Friends of the Salinas Public Library

Mission

The mission of the Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL) is 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 public awareness of and community support for the library and its literacy programs.

The Big Idea

We would like to assist the library in providing programs and materials for the dedicated kindergarten book mobile that will visit every kindergarten class in the city twice a month this academic year

The Friends will assist the library as it will reach into every kindergarten classroom in the city in order to get the children hooked on reading through the libraries. The library will dedicate one librarian full time to a kindergarten library position. This person will go into every kindergarten classroom twice a month, bring the bookmobile to the kinder classes, and work with teachers on getting children hooked into the library with library cards, books and programs from the dedicated bookmobile, and with classroom and library programs focused on kindergarten children. The Friends would support by providing the materials in the bookmobile that will entice children to get hooked on reading and the start of a life long association with the libraries. The Friends hope the children will hop on this bus and never get off! The library will track the children’s library use to measure the success of the program.

Children are learning, making friends, waiting turns and becoming engaged in the books that are being read to them. The library program is making a difference to these kindergarten age children!

— Michelle Huizar, Salinas