Material and Financial Donations

Donations of new or gently used materials to support and enhance the library collection are accepted at all library locations. Staff will determine whether the donated material will be added to the library collection or given to the Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL) to be sold at the Friends Bookshop with proceeds benefitting the Library. The Library accepts books and media items (music CDs, DVDs, and books on CD) in good condition. Please do not donate items with mold, handwriting/highlighting, torn pages, or damages. The Library does not accept donation of encyclopedias, textbooks, magazines, cassette tapes, or VHS movies. Please review the material donation guidelines for more details. 

Donations of less than 50 items can be dropped off at any Salinas Public Library locations. For larger donation of more than 50 items, please call (831) 758-7311 to arrange a drop off time at John Steinbeck Library. Please do not leave donation materials on the outside of library buildings or in the Library’s book return bins. All donated items will become the property of Salinas Public Library. For donation of materials related to local history and John Steinbeck, please contact our Collection Development Librarian at (831) 758-7319.

Salinas Public Library also welcomes financial donations to support library program, collection, and improvement of library facilities. Monetary donations can be made at the service desk of any library locations or arranged through the Library Administration Office at (831) 758-7458.

Friends of the Salinas Public Library

Friends of the Salinas Public Library (FOSPL) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, 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, such as fundraising in 2019-2020 to supplement collection at the new El Gabilan Library.  FOSPL also works to create public awareness of and community support for the Library system and its programs. 

Friends of the Salinas Public Library accepts material donations for resale at the Friends Bookshop. Please refer to FOSPL’s donation acceptance guidelines for more information.

Volunteer at the Library

The work of every volunteer helps to support the services and programs at Salinas Public Library. We're always looking for enthusiastic volunteers for our Homework Centers. Teens can volunteer at their local libraries while earning community service hours. To get more information on volunteering at the Library, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form.

More volunteer opportunities are also available through the Friends of the Salinas Public Library.