Alameda Free Library Event Alert - March 2025

Published on February 24, 2025

Event Descriptions – Ongoing Adult and Teen Events: 

• Dungeons & Dragons: Want to try Dungeons & Dragons but can’t find a group? Looking for a new party? Come to our Dungeons & Dragons Teen Meetup! No previous experience required. Character sheets will be provided as well as rules explanations and dice. Registration is encouraged; please see the online calendar for the registration link.
• Make It: Please join us for a fiber arts craft circle. All kinds of fiber artists are welcome. Please bring your own materials and expertise. Limited instruction available. It will be an afternoon of community building and crafting.
• Teen Advisory Board (TAB): Do you wish the library would do more events and programs that you’re interested in? Have you been anxiously awaiting a new book and you want the library to buy it? Do you need an impressive membership to put on your applications and resumes? Join the Teen Advisory Board (TAB) to let the library know what you’re interested in. The Teen Advisory Board is your chance to make a difference in the library for yourself and other teens in Alameda. Members of the Teen Advisory Board will help plan teen programs and choose teen events. Teen Advisory Board members will earn community service hours for every meeting and event that they participate in.
• Teen Book Club: Teen book club members choose what we read from a variety of titles and genres each month. Additionally, while supplies last, book club members receive a free copy of the book to keep. The March book is Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen. All teens, ages 13 to 18, are invited to join the book group. The registration link is on the calendar. We will be meeting in person in the Stafford Room at the Main Library.
• Alameda Library Writers’ Group: This group is open to all adult writers looking for an opportunity to connect and share with other writers. At the meeting, you are welcome to share your writing and everyone will be given a writing prompt. Whatever your genre, you are welcome to join the group! Join in person or via Zoom.
• Alameda Great Books Discussion Group: Join us to discuss Of Justice and Injustice by David Hume.
• A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book Club: Wondering what to read next? Instead of a monthly book everyone reads, A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book Club will discuss what everyone is currently reading or has recently read that they enjoyed.  The February theme is Books Set in the Middle Ages (roughly between 476 and 1450). Please email the facilitator, Lynda, at llyndaw@gmail.com for more information.
• Mystery Book Clubs: Join the Alameda Free Library’s Mystery Book Club for a fun and engaging literary discussion!  We are offering this popular book club in two different locations, the Main Library and the Bay Farm Island Library. The March mystery is The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett.
• A Novel Idea:  A Novel Idea is a book club for adults featuring novels from diverse genres and authors.  Check the Alameda Free Library website calendar for the March selection. Join us for a lively discussion of All Fours by Miranda July and deepen your engagement with your reading!

Event Descriptions – Special Adult/Teen Events: 

• Tech Petting Zoo – Meet Out 3D Printer: Learn the basics of 3D modeling and printing in this hands-on workshop. Ages 7 and up. Limit 10 learners. Registration only at this time. Submit your questions for the presenter ahead of time along with your registration - no question is too large or too small!
• Online Author Talk with Dan Heath:  Are you ready for a revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working—in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives? Join us for an enlightening conversation with bestselling author Dan Heath as he talks with us about his newest book, Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working.  Register and add questions for the author, then tune in live or watch the recording.
• The Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: As Spring draws near, many of us are gearing up to engage in our annual Spring Cleaning. But what if we were to approach this through a new lens? Join local death doula, Sara Hill, to learn the art of Swedish Death Cleaning and how the process of decluttering for your loved ones can be infused with meaning and joy.
• Women's History Month - Kate Schatz & Miriam Klein Stahl:  Kate Schatz is a local Alameda author, teacher, feminist, activist, public speaker, and radical history lover. Miriam Klein Stahl is a Bay Area diasporic artist, educator, activist, and skilled craftsperson in printmaking, paper-cut, drawing, sculpture, and public art. Together, they are the co-creators of the bestselling Rad Women book series. Join us in celebrating Women's History Month by learning more about their work and trying out a new artistic technique! No registration required. Adults encouraged; open to all!
• Women’s History Month - Online Author Talk with Clara Bingham: Join us for a transformative conversation with award-winning journalist and author, Clara Bingham, as she chats with us about her new book, The Movement: How Women’s Liberation Transformed America, 1963-1973. Register and add questions for the author, then tune in live or watch the recording.
• Workshop – Family Seedstarting with Alameda Backyard Growers: Join Marcus Carini, founder of Newfound Foodscapes and board member of Alameda Backyard Growers, for a hands-on Family Seedstarting Workshop designed to empower families to grow their own food and cultivate a lifelong connection with nature. This interactive session will demystify the seed-starting process, providing practical tips and techniques for creating thriving gardens, even in small spaces.  All materials will be provided; bring your excitement!
• Online Author Talk – Jennifer Weiner: You’re invited to a glimmering conversation with New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner as we chat about the signature emotional depth of her books that have been inspiring readers toward self-discovery for decades. Hearing from the queen of fun herself, we’ll chat with the author about her New York Times bestselling novels, Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, Big Summer, The Breakaway and many more.  Register and add questions for the author, then tune in live or watch the recording.

Event Descriptions – Ongoing Children’s/Family Events: 

• Bay Farm Island Branch:
  • Preschool Storytime: A 30-45 minute program geared toward children ages 3-5 years old. Creating a language-rich environment through books, music, and movement, this program also offers children an avenue toward Kindergarten readiness by asking them to take turns, share, and follow simple directions. Mondays at 10:30am, ages 3-5.
  • Family Storytime: Put on your pajamas and join us at the Bay Farm Island Library for family storytime! Geared for a mix of ages, we invite families to participate as we read stories, sing songs, do fingerplays and more. Every Tuesday at 7pm, all ages.
  • Toddler Storytime: A 20-30 minute program that uses stories, songs, fingerplays, and movement to help young children ages 1-3 years old develop word and sound recognition, gain background knowledge of how the world works, and encourages families to build social connections with other parents and children. Thursdays at 10:30 AM.
  • Build with LEGO: We will provide the LEGO building blocks.  Use our imagination and creativity to create with them!
• Main Library, Children's Programming Room:
  • Preschool Storytime: A 30-45 minute program geared toward children age 3-5 years old.  Creating a language-rich environment through books, music, and movement, this program also offers children an avenue toward Kindergarten readiness by asking them to take turns, share, and follow simple directions.  Every Tuesday at 10:30am, ages 3-5.
  • School-Age Storytime:  A 45 minute program for children in Kindergarten through third grade.  Through the use of books and conversation, children are encouraged to engage with the stories, learning context from pictures and memory, and building comprehension by asking questions about the book they just read.  Every Wednesday at 3:30pm, grades K-3rd.
  • Mother Goose on the Loose: This fast paced lap-sit program for little ones and their caregivers includes songs, nursery rhymes, knee-bounces, and movement to help develop important pre-literacy skills. This class is appropriate for infants through 2 years old. This program starts promptly at 10:30am. Latecomers may not be admitted. Every Thursday at 10:30am, ages 0-2.
  • Toddler Storytime: A 20-30 minute program that uses stories, songs, fingerplays, and movement to help young children ages 1-3 years old develop word and sound recognition, gain background knowledge of how the world works, and encourages families to build social connections with other parents and children. Every Friday & Saturday at 10:30am, ages 1-3.
• West End Branch:
  •  Family Storytime:  Put on your pajamas and join us at the Bay Farm Island Library for family storytime!  Geared for a mix of ages, we invite families to participate as we read stories, sing songs, do fingerplays and more.
  • Toddler Storytime:  A 20-30 minute program that uses stories, songs, fingerplays, and movement to help young children ages 1-3 years old develop word and sound recognition, gain background knowledge of how the world works, and encourages families to build social connections with other parents and children.  Every Tuesday at 10:30am, ages 1-3.

Event Descriptions – Special Children's/Family Events:

• Women's History Month Careers Series - Art Therapist: Celebrate Women's History Month at the West End Library.  We will hear from a professional art therapist about this important profession and also create an assemblage project based on the work of Betye Saar.  This program is recommended for children 8 - 12 years old.
• Women’s History Month: Women in STEM Careers – Fruit and Veggie Energy!: Meet two local women engineers, learn about their career, and work on a hands on activity to learn about the literal power of fruit and veggies. Registration Required. Ages 8+
• Women’s History Month: Women in STEM Careers - Meet an Entomologist: Wanna learn what it’s like to work with insects? Meet a local entomologist and educator and ask her all the questions that have been “bugging” you! Everyone is welcome; activities designed for teens and up! No registration needed.
• Family Movie Matinee – Despicable Me 4: What to expect during the Family Movie Matinee program? During movie showings we aim to create a sensory-friendly environment by keeping half the room lights on, lowering the volume, turning on movie captions, offering fidget toys to use during the movie, and leaving open seating with wobble cushions so kids have room to move around. Audience participants are welcome to bring in food, blankets, and pillows! We provide light refreshments and snacks during the movie screening.
• Women’s History Month – Special Storytime with Officer Andraya Fetzer: Celebrate Women's History Month by joining us for a special storytime with Office Andraya Fetzer of the Alameda Police Department.
• Women’s History Month – Petit Picassos Art Camp: Kids in first through third grade are invited to attend this innovative camp! Ms. Stephanie offers a diverse creative experience that includes crafting lessons, reading comprehension, and open-ended artful play sessions. This class will focus on young women and girls who are redefining traditionally male centric spaces in the sport of skateboarding.  We will explore their stories through books, skate clips, and news articles.  We will learn how art is inherent to skate culture and design our own skate decks. Space is limited! Please call the Bay Farm Island Library at (510) 747-7787 or ask at the Bay Farm Island Library service desk for more information or to sign up.
• Women’s History Month - Build a Bridge!:Learn about how Emily Warren Roebling saved the Brooklyn Bridge. Then we’ll jump in and create our own. Which bridge will hold more weight? Registration Required. Ages 8+
• Women’s History Month – Georgia O’Keefe: Learn about Georgia O’Keeffe and create your very own artwork based on O’Keeffe’s abstract landscapes. Ages 6+. Registration required for the program at the Main Library (not required for the West End program).
• Women’s History Month – Career Fair: What do you want to be when you grow up? Meet inspiring local women with careers in arts, engineering, law, science, government and coaching. Third graders and up are welcome!
• Women’s History Month - Women in Marine Science! : Join Alameda’s local ocean conservation club, M.E.S.A, to learn about women in marine science. Registration Required. Ages 6+