  • 17 million online and in‐person visits
  • 10,000 supporters through the Friends and Foundation
  • 76% of voters passed the 2019 Library Levy

What’s at risk with extensive budget cuts

Cuts will affect people in every neighborhood, demographic, and income level in Seattle: families, immigrants and refugees, students and seniors, entrepreneurs, veterans, and workers. Cuts will hobble SPL’s ability to equitably meet needs for all patrons and provide services that are critical right now, like digital access and support for students.

Adult learning and employment SPL helps adults gain skills to succeed with English language and citizenship classes, resume writing and interview prep workshops, software training and certification progams, small business support, and more.

Serving people in need Income tax preparation assistance for low-income individuals, Wi-Fi hotspot loans for people experiencing homelessness, services for military veterans, after-school meals for kids, and distribution of materials to senior centers and to patrons unable to leave their homes are just a sliver of how SPL supports the community.

Digital equity SPL hosted 2.5 million public computer and Wi-Fi sessions in 2019, a Wi-Fi hotspot checkout program that was used 92% by people of color, and more than

450 free technology classes to learn digital skills.

Youth and family learning SPL brings digital access, learning, and programs for kids and their families to support academic success, career readiness, and life skills. SPL offers early learning programs for children ages 0-5, homework help, free books during Summer of Learning, and recently rerouted its Bookmobile stops to better serve public preschools, 81% of which serve low-income families.

The Seattle Public Library is in a natural position to innovate, convene conversations, address needs in digital access and equity, and ultimately mitigate the economic, social, and mental impacts of the current crisis.

Plot Twist: SPL responds to community needs in a pandemic

  • Created e-card to give digital access to thousands more patrons
  • Provided Wi-Fi hotspots to schools, community nonprofits, and tiny home villages
  • Moved learning online, including digital literacy assistance
  • Added new employment assistance programs to support workers

Email your Councilmembers If you don’t know who your councilmember is, find out online.

District 1, Council Member Rob Saka

District 2, Council Member Tammy Morales

District 3, Council Member Joy Hollingsworth

District 4, Council Member Maritza Rivera

District 5, Council Member Cathy Moore

District 6, Council Member Dan Strauss

District 7, Council Member Robert Kettle

CITYWIDE, Council President, Sara Nelson

CITYWIDE, Council Member Tanya Woo

What can you do?

Tell your Council Members how much the library means to you. Here’s a handy script you can start with.

SAMPLE LANGUAGE FOR EMAIL TO ELECTED OFFICIALS

Subject Line: Protect our Library

As a member of [District X], and a proud supporter and patron of The Seattle Public Library, I’m urging you to sustain and support the Seattle Public Library as the City addresses budget challenges.

The Seattle Public Library is essential. The access to learning and books that the Library offers to our community is critical to kids and adults alike. But what really moves me about our library in particular is [YOUR PASSION / WHY YOU CARE ABOUT THE LIBRARY].

SPL has built up our trust over the years and Seattleites love our Library – so much that we’ve voted to tax ourselves with a Levy to keep its services strong, and to build even more equity with digital access. And right now, the Library is doing so much to support our community beyond its traditional services.

To help the City move forward, the Library is in a natural position to innovate, address needs in digital access and equity, and mitigate the economic, social, and mental impacts of this crisis. I hope to count on you to sustain the Seattle Public Library.

Respectfully, [Your name and address]

The Board

Our Board

OFFICERS 2024

  • Angel Sauls, President
  • Sarina Tewari, Vice President
  • Monish Shah, Secretary 
  • Mary K. Weese, Secretary
  • Lauren Abraham, Treasurer

BOARD TRUSTEES

  • Alex Cates
  • Bur Davis
  • Jennifer Lo
  • Kim Nguyen Love
  • Rachael Moss
  • Devon O’Neill
  • Wendy Overton
  • Jada Pock
  • Julio Rodriguez-Vasquez
  • Zuzu Tang
  • Ben Thompson
  • Amy VanderZanden

STAFF

Lisa Lee, Business Director

Nancy Clements, Sales Manager

Sue Baird, Sales Manager

Hannah Udell, Communications Specialist

JOIN THE BOARD

Want to help the Friends in their endeavors as a member of the board? The board meets once a month and has several committees (communications & marketing, board development, operations, outreach, and finance). The Friends welcome your application to our Board! We consider applications one to two times per year and we will get in touch with you the next time we are considering new board members.

Board Member Application

Partnerships

THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Seattle Public Library brings people, information and ideas together to enrich lives and build community. Since 1891, SPL has grown from a single reading room in Pioneer Square to a world-class Library system with 27 locations.
 
SPL serves three-quarters of a million residents across Seattle, with an operating budget of more than $75 million. SPL houses a collection of more than 2.6 million books, e-books, and e-audio books, including more than 60,000 books in 14 languages other than English, as well as CDs, DVDs, streaming and downloadable media, and laptops, tablets, and Wi-Fi hotspots.
 

THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION

The Seattle Public Library Foundation provides a way for people to contribute financial support and advocate for the Library. Around 7,000 individual donors, as well as private organizations, help support Library collections, programs, and branch upgrades each year. All contributions enhance, and do not replace, City-funded services.
In 2023, the Foundation will give the Library $4.425 million to invest in: Education

  • 16 programs including Raising A Reader, Global Reading Challenge, Homework Help, Story Time, Adult Tutoring, Summer of Learning, and more including books for program participants.

Enrichment

  • 21 programs including the Author’s Series, Museum Pass, Seattle Reads, Library Equal Access Program, Literary Community Curator program, arts programming, and civic engagement programs, as well as more than 75,000 books for the collection.

Economic Opportunity

  • 5 programs: Your Next Job, Job & Life Skills classes, Library to Business, Workforce Development & Career Readiness, and ESL & Citizenship classes. In addition, the Foundation supports the Library’s professional development, learning, and other administrative programs.

The Foundation also leads advocacy efforts to increase public funding for the Library, helps facilitate the national Library Support Network, and manages the Stim Bullitt Civic Courage Scholarship.

THE SEATTLE PUBLIC LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND BOARD MEETINGS

The Seattle Public Library Board of Trustees: A five-member board of trustees governs your Library. All trustees are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the Seattle City Council. Board members serve five-year terms without pay. The board meets monthly to discuss issues and make decisions related to our services and operations.  https://www.spl.org/about-us/the-organization/leadership

Library Board Meetings: When posted, agendas will give room location.Regular board meetings are taped and aired on the Seattle Channel, the City of Seattle’s government access channel. The Seattle Channel website includes Library board meetings and selected programs. Note: if there is no video listed, a board meeting did not occur that month. https://www.spl.org/about-us/the-organization/leadership/library-board-meetings

Historical Timeline

1939 The Seattle Public Library Staff Association pledged to create the Friends of the Seattle Public Library. The pledge was fulfilled during the 50th anniversary year of the library.

1941 At the College Club, during a dinner with writers, teachers, civic leaders, and patrons on January 16, 1941, the president of the chamber of commerce presided over the election of the founding officers – 8 years before San Francisco, 22 years ahead of Los Angeles, and 31 years in advance of Portland. The Friends’ articles of incorporation specified a mission of securing materials beyond the ordinary library budget and sponsoring projects that would be of special service to library users. The first annual meeting was convened on December 8, 1941 with more than 1,000 members.

1943 The Friends paid for the renovation of Fremont Library basement to house the Library for the Blind and purchased the library’s first phonograph.

1945 The Friends convened nine noontime book forums on race relations in response to an August 14, 1944 riot by African American soldiers at Fort Lawton in Magnolia.

1949 The Friends organized a “Treasure Chest” drive to gather books for underprivileged children, Alaska homesteaders, inmates at the State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, and American embassies abroad.

1950 The Friends supported a $5 million bond measure with brochures, community forums, and sent 42 speakers to 200 social and civic clubs. After defeat, librarian John Richards recommended, “The next time we are on the ballot we would like our organized Friends to number thousand instead of hundreds, and we hope that this membership will reach into every section and interest in the community.”

Early 1950s The Friends collected magazines for the Red Cross to ship to soldiers serving in Korea.

1950s The Friends sponsored a film night, and an evening at the Seattle Repertory Theatre.

1952 The Friends organized “Operation Library” for a bond measure to reach 50,000 residents by phone.

1957 The Friends supported the drive for a new Washington State Library building, and encouraged matching funds for a federal aid program for library services in rural areas.

1959 The Friends created a brochure seeking money and artifacts for the new Central Library, and received both, including a piano for the music department, a Steinway for the auditorium, and plants donated by garden clubs.

1960 The Friends served as tour guides for the new Central Library.

1962 The Friends helped in the library program at the Worlds Fair.

1965 The Friends purchased a portable public address system and a variety of learning media including books, map cases, and an illuminated floor globe.

1971 The first book sale began with collecting private donations of used books in barrels placed in the libraries. First Friends book sale at Lake City Community Center on October 2 and 3, 1971 offered 20,000 books and netted $2,634. The 1977 sale exceeded $10,000 and the 1981 sale topped $20,000.

1974 The Friends, with other civic organizations, gave money for a bookmobile.

1975 The Friends made telephone calls to borrowers to encourage return of overdue items.

1977 Book sale targets purchasing mobile media center equipment in 1977, and buying books for the children’s department, supporting research on African American literature to provide a good list to interested readers.

1978 The Library had accumulated more than 50,000 volumes it had retired from circulation. The City allowed the Friends to sell those books on a consignment basis, with 60% of the net proceeds going back to the libraries, and 40% to the Friends to use for library related projects and gifts.

1979 The Friends inaugurated the Friendship Award to recognize and honor the most outstanding volunteer. Today the award is Friend of the Year.

1980 Virginia Burnside established the Foundation because the library was “an under-appreciated, under-valued resource… a neglected child in Seattle’s giving.” TheSeattle Public Library Foundation preceded San Francisco by 7 years and Portland by 15 years. 1982 The Friends transferred funds to the Foundation to support the library’s Northwest Collection.

1983 The Friends began researching city council candidates’ positions on library support and publishing them in the Bookmark. The Friends opened a kiosk and the Central Library to sell notecards, pencils, and supplies. The kiosk, called the Friendshop and staffed entirely by volunteers, grew and expanded to include gift items.

1988 The Friends served as hosts at the inaugural year of the newly founded Seattle Arts and Lectures.

1990 The Friends supported early childhood literacy by funding “Raise a Reader”, delivering to hospitals packets containing an infant’s book and other library related items.

1991 Book sale targets giving furniture to the Greenwood branch.

1992 The Friends read to children at the Library.

1994 The Friends contributed $15,000 to support bond measure.

1997 Book sale sorting and storage moves to Sand Point Magnusson Park.

1998 The Friends campaigned energetically for the successful “Libraries for All” capital campaign, speaking to many community, professional and neighborhood groups, and testifying at public hearings. They served as hosts at the reopening of each newly renovated branch library in the Libraries for All campaign.

2001 The Friends begin providing book bags given to patrons at checkout.

2003 The Friends gave a cultural communities grant to help the library create a pilot language center in the Beacon Hill branch. In 2004 the program was expanded to provide cultural programming for Spanish and Vietnamese speaking patrons.

2004 The Friends served as tour guides for the Rem Koolhaus-designed new Central Library. The new Central Library allocated dedicated space for a permanent FriendShop on Level 3. The Friends made a $250,000 gift to help the Foundation qualify for a $1,000,000 Kresge matching grant in the capital campaign.

2012 The Friends moved the book sale operation from Magnuson Park to the Washington Talking Book and Braille where the second floor was leased.

Contact Us

Reach us at info@friendsofspl.org for general questions about the Friends or at friendshop@friendsofspl.org for information about the FriendShop.

FriendShop 

Central Library (main branch), Level 3, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104 (206) 733-9015

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