San Diego Public Library Foundation

The san diego public library offers 12 idea labs across the 37-branch system, the labs are built to be makerspaces for patrons to innovate, discover, experience and achieve and overall inspire an interest in science, technology, design, and 21st century skills. In each of these idea labs, patrons of varying ages can work together, alone, or with library staff on creative projects. The goal of a makerspace is to allow patrons to learn through direct experimentation and from each other. This is directly in line with the san diego public library's mission: to inspire lifelong learning through connections to knowledge and each other. Idea labs do not require users to have a library card and the type of equipment varies across the san diego public library. The legler benbough teen idea lab, located inside the valencia park/malcolm x branch library, offers advanced technology and training programs for teens ages 12 to 18, and prides it's self as being a space designed to provide youth with the opportunity to build job skills in a range of areas, by including a recording studio as well as 3d printers, a die cut machine, and imac computers.. The idea lab is at the san ysidro library location and is focused on digital textile arts and features a, die cut machine, sewing/embroidery machines, serger, button maker and a heat press. The pacific highlands ranch library idea lab focuses on prop and set design; a theme inspired by community conversations held by the library. Our makerspace features include a glowforge laser cutter, 24" desktop cutting machine, a 3d scanner and a dye sublimation machine. At the central library, the idea lab also contains equipment that can digitize photos, slides, negatives, and documents; 8mm and super 8 film; and various video formats. In fiscal year 2024, the idea lab hosted nearly 6,000 people in programs related to the idea lab equipment which yielded 1,285 ideas to life, including more than 200 sewing projects, more than 1,700 3d prints made, and 532 laser engravings and cuts. Across the san diego public library system, idea lab staff see patrons using these spaces in a range of ways including fashion design, diy brides and grooms, trace students. Scout troops, e3 scholars, new school of architecture student projects, and patrons looking to learn something new. One notable outcome from the idea lab at the central library is the launch of the clean shave, a business that founded by navy veterans at the central library and went to market in 2025. The co-founders came into the idea lab with drawings and over the course of a year, completed a prototype in the lab. The access to makerspaces with 3d printers and laser cutters made the start of this business possible for these veterans. Another is the sewing program that has taught patrons to sew and have donated dozens of pillowcases to ryan's case for smiles.

The media arts workforce development initiative @ the library is offered in two parts. The first is a paid 6-week training program in video and multimedia design and production, in collaboration with media arts center san diego (macsd) held at the city heights/weingart library in small cohorts of 10 students. The second part of the initiative is a 450-hour paid internship to be completed in six to 12 months with the city of san diego in several city departments including the library, economic development, communications, and environmental services. Since it was started in 2021, 136 students have completed the media arts workforce development initiative @ the library. Follow-up surveys of these graduates show that 94 percent report using the digital skills they learned to do something new or different while 97 percent reported completing a task or goal they could not do or could not do as well before. An average of 80 percent of students from each 6-week training cohort transition into paid internships with the library and other city departments. Twenty-five percent of the program's participants in fiscal year 2023 were hired by the library department after completing their paid internships. San diego public library's media arts workforce development initiatives increases the number of underrepresented individuals in the creative workforce by focusing on communities of concern, as defined by the city's climate equity index tool, which measures the level of access to opportunity residents have across san diego. While the success rate of this program is impressive, it's even more remarkable to see graduates spread out across the san diego region working for the library, the creative economy, marketing firms, and showcasing their work at film festivals across the u.s.

The library foundation actively markets library programs and the importance of library service to supporters and potential supporters, elected leaders and to library users. The library foundation produces a series of regular email newsletters to library card holders and to library donors and supporters. These publications market the value of libraries to san diego and promote monthly library programs and other services. The foundation also coordinates advocacy efforts among a coalition of the library foundation, friends of the library and the board of library commissioners to educate elected leaders to the positive impact of libraries on the community and the need for adequate public support.