Editor’s note: The Tribune accidentally printed an old From the Library column this week. The correct column, updated at noon on April 16, is below.
As promised last month, April offers a continuation of the library’s efforts to connect with our community through nature and books. The first element, to begin on April 19, is a collaboration we are excited about with Rotary Club of Healdsburg Sunrise, Girl Scouts of Northern California Troop 10176 and a group of local pollinator enthusiasts we are calling Where the Wild Things Are. This passive event allows you and your family to play a free geocaching game where you locate up to 11 small caches around the city in order to learn about the habitat and food for caterpillars and butterflies. Some of the caches will be found in urban areas, some in our parks; throughout the process, you will learn about specific plants and their importance to local butterflies. In order to play, you need only pick up a game passport from the library starting on April 19 and explore the geocaching app with a smart phone to begin searching for the locations of the caches. Bring a pen so you can sign the logbooks and don’t forget to take a sticker from each cache to prove you found it. If you find 10 out of 11 of these hidden gems, you can redeem your completed passport for a free book from our giveaways, courtesy of the Friends of Healdsburg Library.
In addition to the geocaching game, we are also ready to launch our Earth Day growing kits, thanks to another collaboration with Sunrise Rotary and others that I explained last month. This venture is aimed at families as well. Starting April 22, give us a call at 707-433-3772 for curbside pickup of a nature journal, flower seeds, pot and soil as well as a few more informative items for kids to learn about pollinators.
As you know, the library isn’t only for kids and families. Sonoma County Library has continued to offer programs online for adults and teens as well. After school virtual teen programs are now in session every Monday through Friday via Zoom. Our activities are driven by teen engagement and address a wide range of interests, including gaming, a club for queer teens and allies, anime and more. A full list of these programs may be found on our website at https://sonomalibrary.org/teens.
The Sonoma County Library is participating with other libraries around the world on the Big Library Read. One of our e-book vendors, OverDrive, is providing digital copies of the current Big Library Read without waitlists through April 19; the book is “The Art of Taking It Easy” by Dr. Brian King. For more information, consult the Libby app on your devices or ask us for an explanation of how to download the book. Speaking of Libby, this app has recently been updated to include several new features of interest. Those who have been using the app to read magazines will be happy to note, for example, that the app can now notify you when a new issue of your favorite magazine is available. If you haven’t given it a try recently, the updates are worth another look.
Shortly before the shelter-in-place orders took effect in 2020, the Sonoma County Library announced a new paid job classification for shelvers throughout our library system. If you grew up with a community library that hired shelvers or pages, you may have held a position like this in the past. These positions are aimed at either those with less experience — perhaps someone still in school — or a retiree with an interest in continuing to work on a very part-time basis. The library system is currently seeking applicants for this position for working at various libraries around the county. If you or someone you know is interested in this position, visit the CalOpps job marketplace website at https://www.calopps.org/sonoma-county-library to apply.
