LibraryAware December 2024

SCHEDULE FOR ALL ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARIES

DURING THE HOLIDAYS

OPEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, FROM 10:00AM TO 4:00PM
CLOSED: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY
OPEN: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, AT 10AM FOR REGULAR HOURS
OPEN: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, FROM 10:00 TO 4:00PM
CLOSED: MONDAY, JANUARY 1, NEW YEAR'S HOLIDAY
OPEN: TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, AT 10 AM FOR REGULAR HOURS

December Newsletter:

WELCOME TO SCRATCH

@ THE LIBRARY

Featured Resource:

Experience the joy of making with thousands of award-winning video classes

taught by top designers and artists.

All skill levels and ages welcome!

MAIN: CODE A STORY WITH SCRATCH

Let's learn how to code and create a story with Scratch!

Join the Main Library for a 1-hour session on:

Thursday, December 5th at 3:30pm (or)
Friday, December 6th at 3:30pm (or)
Monday, December 9th at 6:30pm

This program is for children ages 9+. Registration is required.

Registration for the session will fill as requests come in. Children may register for only one session.

To register please call the Children's Department (510-747-7705) or email us (childref@alamedaca.gov) with your name, phone number, child's name and age.

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December Programming:

For Adults

Take & Make: DIY QUARTER ZINE Monday, December 9, from 12 pm through Saturday, January 8, 8 pm | Main Library. Register to make a zine on any topic you choose, using tools from your library! Never made a zine before? We have how-to resources for you! Kits will be distributed at the Children's Desk (in the Children's Area on the 1st floor) as well as the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor.
Make It Tuesday, December 3 & 17, 4:30PM | Main Library. Bring yor own project and materials. Limited instruction available. All fiber crafts welcome.
Doing Death Differently: The gift of death Wednesday, December 6, 6PM | Come heed the stillness and wisdom of winter, allowing it to turn us inward and reflect on our lives, and listen intently to our hearts' nascent yearnings.
Through the lenses of death, contemplation, curiosity, and creativity, we'll examine what must be shed or acquired to live more fully in the time we've been given.

Book Clubs

Alameda Great Books Group Main Library. Family Study Room. Every Second Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM. This month's pick: The waves by Virginia Woolf.
A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book Islandia Clubhouse. Third Wednesday of the month at 1PM. This month's theme: Favorite Reads .
Main Library Mystery Book Club & Bay Farm Mystery Book Club Monday, December 16, 2024 | 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM. End of the year meeting and celebration. Both Main Library and Bay Farm Island Library Mystery Book Clubs will meet in the Stafford Room of the Main Library, 6 pm to 7 pm, to discuss our favorite (and least favorite) picks this year, preview the list for next year, and join in some mystery-themed games.

For Teens

Study Hall @ Alameda Free Library

Teens, are you hunting for a great spot to study or work on final projects? The Library has got your back! During Study Hall, we've got plenty of open seating, snacks to keep you fueled up, and even coloring pages to help you take a break and unwind.

These study sessions will be in the Stafford Room at the Main Library.

Session 1: Tuesday, December 17 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Session 2: Wednesday, December 18 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM

Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov

Take & Make: DIY QUARTER ZINE Monday, December 9, from 12Pm through Saturday, January 8, 8Pm | Main Library. Register to make a zine on any topic you choose, using tools from your library! Never made a zine before? We have how-to resources for you! Kits will be distributed at the Children's Desk (in the Children's Area on the 1st floor) as well as the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor.
Dungeons & Dragons Monday, December 2 & 9, 6PM | Main Library. Looking to get into Dungeons & Dragons? No experience needed. Character sheets, dice, and rules explanations provided.
Teen Advisory Board Tuesday, December 3, 4:30PM | Main Library. Are you a teen in 7th-12th grade? Do you want to share your interests and help with library projects? If yes, then why not join the Teen Advisory Board (TAB)? You can gain valuable experience and earn volunteer hours as a member.
Teen Book Club Wednesday, December 4, 4PM | Main Library. Teens choose what we read each month. Free copies of the book while supplies last. Next up: Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber.
Teen Book Reviews Teens in the 7th-12th grades are invited to write book reviews for the library. Please visit the website for more information.

For Children

Special Programs at Main:

Code a Story with Scratch Let's learn how to code and create a story with Scratch! Join the Main Library for a 1-hour session on: Thursday, December 5th at 3:30pm (or) ; Friday, December 6th at 3:30pm (or) ; Monday, December 9th at 6:30pm. This program is for children ages 9+. Registration is required. Registration for the session will fill as requests come in. Children may register for only one session. To register please call the Children's Department (510-747-7705) or email us (childref@alamedaca.gov) with your name, phone number, child's name, and age.
Nutcracker Storytime with Tutu School Friday, December 6, 10:30-11:30AM | Main Library . Join us at the Main Library for a special Nutcracker Storytime with Tutu School as we read this timeless tale and dance through the magic lands of snow and sweets.
Family Movie Matinee Sunday, December 8, 2PM | Main Library. Join us for a sensory-friendly, family focused movie matinee! December selection: Harold and the Purple Crayon (PG).
Christmas Stories & Crafts Monday, December 16, 2024 | 03:30 PM - 05:00 PM Join us for a special program for the whole family full of crafts, stories, songs and Christmas fun.
Hanukkah Stories and Crafts Saturday, December 21, 2024 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM. Join Ms. Jenn from Temple Israel of Alameda for stories and crafts that celebrate Hanukkah. No registration required and suitable for the whole family.

Special Programs at the Branches:

Bay Farm Island Branch Library:

BFI: Winter Storytime December 7, 10:30AM | Bay Farm Island Branch Library . Join us for for a fun, winter-themed Storytime planned and presented by the Bay Farm Island Branch Library Junior Librarians! All ages are welcome.
BFI: Junior Librarian Program Do you love the library and want to learn even more? During this three week series, we will focus on a different aspect of libraries each session. Sign up HERE for just one topic that interests you or sign up for them all! Dates/topics: Wednesday, December 4th: Storytime/Reading to Children (2:30 - 4:00 pm) ; Saturday, December 7th: Storytime Presented by Junior Librarians (10-11 am) ; Wednesday, December 11th: Scavenger Hunt (2:30 - 4:00 pm) ; Wednesday, December 18th: Children's Book Display (2:30 - 4:00 pm). Open to kids in fourth, fifth or sixth grades. Space is limited and registration is required. Please call the Bay Farm Library at (510) 747-7787 to sign up.

Storytime Schedule:

STORYTIMES ARE ON HIATUS AT ALL LOCATIONS BETWEEN:

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22ND AND SUNDAY, JANUARY 5TH.

STORYTIME WILL RESUME ON JANUARY 6TH.

Bay Farm Island Branch:

Preschool Storytime Every Monday at 10:30AM, ages 3-5
Family Storytime Every Tuesday at 7PM, all ages
Toddler Storytime Every Thursday at 10:30AM, ages 1-3

Main Library, Children's Programming Room:

Preschool Storytime Every Tuesday at 10:30AM, ages 3-5
School-Age Storytime Every Wednesday at 3:30PM, ages 5-8
Mother Goose on the Loose Every Thursday at 10:30am, ages 0-2
Toddler Storytime Every Friday at 10:30AM, ages 1-3
Toddler Storytime Every Saturday at 10:30AM, ages 1-3

West End Branch:

Family Pajama Storytime Every Monday at 7PM, all ages
Toddler Storytime Every Tuesday at 10:30AM, ages 1-3

Staff Picks

Nico is reading:

Open veins of Latin America
by Eduardo Galeano

The division of labor among nations is that some specialize in winning and others in losing"" -- thus Galeano begins this history of Latin America from Columbus to Castro and there is no doubt as to what side the continent is on.

Aireana is reading:

Nothing Like the Movies
by Lynn Painter

In this follow-up to 2021’s Better Than the Movies , a 20-year-old college freshman gets a second chance at his dreams..

Marlon is reading:

Monster
by Naoki Urasawa

The short elevator pitch of Monster , I think, misses a lot. Yes, it is about a doctor, Doctor Tenma, who decided to save the life of a child over a local politician, only for that child to become a murderer. However, there’s so much more to it than that.

Jennifer is reading

Deadly Animals

by Marie Tierney

The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Between the World and Me travels the world to explore how the stories we tell—and the ones we don't—shape our realities.

Virginia is reading

The lion women of Tehran : a novel
by Marjan Kamali

A wonderful story of friendship, betrayal and survival set in Iran. This story spans decades beginning in the 1950's during the Shah's reign, through revolution and finally to present day. It tells the story of two women who became friends as children and how their lives were shaped during this turbulent time in their country.

Jena is reading:

How to Relax
by Hanh, Thich Nhat

The fifth book in the bestselling Mindfulness Essentials series, a back-to-basics collection from world-renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh that introduces everyone to the essentials of mindfulness practice.

Thich Nhat Hanh says that when we relax, we “become calm water, and we will reflect reality as it is. If we’re not calm, the image we reflect will be distorted.Book Annotation

Looking for more recommendations?
Check out these book lists created by AFL librarians!