Friends Celebrate 8 Years of Impact
March 6, 2026
SANTA CRUZ, CA—The Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries announce the closure of their Capitola Mall bookstore, which has operated since March 5, 2018.
Long beloved by the community, the Friends’ bookstore has been a source of heart warming stories and special moments with customers of all ages while generating significant funds to support the library system. Chair of the Capitola Friends, Toni Campbell, remarks at how much has been accomplished “using donated space, donated books, and of course, volunteer help” all by “selling books, one and two bucks a piece.”
The Capitola Library Friends initially focused on fundraising following the passage of measure S to support the capital campaign for the Capitola Branch Library. With the completion of the library, the Capitola Friends set their next goal to fund the installation of solar panels and storage batteries of the Capital Library. The solar installation is now nearly complete as the Friends close the doors of the bookstore for the last time on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
“Santa Cruz Public Libraries and the Capitola Library in particular are grateful for the support of the Bookstore program over these 8 years. This support has enriched our programming and added to the long-term energy resilience of the library itself.” said Christopher Platt, Director of Libraries for the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system.
The Friends wish to thank Toni Campbell and a volunteer corps (currently 26 individuals) for years of boots-on-the-ground volunteerism collecting donated books, stocking shelves, and providing a friendly sales experience. Their dedication is appreciated.
The store’s success is also shared by the Capitola Mall’s generous donation of the store space through a no cost lease. Brian Kirk, General Manager at the Capitola Mall for Merlone Geier Partners, described the mall’s engagement with the Friends this way “We are proud of the amazing impact our partnership with the Friends of the Capitola Library and their volunteers has had on the construction and completion of our local library.”
The bookstore remains open to the public in the Capitola Mall Monday: 12:00-5:00, Tuesday: 11:00-5:00, and Wednesday – Sunday: 11:00-6:00 through March 31.
Photo credit: Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries