Volunteer Groups Across the Library System
San José Public Library is recognizing various Volunteer Groups, highlighting teams that have gone above and beyond to support their communities while working hand-in-hand with their friends. We are thrilled to highlight the successes of several stellar SJPL Volunteer Groups throughout our great city.
Our volunteers generously devote their time and talents to strengthen our libraries—championing literacy, expanding access to resources, and enriching the library experience for everyone in our community. They are a vital part of our library family, and we deeply appreciate all that they do.
Please join us in congratulating the following groups!
Calabazas Branch Library
Group Name: Fremont Union High School District
Nominated by Maggie Kuo
"During the school year, Jaime brings two special education students from the Fremont Union High School District (FUHSD) to the Calabazas Library twice a week. They provide invaluable support by cleaning toys and assisting with the setup for our morning Storytime events."
East San José Carnegie Branch Library
Group Name: Friends of the Library
Nominated by Sarah Kishler
"After losing our dedicated Friends president Margaret Fitch when she passed away during the pandemic, we had no Friends activity at our branch for an extended period of time. When our current Friends of the East San José Carnegie Library group became active, they breathed new life into our library by scheduling the first Friends of the Library book sale to take place after the Covid shutdown, and since have been holding very popular regular quarterly book sales. These sales are very popular, and we see people lining up at the library door before opening on the Saturdays they are scheduled. We've noticed these booksales being singled out for praise on online review of our library branch. Staff has also noticed a vast improvement in how organized our book donation inventory has become since this volunteer group started helping us out."
Educational Park Branch Library
Group Name: Caregivers with the Greater Opportunities
Nominated by Caitlin Bosworth
"Each week Reggie Hadjilatiph and Wilma Collado bring volunteers to the library to help us clean touchpoints and children's toys. They have volunteered consistently for over two years. Their dedication has made sure our children's area is clean and safe for the families we see every week."
Santa Teresa Branch Library
Group Name: Teens Reach
Nominated by Kim Chan
"The Santa Teresa Teens Reach group (Sierra Z., Rinji V., Saket S., Eshaan M., Elliot S., Indigo C., Veronika Y., Vihaan P., Keerat S., Isabella W., Paulina N., Victoria R., Stuti P., Aditi V., Lily M., Pranjali R., and Anh H.) meets monthly to propose library programs, help during library programs, and decorate the library. The teen volunteers created and ran highly-attended community events at the library, such as the Halloween Festival in October 2025 and the Lunar New Year Festival in February 2026. The teens created two plays for those festivals – complete with their own scripts, homemade costumes, and puppets! Their Teens Reach Leadership Advisory Board also created their first Teens Reach magazine volume to share with the community their accomplishments and upcoming events. Teens Reach members helped create children’s book displays, clean the library, promote summer learning, and assist participants during various STEM, craft, and art programs. The Teens Reach volunteers merit special recognition because of their dedication and hard work in serving their library community with joy in every season. The teens bring endless ideas and suggestions to the library, and their programs, contributions, cleaning, and displays make the library a safer, welcoming, fun, and educational space for all!"
Youth Services Unit at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
Group Name: American Chemical Society
Nominated by Bridget Kowalczyk
"A dedicated group (Abby Kennedy, Jigisha Shah, Linda S. Brunauer, Natalie McClure, Melody Esfandiari, Elizabeth Migicovsky) of professionals from the American Chemical Society have made a profound and positive difference in boosting awareness and excitement for STEM at the King Library in the hearts and minds of our families for nearly 20 years! Twice a year this group of educators leads a variety of fun, interactive experiments in the Children’s Room, bringing a crew of student volunteers they’ve recruited from San José State University and Santa Clara University to inspire and guide young minds in exploring the magic and mystery of science. Every program has a unique theme and related experiments to engage students in gaining an appreciation for the topic, from photography to glaciers to mysteries found in the woods to the healing power of chemistry and beyond. Over the years, kids have learned how bears survive winter cold and how to make dry ice bubbles, dyes from insects, fruit batteries, graphite circuits and much, much more! Every year, the program’s popularity grows as is evidenced by the increasing numbers of participants. The American Chemical Society brings their expertise and knowledge to our community and they deserve recognition and thanks for being a King Library’s Youth Services Volunteer Group."
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