The Shasta Library Foundation was established in 1991 in response to a continuing weak financial base with the purpose of providing funding stability and enhancing the services and resources of the library through the creation of a permanent endowment. In the mid-1990s, the Shasta Library Foundation received a bequest from the Elizabeth G. Hyatt Trust that funded a restricted Book Fund and the assets of the Redding Women’s Club provided the beginning of the General Endowment Fund. The Shasta Library Foundation board members spent most of the 1990s participating in numerous committees, task forces, and commissions looking for ways to improve library services and facilities.
Today, the Shasta Library Foundation continues to play an important roll in providing fiscal support and resources for the Shasta Public Library System including hosting the Annual A Novel Affair Gala dinner that started in 2018 and continues to be the top black and white tie event in Shasta County.