San Carlos Branch Library
Friends of the Library

San Carlos Branch Library
619-527-3430
7265 Jackson Dr
San Diego, CA 92119

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SCFOL Volunteers Got It Done

  Volunteers congregate, innovate, and activate. Volunteers are the foundation and glue that hold communities together and spark growth. Volunteers get it done! In 1982, SCBL managing Librarian Verna Stewart encouraged a few dedicated patrons to start a Friends of the Library chapter of FSDPL at the San Carlos Branch. SCFOL was born on May 15, 1982, with the expressed mission of  "focusing public attention on the library services, facilities and needs; to strengthen and expand library services; and to stimulate... Continue Reading >

January 9, 1974: San Carlos Branch Library Opened

   Located in San Carlos, San Diego’s 23rd branch library opened on January 9, 1974. Speakers at the opening ceremony included the then current 7th district Councilman Jim Ellis & past Councilman Allen Hitch, San Carlos resident & City Librarian Marco Thorne, and SDPL City Librarian Bill Sannwald. The San Carlos Women's Club served refreshments. In 1974 the new 8000 sq ft San Carlos Branch was the largest branch library in the City and the 45-person Community Room was the... Continue Reading >

How San Carlos Got Its Library

  What factors came together that spearheaded the building of our current San Carlos Branch Library? The answer: San Carlos  Community activists and a non-fulfilled promise. In the 1960s, the Tavares Development Company assured buyers that the new San Carlos area would quickly become a complete neighborhood, with retailers, eateries, churches, fire houses, parks & rec centers, schools, and a library.  By 1970, this mission had been accomplished, minus the library. Here is the story of "How San Carlos Got A... Continue Reading >

Welcome to San Carlos…Learn Its History

San Diego saw rapid expansion in the post-war 50s, and San Carlos was one of many new areas developed. Here are some insights into its history.  In 1958, Carlos Tavares gave his own name to San Diego’s San Carlos; he had given his wife's name, Claire, to San Diego's Clairemont.  Both areas were  developed by the Tavares Development Company. The San Carlos tract, located near San Diego State, is in the farthest northeast corner of San Diego, adjacent to... Continue Reading >

August 5, 2023: “We Bought the Lot” Celebration

  Were you there? More than 300 library patrons, neighbors, and Friends of the San Carlos Branch Library, turned out on August 5, 2023, to hear the good news: after 28 years, We Bought the Lot on the corner of Jackson and Golfcrest. This parcel is adjacent to the current branch library; the two lots together will become the site of the of the new 25,000 sq. ft. San Carlos Branch Library. The day's celebration was kicked off by District 7... Continue Reading >