Huntington Beach Public Library Monthly Newsletter

Message from the Manager

Dear library community,

Happy April, a month of celebrations, starting with Spring. We are expecting many spring flowers given all the rain, and we had a spectacular view of the cherry blossoms in Central Park during March. April also lets us celebrate volunteers as National Volunteer Week is April 16-22, when we say thank you to the dedicated and passionate volunteers we have here at the library. There’s a wide array of volunteer opportunities available at the library, so if you’re interested in supporting us in this way, visit our website to fill out an application. April 25 is National Library Workers Day, so if you are in one of our libraries that day (or any day, really), give some kudos to our library workers for all their contributions to the library and the community. 

Those are just a few things we will be celebrating here at the library during April. What will you all be celebrating?

We want to add a note about the change in leadership for our Community and Library Services Department. Our fabulous Director, Chris Slama, said farewell as he moved on to a new opportunity at the end of March. We will miss him and his deep knowledge and positive attitude and thank him for his many years of service. While the search is being conducted for our next Director, Deputy Director Ashley Wysocki will be in the acting director position. Ashley is a great library supporter and a forward-thinker and we look forward to how our department will grow under her leadership.

As always, we welcome you into the library and appreciate your support. We look forward to seeing you!

Jessica Framson, Library & Cultural Services Manager

Currently reading: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and The Rise and Fall of Ava Arcana by Jennifer Banash

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April Events for Adults

April is an exciting month, known both as National Poetry Month and National Letter Writing Month! Show off your community support by mailing out cards and letters to a friend or loved one. We’ll also be offering a workshop on Writing Letters to an Author, so if you’ve read some great books and have always wanted to let the author know, now’s the time to find out how! 

With the recent showers we’ve been getting, take advantage of the lush greenery popping up and stroll along with our Walking Audiobook Club. Then learn how to keep a Naturalist Journal during our workshop or join a Growing Garden class to make Japanese moss balls called kokedama! If more crafting is your cup of tea, Bibliotherapy Tea is filled with fun therapeutic activities, and Crafters Corner is led by an instructor so you can learn to make something to take home. Just want to read and make friends? Our many book club offerings are perfect for chatting and sharing all your literary favorites. Learn more about all our events on our calendar!

View all of the classes and events above on our calendar, and register to let us know you're coming!

April Events for Teens

April is a month of springtime celebrations - including Earth Day! We invite you to visit the TeenSpace website for local volunteer opportunities, books, resources and more to help teens get involved in protecting our planet - not only on Earth Day, but every day!

This month, we also invite you to celebrate the cultural diversity of Huntington Beach at our Culture Faire, developed and run by our Winter 2023 Teen Interns! Various culture clubs from the Huntington Beach Union High School District will be sharing crafts, food, and activities for all ages to learn from and enjoy. Participants are encouraged to wear clothing from their respective cultures.

Looking for a new volunteer opportunity that lets you celebrate your love for books? Check out the First Look Book Club, a brand new teen book club with a community service twist! Earn volunteer hours by reading and reviewing advance reader copies of new teen books, and completing special book-related projects in the TeenSpace. First Look meets on the first Saturday of every month from 2-4 pm at the Central Library, starting May 6th. Apply now to join.

Want to see what else is happening for teens this month? Check out the online calendar by clicking the button below!

April Program Break for Children's Events

The Central Children's Library is on a Program Break for the month of April. During this break, there will be no regular children's programs, including storytime, at our Central Library location. While the Central Library Children's staff are taking a break to prepare for the summer program session, we invite you to visit our HBPL branch libraries for some fun family activities! Join the folks at the Main Street Branch for Creativity Corner on Friday & Saturday mornings, stop by the Oak View Branch for a building challenge at LEGO Club, or sign your whole crew up for an entertaining Family Loteria Night. There's so much fun happening at our Huntington Beach Public Library Branches - enjoy exploring this month! We'll be back to our regular schedule at Central Library starting Saturday, May 1.

While Central Library's regular children's programs are on pause during April, though, there will still be a few special events happening for families. We invite you to celebrate the cultural diversity of Huntington Beach at our Culture Faire, developed and run by our Winter 2023 Teen Interns. Various culture clubs from the Huntington Beach Union High School District will be sharing crafts, food, and activities for all ages to learn from and enjoy. Participants are encouraged to wear clothing from their respective cultures.

We also invite you to join us on Saturday, April 29, at 10am for our second Shipley Nature Center Storytime! After storytime, explore the Nature Center to learn more about our unique California ecosystem and the birds and wildlife who call Huntington Beach home. Keep in mind: this storytime happens outdoors and may be cancelled if there is rainy weather! Cancellations will be posted to the library's online calendar event, here.

Use the calendar link below for a full list of upcoming programs, services, and events for families.

April at our Branch Libraries & Literacy

Spring is buzzing and so is Main Street!  This month we are offering more programs than ever. Whether you're interested in a poetry workshop or family crafts, parent and me book club or board games, you're sure to find something you like. We can't wait to see you at Main Street!

Oak View Branch Library welcomes springtime with programs for all ages! Continue learning gardening tips through Growing Gardens: Companion Planting on April 12 or learn how to make a ribbon covered notebook at the Special Family Craft session on April 17.  Oak View Branch is inviting all 4th through 8th graders to participate in the Fair Housing Foundation’s Art Youth Contest Workshop at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11. Check the Oak View Branch Library calendar for all our April programs including a special celebration for Children's Day!

Murphy Branch Library’s book club will meet at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5 where we will dive into Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn. Space is limited so please register on HBPL’s event calendar. Join us for Friday morning stay and play each Friday at 10 a.m. this month during our storytime hiatus. 

Banning Branch Library is offering a weekly craft on Thursday afternoons in April and our Book Club will meet at 5:30 on the third Thursday in April (change of date for April only) to discuss The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.  

Are you looking to volunteer and support other adults in the HB community? If so, perhaps becoming a volunteer tutor with Adult Literacy Services is a good fit for you!  No teaching experience is required and all training is provided. To learn more about the literacy program and to complete the first step of becoming a volunteer, contact Literacy at literacy@surfcity-hb.org or 714-375-5102.

Want to see what else is happening at our Branch Libraries and Adult Literacy Offices this month? Check out the online calendar by clicking the button below!