May at the Healdsburg Regional Library means we are working hard preparing for Summer Reading, our annual adventure for all ages. We have an exciting summer ahead, packed with events, challenges and prizes. This month, we try to take a break from typical events, such as Storytimes, to help get ready for the summer—both by preparing our own events and by visiting school classes to spread information about what is on the horizon.
Summer Reading officially starts on June 1, but you can pre-register now using the Beanstack app or by visiting our Beanstack site online at sonomalibrary.beanstack.org. As in recent years, we encourage you to track your minutes spent reading. More details will roll out in the next few weeks; you can find out more at sonomalibrary.org/summer.
Among the many events we have planned for the summer, we are starting Storytimes in the Park again on Friday, June 7, with four storytimes in June and three in July—all at 10:30am at Giorgi Park. We had a lovely time with families in April and early May, so we hope to see many of you there this summer as well. Bring a blanket if you’d like. Storytimes in the Park include reading books, singing, dancing, fun with props like shakers and scarves, and the perpetual crowd favorite—bubbles.
At the library, we will have numerous summer programs that have been popular in recent years, including a visit from some reptiles; a magic show; an exciting presentation about bees; storytelling, singing and dancing with Cascada de Flores; a safari encounter; and African drumming with Onye. There will be so many more programs that we recommend you come in and get a Summer Reading guide; or for even more convenience, become familiar with our online calendar at events.sonomalibrary.org.
Showing Up
You can browse upcoming events and look for something that works for you and your friends and family. As an important heads-up, many of the events listed above will be very popular and we may need to limit entry. Rather than asking for reservations, we will use our ticketing system. When you arrive at the library before the event that day, pick up a free ticket for entry. If you arrive very late, you might not get in because our space is limited. We will be on hand to ensure a happy experience for those in attendance.
It has been a few years since we hosted a Summer Reading party at the library, but the success of our Healdsburg Library Posada in December left us excited about hosting another big event. This June 1, we invite you to a Summer Reading Kick-Off Party from 1–3pm in the library at 139 Piper St.
The headliner for our party will be a 2pm performance by Los Cenzontles, an award-winning, internationally recognized Mexican roots revival band and nonprofit cultural arts academy. We are thrilled to be able to offer this production through funding from the California State Library and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. In addition to music and dancing, we will offer ice cream, crafts and coloring, balloon creations, face painting and a photo booth. This event is sure to be an amazing experience, and we hope you will join us.
Plans continue to develop for our upcoming Healdsburg Library Modernization Project, a construction project that is expected to take place over the next 12 months. The project will allow the library and our landlord, the City of Healdsburg, to complete important updates to the building, which opened in 1988.
More plans will follow, but we expect the project to begin Sept. 1, after the bustle of the summer. We look forward to serving you throughout the project, and are preparing to pivot and be flexible in order to accommodate the work that needs to be done.
