Santa Barbara Library Foundation

There’s a reason why the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation chose this week’s issue for their opportunity to be the focus on this Giving List column in the Montecito Journal weekly. National Library Week in 2026 takes place April 19-26, and is a seven-day country-wide celebration of libraries, library workers, and the many ways that local libraries support their neighbors.

This year’s national theme – “Find Your Library Joy!” – resonates with what the city library focuses on every day, including the joy of discovering an unexpected book, the peace of finding a quiet place to study, the sense of connection that comes from mingling with other caregivers at early literacy events or meeting new friends at library programs, or simply chatting with friendly staff at a Library on the Go visit. 

From the stacks to the streets, the collective library staff are proud to sprinkle library joy wherever they can. 

There are events happening every day except Sunday during National Library Week. It all starts with Saturday’s Día de los niños/Día de los libros at Central Library, a big community event featuring a talent show starring local kids; crafts, face painting and other fun hands-on activities; a special appearance by Sparky from the Santa Barbara Fire Department; the Youth Makers Market, showcasing creative items made by local youth; and a live magic performance by Zany Zoe from America’s Got Talent and the Hollywood Magic Castle, which boasts illusions, audience interaction, music, dance and even a chance to learn three magic tricks. 

Monday brings a special Library on the Go stop at Montecito Family YMCA, where there will be an unveiling of a free Little Library donated by the Friends of Montecito Library. Tuesday is National Library Workers Day, and you’re invited to say “thank you” to a library employee. 

Festivities also include an encore screening of The Librarians, the new documentary that follows librarians across the United States who are dealing with book banning and censorship amid challenges in Texas, Florida and beyond. Library on the Go will be onsite at SBIFF’s Film Center before the screening to interact and converse. Library on the Go will also be at Shalhoob’s Funk Zone patio next Thursday, April 23, for a fun-filled evening featuring a custom, Santa Barbara-inspired Lotería – a localized version of the traditional Mexican board game of chance, similar to bingo, with fun library prizes. National Library Week celebrations close with the quarterly Open Mic Night, featuring a special musical performance on Storytime Square on Friday, April 24. 

Strategically, at every event, postcards will be available for people to submit a personal “library story” to their respective district supervisors, to let the board know exactly how important libraries are to the community at a time when budget cuts are threatening programs. 

“Our goal is to bring people together around the library,” explained Lauren Trujillo, the Library Foundation’s executive director. “We’re going into budget season right now for both the city and the county, and there will likely be cuts. We want to raise community awareness of how important the library resources are, and create a call to action to help us advocate. We’ve already collected over a thousand of these love letters and want to show how much the community loves the library.”

Holders of library cards – and you can get yours whenever a branch is open or at the Library on the Go vans – get special vendor discounts during the Library Week too, including 10 percent discounts at Yoga Soup, Chaucer’s Books, and Mizza. Guests can also visit any library location or Library on the Go to enter raffles where the prizes include tickets to a sunset cruise aboard the Double Dolphin, ice skating lessons from Ice in Paradise, and gift certificate to Lewis & Clark, Fieldtrip Pocket Shop, and Blenders in the Grass. 

In truth, the special events of the week outside of the raffle and discounts aren’t at all that different from a typical week at the local library, which remains a gathering place and important community resource – perhaps even more than in the days where all they did was lend books! Nowadays, the library is a vital participant in digital literacy and technological innovation. 

“The library is so much more than books,” Trujillo said. “It’s a community centered resource for all. You can access standup paddle boards. You can check out camping gear. You can check out passes to the museums in town. You can get tech coaching. We have chess and Dungeons and Dragons clubs. Right now, there’s a very popular program called the Comic Chaos Club for kids between the ages of eight and 10 who come and make comic books and read comic books like a book club together. It’s very cute. We have social workers through the Family Service Agency that are stationed at the library for appointment services, and can help you with anything from mental health services to accessing food stamps or housing support or getting help with a domestic violence issue. The list goes on and on.” 

Not every benefit of the library is something tangible, either, Trujillo said. 

“Going to the library is a way for us to feel seen and heard and supported as community members. With the world getting more challenging every day, you can find support at the hyper local level. You can get out of that news cycle and look to each other. That’s what we, as a community, should be seeking in this moment where it feels debilitating.”

The Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation was the driving force behind the Michael Towbes Plaza, the gorgeous reconfiguration of the Anapamu Street entrance that opened in November 2024. Just last weekend, the space hosted hundreds of community members at the inaugural La Piazza Italian celebration, with activities for kids and adults, and vendors offering Italian ice, gelato, pizza, bread, crafts and more. 

The foundation itself inaugurates a new event on the Plaza next month with its first Library Night Live fundraiser on May 14. The cozy summery evening supports the library’s free literacy programs, and features special guest author and actor Max Greenfield, immersive book-themed experiences, wine and culinary bites, and a vibrant celebration of reading and community. The proceeds benefit free tutoring, early literacy programs, English conversation groups, GED and citizenship prep, and job-readiness support serving hundreds of local learners each year. 

“We’re so excited to see the people increasingly using the space over the past year, with vibrant community festivals and events,” Trujillo said. “But we want it to be even more utilized. That’s the reason we’re doing this Library Night there, to show the community how you can use it for your next gala or your next fundraiser.” 

The funds from the event matter too. As budget cuts to social programs force more people to seek help elsewhere, the Library Foundation is readying to step in and help take up the slack, she said. 

“We’re going to have a lot of greater needs and social services being requested. That burden falls to our societal safety net, which is the library. We need to be ready.”  

Visit https://sblibraryfoundation.org