All SBPL locations will be CLOSED on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. All due dates will be pushed forward. You can access our digital library 24/7

18677

Help shape the future of Santa Barbara's Waterfront! Respond to our survey at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterfrontSurvey.
¡Ayúdanos a dar forma al futuro de la zona costera de Santa Bárbara! Responde a nuestra encuesta en SantaBarbaraCA.gov/WaterfrontSurvey.

18380
ID
Pat Saley Portrait
Title

Pat Saley, Montecito Library Superhero!

Authored on
Body

After 10 years at the helm, Pat Saley reflects on the community effort behind one of Montecito’s most beloved spaces. 

For more than 60 years, the Friends of the Montecito Library (FOML) have been quietly—and sometimes not so quietly—shaping the library at the heart of the community. First mentioned in local newspapers in 1960, when the library moved from Montecito Hall (where the library is located today) to Montecito Village across the street, the Friends quickly became an essential partner in helping the library grow and adapt with a changing community. Their impact is perhaps best captured in 1979, when they rallied the community to raise nearly $100,000 in just a few months—securing the funds needed to renovate and preserve the Montecito Hall & Library as the library’s home. Over the years, they’ve supported the book collection, helped create the beloved Reppy Room, funded early computer systems, and made countless programs and improvements possible. 

But the Friends have always been about more than fundraising. They’ve helped build the sense of community and connection that defines the Montecito Library—facilitating gifts of art like Douglass Parshall’s Dead Live Oaks and even organizing volunteers to move the library’s collection back across the street into the Montecito Hall & Library, quite literally carrying it into its next chapter. Today, under the leadership of President Pat Saley, that work continues through advocacy, financial support, and close collaboration with local partners. After 10 years as President (15 years on the Board), Saley is passing the torch and reflecting on the role the Friends have played in keeping the Montecito Library a vibrant, welcoming place for all. 

Please join us for the Friends of the Montecito Library Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 14, at 10:30 AM at Montecito Public Library, 1469 East Valley Road. 

Q&A with Pat Saley, Friends President 

Do you have a library origin story you’d like to share? Or what do public libraries mean to you? 
My first memory of books and libraries is when I was a little girl in Canada. The Bookmobile stopped in front of our house so I was always getting new books and reading voraciously. That love of books has continued throughout my life and I’ve passed it on to my kids (who are avid audiobook listeners). We discovered the Montecito Library when my kids went to the preschool next door. 

What makes the Montecito Library unique? 
In my experience and travels, I’ve found that every town’s library reflects the local community. In the case of Montecito, the library is in a historic building, it is very charming and welcoming, and it has a wealth of options, opportunities and friendly people. In my years on the FOML board, I’ve felt really good about supporting the library and bringing assistance and resources to our community and beyond. 

What’s an accomplishment you’re most proud of during your FOML tenure? 
While I used to be the youngest board member, in my early days I pushed to have us change with the times where it benefited the library and community. As we provide a major grant to the County and City every year for library operations, I helped us develop a website (that we’re about to update) and invest the community’s generous donations with a financial planning firm. We have also been more effective in collaborating with the Montecito Association and Community Foundation, City and County of Santa Barbara, and other libraries in the County to the benefit of all. 

What would you say to someone thinking about joining the Friends of the Library Board? 
The one thing our board has in common is that we all love libraries in general and Montecito Library in particular. We are a volunteer board with directors doing much of the required leg work to support and advocate for the library. We are very collaborative and all board members pitch in to educate the community about what we do and why libraries are so important. Over the years we’ve had wonderful board members who have brought a wealth of experience to the community and board, which has helped us meet our goal to support the Montecito Library in any and all ways.