Walnut Creek Library Foundation

Supporting Walnut Creek Libraries Since 1998

The Walnut Creek Library Foundation was founded in 1998 with a simple but powerful mission: to enhance and support the Walnut Creek and Ygnacio Valley libraries through private fundraising and community engagement. Since then, we’ve raised over $10.5 million to ensure that our local libraries remain vibrant, welcoming, and innovative spaces for all.

Investing in Our Libraries

From the beginning, the Foundation recognized that public funding alone couldn’t meet the growing needs of our community. That’s why, through the generosity of individuals, businesses, and local organizations, we’ve been able to fund everything from children’s reading programs and technology upgrades to large-scale capital improvements.

Some early milestones include:

Creating the Women of California History Collection
Launching the annual Children’s Summer Reading Program
Funding renovations at the Ygnacio Valley Library in 2004 with $180,000 in community support

A New Library for Walnut Creek

In 2006, the Foundation launched its most ambitious effort yet—a capital campaign to build a new downtown library. Thanks to more than $5.5 million in private donations, we helped transform a vision into reality.

The result: the beautiful 42,000-square-foot Walnut Creek Library, which opened in July 2010 with sustainable design, state-of-the-art facilities, and a focus on accessibility and community use. Over 8,500 visitors celebrated the opening day—a true testament to the power of public-private partnership.

Enriching Community Life

Today, the Foundation funds and supports a wide range of programs that benefit all ages, including:

Live! From the Library – a popular free cultural and speaker series
Early literacy play spaces and STEAM-focused technology upgrades
Laptop kiosks and infrastructure to support digital learning
Book clubs, community reads, and financial literacy workshops

Our events and programs continue to draw thousands of participants each year, offering free educational, cultural, and literacy experiences to our diverse community.

Meeting Tomorrow’s Needs

In response to community needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation provided $50,000 to extend library hours into 2023, ensuring greater access for families, students, and job seekers.

We are proud to continue investing in:

Library collections
Facilities and furnishings
Technology and infrastructure
Youth, teen, and adult programming

Join Us

Thanks to the commitment of local donors and volunteers, the Walnut Creek Library Foundation is more than a fundraising organization—it’s a community movement. Whether you attend an event, make a donation, or share your story, you’re helping write the next chapter of our libraries.

Learn more about our current programs, events, and ways to give by exploring our website or contacting us directly.