In October, the Redwood City Library Foundation (RCLF) held its 5th Annual Upscale Pub Crawl. The event was another success, with more than 500 tickets sold and $50,000 raised for important Library initiatives. But the Pub Crawl, held in recognition of Banned Books Week, has another important purpose: raising awareness about the freedom to read and to choose what to read. California’s Freedom to Read Act provides protections against censorship in public libraries and safeguar

In September 2025, before its public release, RCLF funded a screening of The Librarians, a documentary directed by Kim A. Snyder, detailing librarians’ ongoing fights against book bans and their steadfast defense of the right to read. We’re not saying RCLF is the reason The Librarians won a special Emmy Award for documentary filmmaking at this year’s Emmys; however, if you want to attribute the win to the “RCLF bump,” that’s fine by us! In September 2026, the film won the Emm

Local resident and library volunteer Marc Rosati has generously agreed to underwrite the Traveling Storytime program for multiple years in memory of his mother, Ruth Marie Rosati. We’d been searching for the perfect donor to underwrite this program when we realized that Marc had a childhood connection to book outreach programs and understood the importance of the Traveling Storytime program (see inset). Meeting Pam Evans, the Traveling Storytime Coordinator, triggered happy m

Just as a good book can transport us into new worlds and touch our hearts, so too does a will have the power to create lasting legacies for the people and missions we love. August was Make-A-Will Month, the perfect time to reflect on how to shape a legacy. RCLF held an educational Planned Giving ‘Legacy Literacy’ Webinar via Zoom. Attendees heard a presentation from Liza Hanks, Director, Gift Planning, Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) who spoke about how to create a

Employer Matching Gift can potentially double your donation

This summer, more than 7,000 children and teens across Redwood City and Redwood Shores took on the Summer Learning Challenge (SLC)—committing to read, learn and explore while school was out. And it all started with a book. Children who signed up for the challenge received a free book of their choice and pledged to read for at least 20 minutes a day for 20 days. Those who completed the challenge earned another free book to keep. By summer’s end, Redwood City Public Library had

Brainfuse: on-demand learning platform provides free access to live tutoring, job help, and career planning for cardholders of all ages

Career Online High School opens doors to brighter futures

This newsletter is full of stories that show what is possible when a community comes together for its library. At the Redwood City Library Foundation (RCLF), we often say it takes a village to fundraise for the library—and this issue proves it. Donations, volunteer hours, sponsorships, grants, and events all help Redwood City Public Library (RCPL) provide opportunities that change lives. Read about how we are helping bridge the digital divide so more residents can access reli

Having unreliable broadband isn’t an inconvenience—it’s a penalty. Redwood City Public Library, through the support of Redwood City Library Foundation, eliminates that penalty for many of our residents. A recent study published by Silicon Valley Joint Venture noted that thousands of our fellow residents lack access to broadband or only have limited access. The divide is not just lack of bandwidth. It is the daily tax paid by people who cannot apply for jobs, attend telehealth

On Saturday, April 25th, the Downtown Library opened for a special after-hours event to raise funds for the library! 145 library patrons gathered to solve a literary mystery by completing puzzles to collect clues to identify the ghost of a famous person who once had a shattering experience in Redwood City (true story). In addition to the mystery, participants enjoyed live music by the VRV Jazz Trio, a catered menu, themed cocktails, and dessert provided by The Cake Robin. We

For almost a year, Julio Torres has served as a teen intern at Redwood City Public Library. Starting last summer, he assisted with the Summer Learning Challenge. A junior at Sequoia High School, he applied because he wanted to step out of his comfort zone, improve his communication skills, and learn how to work with a team. “I used to come to the library all the time with my friends,” Julio said. “I wanted to help out the community because that’s my goal—to be able to help pe

From recurring monthly donor Tracey: “I have donated to the Library Foundation or Friends of the Library or both, over the years, because donations were my way of showing appreciation. Services provided by public libraries keep evolving and community members (including me!) keep benefiting. Federal funding cuts nudged me into contributing monthly instead of making just one or two donations each year, giving me a budget-manageable way to increase my level of support.”

Public libraries like Redwood City Public Library are more than buildings—they are vibrant community hubs. While core funding from the local government covers essentials like staffing and facilities, it’s the support of dedicated nonprofit partners that truly brings the library to life. The Redwood City Library Foundation (rclfdn.org) fuels innovation. Since 1998, it has funded impactful initiatives such as the Redwood Shores Branch Library opening day collection, Makerspace,

Thank you to all who have supported the library this past year

by Kiran Rao. I remember the slow crawl of the school year towards summer; hallways lined with lockers stuffed to the brim with Art in Action artwork and old class projects. Students were ready to head into the break, and experience the classroom-free, fun-filled days they were promised. For me summer meant spending time with my little sister, swimming pools, and books. After checking out a stack of books from the library, I would tear through them, return them, and repeat it

Get ready for one of Redwood City’s favorite fall traditions — the 5th Annual Upscale Pub Crawl Fundraiser returns on Wednesday, October 7, 2026! Last year, more than 600 people joined us during Banned Books Week for a fun-filled evening in downtown Redwood City. Guests enjoyed discounted drinks at 16 local pubs while learning about banned and challenged books from volunteers and RCLF board members at each stop. Most importantly, every ticket helped support vital library init

What does your library mean to you? Even during chaotic times, we all hope we can count on our local library. To ensure that libraries flourish and have the freedom to promote and protect the public good for today and tomorrow, each one of us must step up to provide financial support, volunteer assistance, and advocacy for our libraries. Libraries contribute to a future that values and protects freedom of speech in a world that celebrates both our similarities and our differe

More than 70 community members attended a film screening and discussion of “The Librarians,” a different kind of super hero movie, on September 22 at the Redwood City Downtown Library. “The Librarians”chronicles how book bans are spreading, and librarians are being harassed, fired and even threatened with criminalization for defending the right to read. The film is a rallying cry for intellectual freedom. A question and answer session followed the film, moderated by Library

Graduate Silvana The Redwood City Council celebrated its newest class of high school graduates from the Library’s Career Online High School (COHS) initiative. Ezra Flores Solorio, Olga Gonzalez,and Silvana Leon were recognized at the September 29 City Council meeting, followed by a reception in the Downtown Library. Graduate Silvana (in photo) said she was thankful to have the opportunity to continue learning and for the kindness she received “from people I saw every day