The Newport Beach Library Foundation
PROGRAMS
Witte Lecture Series
The Witte Lecture Series will began its 29th season of distinguished speakers in January 2026. There are four scheduled speakers each season, and each lecture is presented twice. The speakers for the 29th season include China expert Julian Gewitz, economist and economic advisor Pippa Malmgren, National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths, and author and democracy expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat. Past speakers have included Anne Applebaum, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David Frum, Anna Deveare Smith, and many others. Witte Lectures do have a fee. Friday night includes a light dinner after the lecture, and the author is available to sign books and interact with the audience. Saturday includes light refreshments after the lecture during the author interaction and book signing. Individual tickets are available as is a season pass.
The Witte Lectures will be presented in the new Witte Hall after its opening on March 20, which has 299 seats, 99 more than the Library's Friends Room. The Witte Series continually sells out. The Witte Lectures were one of the first distinguished speaker series in Orange County.
Library Live
Library Live is a series of four lectures featuring authors of note, usually with a book published in the last six months. Each lecture is presented once. Library Live is a ticketed program and single tickets and season passes are available. The 2025-2026 season is its 18th. Authors this season include Thomas Fuller, Susan Straight, Colm Tóibín, and Anthony Doerr. This season's Library Live lectures begin in October. All four lectures are already sold out. Library Live will also transition to Witte Hall after March 20.
Library Live has continually sought to contract diverse speakers to its stage. The past three seasons included Min Jin Lee (Pachinko), Omar El-Akkad (What Strange Paradise), Charles Yu (Interior Chinatown), Brit Bennett (Vanishing Half), Lisa See (Lady Tan's Circle of Women), and Javier Zamora.
Free Community Programs
The Foundation presents four programs that are free to the public. The only adult book club at the Library is the Foundation's Book Discussion Group, which attracts 35-45 readers nine times a season. The Financial Literacy Workshop, presented with partner It's Your Money & Estate, has 10 morning workshops a season and draws an average of 75 participants. The Foundation partners with UCI Health for Medicine in Your Backyard, a series of nine evening programs presenting the latest studies and newest technologies in medicine and health.
Each of these programs are within the goal of expanding literacy in the public venue: medical/health, financial, and literature.
Spotlight on Science
A free program featuring extraordinary and renowned scientists who shed light on innovative and exciting research in the sciences. Its focus is to promote and expand scientific literacy in the community. Spotlight on Science will be held in Witte Hall after that lecture hall opens. The first lecture, on October 8, by Dr. Irene Chen of UCLA is on the origins of life. Although free, over 320 people have registered for the lecture. We anticipate full attendance on the remaining three lectures. Doug Finke will speak on quantum computing; Dr. Charles Norton of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the future of small satellites; and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Barry Barish of UC Riverside will look at the origins of the universe.
Science, research, and the scientific method is too often misunderstood or ignored in contemporary American society. The Foundation's goal is to present critically important scientific research and discoveries to the community and engender discussion on these initiatives.
Project Adult Literacy support funding
Project Adult Literacy is a program of the Newport Beach Public Library is a free program that works with adults on literacy to improve reading, writing, and communication skills. The former support group for this program disbanded and the Library Foundation stepped in to provide additional support for this very valuable program and to promote and advance its objectives.
The Library requested support for this fiscal year for its annual publication of writings by its learners, specific software subscriptions for adult literacy programs, promotional materials, and training for its tutors and staff.
CONTACT
The Newport Beach Library Foundation
1000 Avocado Avenue
Newport Beach, California 92660
Phone: 9497173890