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| About Us The Friends of the Seattle Public Library is a non-profit, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting our Library as an essential institution of our society. Our volunteer members advocate, educate, and raise funds on behalf of the Library, its patrons, and the larger Seattle community.
Friends are ambassadors to the community.
Members help share the news about all the ways the Seattle Public Libraries change people's lives and connect them to the world. Friends encourage the city to provide robust electronic resources, books and media to contribute to the goals of the libraries’ patrons and directly contribute to the children, youth and adults attending its programs by attending City Council hearings, writing letters, and talking to elected officials. Friends raise money to contribute to Library needs that can't be met in the city funded operating budget by operating the twice yearly book sales and the Friend-Shop at the Central Library.
Officers 
Deborah Prince Board President | Deborah worked as an undergraduate advisor at the UW for
many years. Now she enjoys being a docent at the Seattle Art Museum and
volunteering with Planned Parenthood, Puget Consumers Coop’s cooking classes,
the zoo’s Jungle Party and the Chinese Garden in West Seattle. Volunteering with the library is a natural outgrowth of
her love of reading. Currently my Favorite Book: Little Bee
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Jennifer D. Johnson-Fong Vice President Advocacy Chair | Jennifer rediscovered libraries after becoming a full time parent. Supporting The Seattle Public Library as a Friends board trustee has been enlightening, rewarding and fun. She's happy reading books that make her think just as much as reading a good story. Favorite Books: (of the moment): Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan and Broken For You by Stephanie Kallos | 
Susan J. Baker Secretary | Susan is a retired school librarian and passionate library advocate who returned to Seattle after 38 years away to be close to her 90-year-old mom and two still-perfect grandchildren (ages 6 and 9). Favorite Book: Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment | Mary Summers Treasurer | Mary Summers |
Phil Goruch Operations Chair | Phil Gorsuch | | 
Ashlie Bornzin Communications Chair | Ashlie is a librarian at the Seattle Public Library. She loves cooking, reading, movies and traveling. Favorite Book: Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett. It will probably be something else next week. |
Joan Abrevaya | A retired National Labor Relations Board attorney, Joan began volunteering at the FriendShop when the Central Library opened. She still is there on Sundays but also mends books for Central and Magnolia libraries and volunteers at speaker's events, Global Reading Contest, Summer Reading events and anything else that sounds interesting. A life without library and books is inconceivable to Joan.
Favorite Books: Plumes, Ostrich Feathers, Jews and a Lost World of Global Commerce (by her niece Sarah Abrevaya Stein), The Last Chinese Chef, Persepolis, The Sparrow, People of the Book, Bread and Jam for Francis | |
Stephanie Andersen | Stephanie Andersen has loved the library since she was a kid. She believes the library has a storied place in civilized society, and that it represents democracy at its most egalitarian. She is amazed by the breadth of its contents and how its offerings can satisfy and stoke curiosity, teach and entertain all at the same time. She wants everyone to discover the magic of a library. |  Lori Cleaves | Lori is a CPA. She loves libraries because they are a wonderful source of information and enjoyment. In addition to reading, she enjoys watching her boys play sports, gardening and researching her family tree. Her favorite book is Lonesome Dove but frequently re-reads the Harry Potter series. |
Minda Hevly | Minda Hevly |
Jayanne Hino | Jayanne enjoys visiting her neighborhood libraries and seeing the diversity of patrons using library resources. She is proud of the fact that the City supports the library system as a core resource for Seattle residents.
Favorite Books: (of the moment) Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. |
Richard Horn | Richard Horn |  Peter Omar Manuelian | Omar loves information, which is why he likes libraries. He has spent eight years teaching English and ESL at universities and colleges abroad. Currently he teaches ESL at both North and Seattle Central Community Colleges, where he is also the Faculty Coordinator of Central's Institute of English. One of his favorite activities is kayaking on a warm, sunny summer's day in Desolation Sound, with a couple of Scandinavian or Japanese detective novels in the hold.
| Ed J. Marquez | Ed J. Marquez | | 
Elizabeth A. Maziarz | Liz is currently an adjunct professor of English at Olympic College. In previous lives she worked in politics, television, and public relations. Someday she hopes to finish her novel about Genghis Khan. A Jersey girl by birth, she now lives in the Center of the Universe with her fabulous husband.
She believes that libraries are an essential part of any community and feels privileged to live in a city with such an exceptional library system.
Favorite Book: The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov |  Tony Provine | Tony Provine has been involved with non-profit and business management and public administration throughout his career. Prior to launching his own retail business enterprise and a subsequent management position with Starbucks, he provided management and consulting services primarily to associations and other non-profit organizations. His previous experience includes serving as executive director of the Consortium for Learning and Research in Aging, a start-up non-profit educational foundation of the California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. He also served as executive director of the California Society of Anesthesiologists where he directed an active governmental affairs and public relations program. Additional experience includes several years of experience in county government at Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland. |
M. Jane Roll | Jane is a retired high school English teacher. She have been a book sorter for almost four years and also volunteers a day a week cleaning kitchens at the Ronald McDonald House. She reads to learn, to explore ideas and meet unique people, and to visit exotic locations. She believes in the work of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library because I want everyone to have the opportunity to read whatever appeals to them.
|  Sarel Rowe | Sarel was active in The Friends' Southwest chapter for five years and served as chapter liaison to the board for two years. Since 2005 she's been involved in advocacy and education on behalf of SPL. Sarel is a caregiver specializing in dementia support.
Favorite Book: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson | | 
Margaret Taylor | Maggie is retired after many, many years working in healthcare management and business development. She enjoys the Friends Board, and her Friday afternoons at the FriendShop. Maggie is an avid fly-fisherperson and grandparent. Her favorite books to date are: Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky and The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. | | 
Connie Templeton | Connie has a Business degree from the University of Washington and has been working in Media for over 30 years. She's a life-long reader and enjoys authors who express the "beauty of the language" in their writing.
Favorite Book: The Tennis Partner and My Own Country by Abraham Verghese |
Library and Other Friends Staff
Alice Springer Liaison to the Library/ Administrative Support | Alice has worked with the Friends since 2005. She is also an assistant development officer for The Seattle Public Library Foundation and coordinates special events. Her favorite part of her job is being surrounded by individuals who value knowledge and make use of their passion by committing, on their own time, to make a difference. Favorite book: Naked by David Sedaris |
Joan Amatucci Book Sale Director | Joan Amatucci | 
Lisa Lee FriendShop Manager | Lisa loves working in the beautiful Seattle Central Library and in the FriendShop- what more could one want besides books and shopping? Lisa served on the Friends board and as a book sorter for several years before becoming the FriendShop manager. Although not a Seattle native, she has lived here for years and has no plans to leave the beautiful Northwest.
Favorite book: Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
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