Our Impact

San Jose Public Library Foundation Mission

The San José Public Library Foundation was established 35 years ago to provide advocacy, critical financial support, and leadership to the San José Public Library, our community’s lifelong learning hub. Our support empowers the Library to provide free, life-changing programs to everyone in the San Jose community regardless of physical abilities, ethnicity, age, and education. We are committed to creating and sustaining an educated, engaged, and empowered community where everyone has equal access to places where they can learn, create, collaborate, innovate, and explore.

Educate

The Library Foundation supports a variety of education and enrichment programs that serve residents of all ages, from infants to senior adults, making every Library a center for lifelong learning.

Career Online High School: A free, online, nationally accredited program that enables adults to earn a high school diploma and a career certificate in a variety of high-demand career fields.

Coding 5K: A year-round, citywide initiative that provides free and equitable access to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) learning programs for students in grades K-12.

Resilience Corps: A jobs program that gives college students living in San Jose’s under- resourced census tracts an opportunity to earn a living wage, receive professional development training, and gain experience in the expanded learning field working with high needs students in grades K-8.

San José Learns: Created in response to low academic performance in underserved communities, San José Learns administers grants to innovative expanded learning programs for students in transitional kindergarten through third grade. 

Wee Programs: An innovative suite of programs designed to stimulate the minds of young children, ages 0-5, to prepare them for kindergarten success and beyond.

Engage

The Library Foundation enhances the Library’s role as the heart of the community, strengthening its function as a dependable and vibrant neighborhood gathering place, a trusted hub for sharing ideas, resources, and information.

Partners in Reading: Supports adult learners in basic reading, writing, language, technology, and life skills through one-on-one tutoring and small group instruction.

Summer Learning: A series of eight-week reading programs in June and July that encourage active and engaged learning for pre-readers (0-5), young readers (5-12), teens (12-17) and adults (18+).

Teen HQ: Teen Center, headquartered at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in downtown
San Jose, was designed exclusively by and for teens as a meeting place to create,
innovate and collaborate.

Empower

The Library Foundation’s programs envision true equity by fortifying community members with the knowledge and skills to actively participate in democracy, bolstering their ability to move along life’s path or to chart a new course entirely.

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Caregiver Support Network: A workforce development program for informal caregivers that includes opportunities for networking and a venue for sharing information and resources. 

SJ Access: An innovative citywide initiative designed to close the digital divide by providing quality Internet, free Wi-Fi, and digital literacy programs to households with little or no Internet access.

SJ Aspires: A performance-based scholarship program that incentivizes high school students from underserved neighborhoods to pursue college and a career by providing monetary awards to help with the financial burden.

SJPL Works: An online hub to help residents find the resources and training to support their career goals, find a new job, or start a business of their own.

Make A Donation

If you would like to make a gift to support a program, please use our donate form below and select “Other” under “Where to Give” and indicate which program in the space provided.