Friends of The San Francisco Public Library Hosts a Literary Gala for All

On May 3 the San Francisco Main Library opened its doors to welcome Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, as they hosted their 2025 Library Laureates Gala to benefit San Francisco’s public library system. Friends of the San Francisco Public Library is a nonprofit organization that raises funds and advocates for a premier public library in San Francisco, and equity and access to free resources. More than 400 civic leaders, authors, artists and library lovers gathered to raise over $560,000 to support free programs and resources across the Library’s 28 branches. 

Each year the Laureates Gala hosts a roster of Library Laureate honorees, who are among the Bay Area’s most exciting literary and artistic voices, giving guests the rare opportunity to engage in thought-provoking conversations with local luminaries. This year’s list included Kara Swisher, Rebecca Solnit, and Lava Thomas, among others. The after party, hosted by The Pacifics and Value Culture and featuring DJ Garza, brought over 120 young library supporters into the Main Library’s atrium for dancing, drinks, and a whole new kind of library celebration for a new generation.