14 Jul Celebrating The Heart of Our Community
The “I Love My Library” campaign is dedicated toward spreading kindness and demonstrating appreciation to public libraries for their contributions to local communities. The event lasted all of February 2026, and invited members of the community to spread support and awareness of the campaign through countless community events.
The “I Love My Library” campaign launched with the sold-out screening of The Librarians at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, a riveting documentary focusing on librarians nationwide who are standing up against censorship and defending intellectual freedom. Attendees at the event were welcomed by the Library on the Go van which collected handwritten messages of support and passed out “I Love My Library” buttons. Following the event, starting from February 1-14, collection boxes were situated at more than 60 locations throughout Santa Barbara where members of the community could write heartfelt letters expressing their appreciation and favorite aspects of the library. A number of these locations included Hope Elementary School, Rori’s ice cream, and the Alpha resource center. During these two weeks, we received over 1,000 submissions ranging from teachers, students, and families. One of our highlights included a message from a young reader who shared, “I love the books you let us borrow… the library is great, awesome, magnificent, and most of all fun!”
Throughout this month, we have heard nothing but love and support from the community. These messages are reminders that libraries are not just about books, but serve as a place for people to discover their passions and to connect with others. From the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, we want to express our gratitude and admiration toward everyone in the community who participated in these events and we want to thank everyone for continuing to spread love and appreciation throughout our community.
