Mission

The Friends are a non-profit public benefit organization of volunteers providing financial contributions to the City of Salinas Library System. FOSPL funds programs and purchases not within the library budget. FOSPL also works to create pubic awareness of and community support for the library and its literacy programs

The Big Idea

Friends of the Salinas Public Library creates public awareness of and community support for the library and its literacy programs. Their Big Idea is to create a makerspace at the new El Gabilan Library, opening in January 2020. The hope is to create a place for members of the community of all ages to have endless opportunities to spark their curiosity and creativity while exploring new equipment and materials. The planned equipment includes a laser cutter to engrave various materials, 3-D printers for creating design models, sewing machines, design software and more.

The SMAR+T Program [the 2018 Big Idea] is awesome. It allowed my daughter to have instant access to all of the library books she wanted to read, both electronically and through the overdrive service. She could reserve books at any library for pickup. Overdrive has allowed me to supply her this summer with all the Percy Jackson series books, and now the Heroes of the Olympus series. I’m looking forward to this continuing this school year. It beats going to the school library once a week with a limit of two books!

- Monika Macias