About the Friends

About the Friends

The Friends of the Pacific Grove Library is an organization of volunteers who contribute to the health and vitality of the Pacific Grove Library.

The Friends advocate for the Library to City officials and to the community. In 2009 and 2011, the Friends spearheaded the effort to pass Measures J and Q, each proposing a parcel tax dedicated to the Library. In 2011 an ad hoc committee organized by the Friends developed a plan that convinced the City Council to increase the Library’s budget by over $100,000.

The Friends raise funds through membership and events to meet unfunded Library priorities. Between 2007 and 2013, the Friends contributed an average of $39,000 annually to the Library, funds that were used to purchase computers, books, and dvds, to support children’s reading programs, and, in a year of particularly low library funding, to provide operational expenses. In 2014, the Friends raised the ante by pledging $50,000 to the Library renewal project.

The Friends save the Library money by sponsoring special activities meeting the community’s needs and interests. The regular meet-the-author event provides a forum for authors to talk about their recent projects and to answer questions from an interested audience.

The Friends support the growth of the Pacific Grove Public Library Foundation.