Donations for the collection are accepted under the provisions of the Donations for the Collection Policy, excerpted from the Palo Alto City Library Collection Development Policy, April 2018.
Donations are handled through the Friends of the Palo Alto Library (FOPAL). Please see the FOPAL website for information on their schedule and limitations, or call 650-494-1266.
To get started, visit the Volunteering at PACL page to see current opportunities and apply.
Fill out the online Suggest a Purchase form with your suggestion. We can't promise that we will buy an item that is suggested for purchase, since our budget and shelving space are limited.
We do accept submissions from authors and publishers for consideration, however submitted works must meet the same selection criteria as stated in our Collection Development Policy.
To have your book considered for the collection, please read through our entire Author and Publisher Submissions Guidelines. This document outlines the entire submission process, requirements, and review criteria.
Check our dedicated FAQ page on Beanstack.
Any teen in grades 8–12 who lives in or attends school in Palo Alto or an adjoining city (Menlo Park, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Portola Valley, or East Palo Alto). Rising 8th graders are eligible during the summer.
To become a TLAB member, applicants must:
TLAB operates on three participation terms:
Dates may be adjusted annually to align with school calendars.
Each semester, members must complete at least one of the following:
Log all hours in Better Impact. Here are some instructions for recording your hours!
Note: Hours not recorded in Better Impact cannot be documented by the library.
An active member has attended at least 50% of scheduled meetings, completed at least one required activity (listed on the Membership Responsibilities page), attended an in-person orientation at least once per year, and maintained respectful conduct.
Yes! The Library will consider reasonable accommodations and alternative participation methods when feasible to reduce barriers to TLAB participation.
TLAB membership is semester-based. At the end of each semester, members confirm their continued interest and availability. Members in good standing may renew for the following semester.
