Santa Barbara Public Library

What's your favorite book to give as a gift?

The UC Santa Barbara Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor are pleased to announce the selection of the 2024 UCSB Reads book, Your Brain On Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross. The book delves into the emerging field of neuroaesthetics, exploring how the arts transform us.

Learn more:

LibGuides: UCSB Reads 2024: Home LibGuides: UCSB Reads 2024: Home

Eastside Library will be closed tomorrow, Friday, December 21, 2023, due to water damage

Today we had our hands-on Grossology event! Kids got down and dirty with slime, met our compost worms, dissected owl pellets, and more! 🪱

Due to the rain, Eastside Library will be closed at 11 AM and Montecito Library will be closed at 1 PM.
The Central Library will remain open until 7 PM today.

Looking for a place to stay warm and dry from the rain, come visit the library. ☔

All programs at Eastside Library and Library on the Go stops are canceled due to the rain.

Did you know the Central Library has a 3D printer available for public use?
Users can create and send designs as .stl files for printing. 3D printing is free. 3D prints may take a few weeks to complete.

https://buff.ly/3teW7iA

These easy-to-use games and activities promote memory recall during various stages of Alzheimer's and dementia. Funded by the California State Library.

Check it out: https://buff.ly/3OSDlEh

Researching for the perfect gift this holiday season? Consumer Reports can help!

Consumer Reports is a website that provides reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on product testing, market research, and its own product/service buying guides. If you are not in a library location, you will need to also enter your library card number.

Check it out: https://www.consumerreports.org/

All SBPL locations will be closed for the winter holidays on Saturday, December 23 to Monday, December 25. All due dates will be pushed forward and you can always access our digital library 24/7!

Become a Friend!
The Friends of the Library is the non-profit support group of the library dedicated to the growth and development of the Santa Barbara Public Library ensuring free access to information and resources to all members of the community.
Learn ways on how you can support the library, including volunteer opportunities with the Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library.

https://buff.ly/2ZVvhdh

What's a book you recently recommended to a friend?

The upcoming Point-in-Time Count on Wednesday, January 24th, from 5:30 am to 9:00 am is a pivotal event in our efforts to understand and address homelessness. PiT Count is recruiting over 400 volunteers to canvas the entire county during this count. The data collected through street canvassing and brief qualitative interviews will play a vital role in shaping federal and local decision-making regarding resources to alleviate homelessness in our communities.

Learn more:
https://buff.ly/3RIjiLq

Hygiene Items Drive for People's Pantry

The People's Pantry at both Central and Eastside Library is running low on essential hygiene items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, and first aid supplies. Drop off items in the pantries or the overflow bin at either Library.

You can also donate so volunteers can shop locally for items: https://buff.ly/48aSMje
Or buy items off a wishlist for the pantries: https://buff.ly/46UMHX2

Have you tried Zip Books yet? Since 2017, over 1,600 unique SBPL users have borrowed almost 3,700 books through this program, and you can, too!

This grant-funded program sponsored by the California State Library allows SBPL the ability to purchase books we don’t have in the catalog and send them right to your door. Whether you’re looking for audiobooks on CD, books in a language other than English, or an old favorite that the Library doesn’t currently own, Zip Books might be right for you.

Learn more about Zip Books:
https://buff.ly/40BW9vK

The Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation supports the long-term health and sustainability of the Santa Barbara Public Library through public-private partnerships. Projects like the construction of the Michael Towbes Library Plaza, the Children's Library, and Santa Barbara Reads are made possible with funding from the Foundation.

Donate to SBPL:
https://buff.ly/46OuxGn

Do you want to build a snowman?
Kids are invited to build and paint their very own wooden snow figurines at the Eastside Library this Wednesday! It will be Snow Much Fun!

Eastside Library
1102 E. Montecito St.
Wednesday, December 13
2 - 3 PM

Looking for your next favorite book? Can’t decide which DVD to check out next? Need a big pile of great books to get your kids through the weekend? There's still time to stock up on books to read with Book Match. Fill out a short form and an SBPL Librarian will curate a selection of titles specifically for you!

Get started: https://buff.ly/4a4ygCJ

What book inspired you to travel to a specific destination? And where?

Maybe you want to find out how much energy your home currently uses. Or maybe you want to install some quick fixes to help save energy and lower your utility bills. Or maybe you want to learn more about new ways to make your home truly energy-smart. Our Energy saving Kits do it all!

Check it out for free with your library card:
https://buff.ly/47OB3hE

Libraries aren’t just about books; they’re about learning. That’s why at Santa Barbara Public Library, in addition to checking out books and materials, we offer classes to help the community gain the skills necessary to participate in our modern world.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/3ThlAlJ

Have you tried Guidestar?
Search over a million IRS-recognized tax-exempt organizations and nonprofits. Data is updated regularly from various sources including 990s and other direct reporting. Onsite access only at our Central location.

Nonprofit data for donors, grantmakers, and businesses | GuideStar | Candid Find and check a charity using Candid's GuideStar. Look up 501(c)(3) status, search 990s, create nonprofit organizations lists, and verify nonprofit information.

Have a burning question about Santa Barbara's history or want to know how to use Foundation Directory Online? Work with a librarian who can teach you how to use library resources and databases, search the online catalog, access digital collections, or help you find the research materials you need.

Learn more: https://buff.ly/4a2FuXI

Support SBPL This Giving Season!
Your contribution makes our work possible. It supports bringing Library services to our entire community through educational programming, local history preservation, book collections, Library on the Go, and more! Thank you.

Donate to SBPL:
https://buff.ly/47M631X

After attending all six weeks of SBPL’s Computer and Internet Basics class at the Eastside Library, Demos and Maryse Petropoulos were the lucky winners of a new laptop!

Supported by AT&T in partnership with the Public Library Association, the class provided attendees with hands-on opportunities to create and save documents, use an internet browser, and navigate a website. Tech Coach Bob Moran, a regular attendee of the class, recently reunited with Demos and Maryse to help them set up their new laptop. We hope they enjoy practicing their computer skills, and look forward to seeing them again at the library soon!

If you’re interested in computer classes, stay tuned for a new series in 2024!

Is there a film or TV show you love that you wish was also a book?

This December a selection of artworks by Santa Barbara Art Association (SBAA) members will be on view in the Faulkner Main Gallery during the Library’s open hours. Join the artists on First Thursday for a celebration of the work with refreshments on Thursday, December 7 from 5pm-8pm.

Our Local Author Book Fair was a success! 🧡

Thanks to all the local authors who participated and everyone who joined us.

Sign up for our newsletter to find out when we will host our next Local Author Day!

Central Library will be temporarily closed on Friday, December 8th due to the ongoing construction projects. Central Library is expected to reopen on Saturday, December 9th.

Read more:

Central Library Closed December 8th Due to Construction Activity Central Library will be temporarily closed on Friday, December 8th due to the ongoing construction projects. Central Library is expected to reopen on Saturday, December 9th.Holds pickup for items at Central Library will not be accessible during this time, but pickup by dates will be extended. Due da...

Did you know you can check out Memory Kits with your SBPL library card?

These easy-to-use games and activities promote memory recall during various stages of Alzheimer's and dementia. Funded by the California State Library.

Check it out: https://buff.ly/3OSDlEh

Want to improve your typing skills?

We're offering an Open Lab Typing Course every Thursday from 10:30-11:30 AM at the Central Library. These courses are designed to help boost your career readiness, and enhance your digital communication abilities. You will begin by mastering the basics, progressing through advanced typing techniques, and applying your skills to real-world scenarios. Whether you're aiming to increase your typing speed, refine your accuracy, or simply become more confident in your keyboard navigation, this course is your guide to success!

Meet Author Bryan Snyder!

Genre:
Outdoor Adventure, Teen (Middle Grade) Fantasy

Author Bio:
Bryan Snyder grew up exploring the rolling hills and shady creeks of central New York. After college, he found work in the rockier environments of the western mountain ranges before settling in Santa Barbara. He is a playwright, musician, and author of the non-fiction outdoor adventure series, Off The Map.

https://buff.ly/3QnlAh6
https://buff.ly/3Mq0oG4

SBPL’s Local Author Book Sale is December 2nd, 2-4 pm in the Faulkner Gallery at Central Library.

We will have 60 local authors participating! Come meet local authors and support their work.

Meet Author Max Talley!

Genre:
Literary Fiction, Genre Fiction (suspense, sci-fi, surreal, crime)

Author Bio:
Max Talley was born in New York City and lives in Santa Barbara. His writing has appeared in fifty journals. He has had two novels published and two short story collections, My Secret Place and When The Night Breathes Electric.

https://buff.ly/3Ss53v1

SBPL’s Local Author Book Sale is December 2nd, 2-4 pm in the Faulkner Gallery at Central Library.

We will have 60 local authors participating! Come meet local authors and support their work.

Meet Author Jessica Winters Mireles!

Genre:
Romance, Adventure, Contemporary Women's Fiction

Author Bio:
Born and raised in Santa Barbara, California, Jessica Winters Mireles holds a degree in piano performance from USC. After graduating, she began her career as a piano teacher and performer. Four children and a studio of over forty piano students later, Jessica’s life changed drastically when her youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two; she soon decided that life was too short to give up on her dreams of becoming a writer, and after five years of carving out some time each day from her busy schedule, she finished Lost in Oaxaca. Jessica’s work has been published in GreenPrints, Mothering and The California Music Teacher magazines. She also knows quite a bit about Oaxaca, as her husband is an indigenous Zapotec man from the highlands of Oaxaca and is a great source of inspiration. She lives with her husband and family in Santa Barbara.

https://buff.ly/472An83

SBPL’s Local Author Book Sale is December 2nd, 2-4 pm in the Faulkner Gallery at Central Library.

We will have 60 local authors participating! Come meet local authors and support their work.

Santa Barbara Public Library’s grant-funded teen intern program provides local teens the opportunity to develop job skills as well as explore future careers in either library services or entrepreneurship. Interns had the chance to support the Library’s volunteer recognition event and marketing initiative at a recent screen-printing workshop.

Read more: https://buff.ly/47qPsR2

Meet Author Shirley Lim!

Genre:
Poetry, novels, short stories, life writing, anthologies

Author Bio:
Shirley Lim (UCSB Emerita), authored 11 poetry collections (12th just out), 3 novels, The Shirley Lim Collection, 3 story collections. Widely anthologized, poems in Hudson Review, Feminist Studies, Virginia Quarterly Review, etc.; awarded Commonwealth Poetry Prize, 2 American Book Awards, MELUS and Feminist Press Lifetime Achievement Awards.

SBPL’s Local Author Book Sale is December 2nd, 2-4 pm in the Faulkner Gallery at Central Library.

We will have 60 local authors participating! Come meet local authors and support their work.

Join us this Saturday for a morning of creativity and craftiness as we make holiday gifts for ourselves and others! Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to try out SBPL's Maker Equipment as we create amazing gifts for family and friends, like magnets, snow globes, keychains, jewelry, mugs, and holiday cards. All materials and snacks will be provided, but feel free to bring in your own photos if you'd like to personalize a magnet or card.

Eastside Library
1102 E. Montecito St.
Saturday, December 9
11 AM - 1 PM

Join the Library and the Downtown Organization of Santa Barbara tomorrow for the annual Arlington Christmas Tree Lighting Event! Pick up something to read, get a library card, or just come by to say hi during this free community gathering. The Christmas Tree Lighting & Block Party: “Winter Wonderland” includes a Santa meet and greet, live music with DJ Darla Bea, performances by San Marcos High School Band, and more.

Arlington Theatre Entrance
1300 Block of State St
Friday, December 1
5 - 7 PM