We’re happy to report that the first few weeks of in-person express services at the Healdsburg Library have gone very well. It’s been heartwarming to see our community inside the library again and we encourage you to give it a try. For the moment, we are open for specific hours — on Monday and Tuesday, we are open from 1-2 p.m. and 5-6 p.m.; from Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m.-noon and 3-4 p.m. We’ll still offer our curbside services for anyone who prefers that to coming into the library. You can make a reservation online or by giving us a call at 707-433-3772; but so far, we have not had to turn anyone away because of capacity requirements. In coming weeks, we do intend to expand our express services further, so please keep an eye out for additional updates.
The library is excited to announce the availability of Creativebug, an online video resource for those interested in arts and crafts. On this site, you will find quality instructional videos for all ages that reflect current trends. The topics are wide ranging, including painting, sewing, knitting, jewelry-making, quilting, baking, and more. This resource is free for all with a Sonoma County Library card and can be accessed from anywhere you have an Internet connection. Find more information online at sonomalibrary.org or give us a call.
Speaking of giving the library a call, families who like listening to our children’s librarians reading a story will be interested in another new service we’re offering called Dial-A-Story or Telecuentos. Stories in English and Spanish will be read by children’s librarians such as our very own Miss Charity. New stories will be offered every week starting on Wednesday and can be accessed by calling 707-755-2050. The books are aimed at preschool-age children, similar to our storytimes.
In recent years, our open mic series brought some exciting talent to audiences at Healdsburg Regional Library. This year, we are making the most of the pandemic situation by offering a virtual open mic across all of Sonoma County. Are you a musician, poet, storyteller? Would you like to give an artist talk and show your recent work? Or have you learned a new skill this year that you would like to demonstrate? Film your performance and submit it to our Open Mic event. All residents of Sonoma County are eligible, and your entries must be self-produced. They may be either individual or group productions. Performances can cover any topic, but must be G- or PG- rated in language and subject matter. For further instructions and contest rules, find Open Mic in our events pages at events.sonomalibrary.org/events. We will accept submissions from May 15 through June 1 and the presentation of winners will take place on June 18. The community will vote for winners, which will receive gift card prizes.
Finally, we’re pleased to announce that this year, we will be offering an action-packed summer reading program once again from June 1 to Aug. 14. Although we are sticking to virtual events for now, they include can’t-miss presenters such as Latin Grammy-winning duo 123 Andrés, authors Gabby Rivera, Neal Shusterman and Jeff Chang, emergency preparedness workshops, and much more. Sign up for summer reading for all ages through the free Beanstack app or pick up a paper reading log at the beginning of June. If you read and track each week, you will be eligible for our weekly raffle prizes. If you read 20 minutes per day for seven weeks, you will be eligible for our grand prizes at the end of the summer for children, young adult, and adult-level readers. As in previous years, prizes feature gift cards and certificates to local businesses and you can also win free books. We look forward to seeing you virtually at our events and wish you very happy reading throughout the summer.
Jon Haupt is the branch manager of the Healdsburg Regional Library.
