By Alexandra Fradelizio | m/Oppenheim Media Writer
When the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library was first established in 1961, libraries across the city were vastly declining. The institutions were largely understaffed, causing many to only remain open to visitors during limited time periods. Seeing the ways in which libraries were declining, a group of advocates sought to create an organization that could help generate more funds and ensure the institutions can be accessible to all citizens for years to come.
Now, with the organization nearing its 60th year, the Friends of the San Francisco Library has raised over $30 million to remodel libraries within the city and fund community education programs for citizens.
“We see the library as essential because it is free and available to everybody,” explained the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library’s Executive Director Marie Ciepiela.
“You can find everything right at your fingertips and people within them who will help you find what you need.”
The organization strongly reinforces the library’s mission to increase literacy rates, especially among under-resourced youth. With the cost of living increasing within the city, the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library continues to fund programs available at libraries for children, teens, and adults.
“We consider ourselves investors by bridging the gap between what the city can provide and the cost of additional programs and resources that we want in our libraries,” said Ciepiela.
In partnership with the city of San Francisco, the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library gives the institution an annual gift that often ranges from $800,000 to $1 million. Along with financing programs for citizens, the Friends organization also funds marketing initiatives and helps to train future librarians.
“It’s a synergistic relationship where we sit down with the library every year and decide what are the most effective ways to fund something that they are unable to,” explained Ciepiela.
Compared to libraries in other cities, those in San Francisco not only thrive but also offer unique programs that serve the entire community. Thanks to the funding provided by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, citizens can attend cooking classes, become involved in book clubs, and even obtain their high school diploma through an online adult education program. The Friends organization also recognizes the San Francisco Public Library’s emphasis on technology by funding courses that educate individuals of all ages in becoming literate online.
“We keep libraries on the cutting edge,” said Ciepiela.
In order to fund the programs, San Francisco libraries rely heavily on the Library Preservation Fund, a property tax that is reserved exclusively to support any future endeavors. While the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library supports the continuation of the tax, the organization also resells books to further fund the libraries. Donated by citizens of San Francisco, over one million books are resold online and in bookstores by volunteers. In particular, the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library hosts The Big Book Sale, an annual, 5-day event held in Fort Mason. Deemed the biggest used book sale on the west coast, volunteers fill the Festival Pavilion with 300,000 books that are typically resold for $3 or less.
“It’s a very iconic event,” Ciepiela said of the sale.
“While we advocate for our libraries, we want people to have cheap books for their own homes. We’re trying to get cheap books in people’s homes to build their own libraries because we know that reading and literacy is correlated to the number of books in one’s homes.”
Ciepiela, who has a background in teaching and has lived in San Francisco for over 20 years, says the work of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library helps to unite the city, especially as many art and literacy programs across the country are in danger of losing funding.
“Our libraries right now are the greatest manifestations of our democracy,” she explained.
“This is just an unbelievable opportunity to be part of our civic life in the city, which I have found to be so open to people.”
Compared to the state of the San Francisco libraries nearly 60 years ago, Ciepiela is proud of the work conducted by the Friends organization.
“They have really had a renaissance in being fundamental and dynamic community centers,” she said of the libraries.
“They are made free and need to remain free.”
Ciepiela credits the citizens of San Francisco for continuously supporting the Friends organization and helping to establish a rich community through the libraries.
“We have so many stories of people finding out who they are at the library,” she explained.
“When you go to the library, you find a human connection.”
Learn more about the Big Book Sale and the Friends of the San Francisco Library.