Introducing: The Salt Lake City Public Library Foundation

SLC Library supporters, patrons and friends,

The City Library is embarking on an exciting new chapter as we seek to strengthen our programs and services to the community. After more than six decades of dedicated support, the Friends of The City Library is transitioning to a new identity: Salt Lake City Public Library Foundation. This new chapter comes with a renewed focus on advancing fundraising efforts and advocating on behalf of The City Library’s programs and services.

Rest assured, the Friends will continue to thrive as a vital program of the Foundation. Our beloved used book sales and the Book Nook store at the Main Library will remain in place, overseen by a community board of volunteers. We will continue to rely on the support of our vital volunteers to help us sustain these important activities.

As the CEO of the Salt Lake City Public Library, I am so grateful for the many patrons and community members who have generously given their time and resources through the Friends of the City Library in support of Salt Lake City’s Public Libraries over many decades. The impact that we have in our city today is in no small measure thanks to their care and commitment.

Along with this announcement, I also want to share the exciting news that the Library has selected Jessica Sweeney to serve as the City Library’s first Chief Development Officer and Executive Director of the Library Foundation. Jessica joins us from the Salt Lake Tribune, where she served as Development Director and played a key role in leading its fundraising efforts as the newspaper remade itself as a nonprofit organization. Prior to that, she served as the campaign and fundraising director for Ben McAdams. Jessica is a University of Utah graduate and received a master’s in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University.

In the coming months, we will be sharing more updates as we officially launch the City Library Foundation. As we look to the future of the City Library, we are excited for how the work of the Foundation and Friends together will be able to support new and enhanced services that meet the diverse needs of our beloved city and its neighborhoods.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more or getting involved in the work of the Salt Lake City Public Library Foundation, please fill out this form.

Noah Baskett
CEO / Library Director
Salt Lake City Public Library
nbaskett@slcpl.org | 385–560–7839