Alameda Free Library Event Alert July 2026

Published on June 30, 2026

Summer Reading Programs

Summer Reading Program Descriptions (in date order as they appear in the table above):  

Teddy Bear Picnics: Let’s meet at the park for a picnic storytime! Bring a snack and a blanket, come early to play, then join Dawn under the trees and listen to stories while you eat.

Flashlight Fridays: Flashlight Fridays are back! Independent readers can sign up for a 30-minute session in one of our tents, complete with a “campfire”, flashlights, and a cozy pillow, where kids can read alone to the sound of crickets. Appointments begin at 2:00 p.m. Registration is required!

Malinky Music Bilingual Music Series: Join us for a Malinky bilingual Spanish/English series that brings children and caregivers together through traditional and original songs that inspire rhythm, movement, language, and joyful connection. Singing and learning together!

Coding with LEGO – Prime and Essential Editions:  Coding with LEGO® is a fun and innovative program that combines the well-known playful blocks with easy-to-use hardware and an intuitive coding software to create hands-on purposeful play. Participants use their creativity, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Registration is required!

Music and Movement Series: Join us outside, steps away from the Bay Farm Island Library, for a special Music and Movement series that's fun for the whole family! We will start with a movement-themed story then spend the rest of our time together moving and singing.  A combination of different props will be used each time, including sticks, shakers, bean bags and even a ball and parachute.

Craft and Cinema – Book Bedazzle: Come hang out, watch The Princess Diaries, and add some sparkle to your favorite book. Bring a book you want to bedazzle or choose from a limited selection of YA (Young Adult) books you can decorate and take home. Supplies provided: B-7000 glue, wax pencils, 3 mm rhinestones, trays, and tweezers. Note: This is a self-guided activity. Bedazzling takes time; you may not finish your project during the program. Registration is required.

Steve Cheney and Cornelius Crow: Need a good laugh? Steve Cheney is an amazing ventriloquist! His sidekick, Cornelius Crow, joins him for this special program that appeals to all ages and is guaranteed to make you laugh. Bring the family and enjoy the show! 

East Bay Regional Parks – Reptiles and Amphibians: Do you love reptiles? How about amphibians? If you do, then you don't want to miss this special event.  Meet a reptile and learn more about these amazing creatures. What are the differences between a reptile and an amphibian anyway? Come to this event and find out!

Astro Everywhere: Space expert Josh Roberts will lead a presentation on solar system exploration in the Leydecker Room next to Bay Farm Island Library followed by solar observation through telescope just outside the library. Journey through space and time with us at this dynamic, all-ages celebration of the magic of outer space. We'll be celebrating Space Week all week at Bay Farm Island Library with crafts available from Monday, July 20th to Thursday, July 23rd in preparation for this special event!

Kids Craftopia: The Children's Department goes on hiatus in August, so it's time to use up supplies left over from the weekly crafts we've put out during the rest of the year. We'll be offering a variety of different projects, some you may have seen and some that will be new to you. Once the supplies are gone, we'll switch to the next craft. Drop in whenever you like or stay for the whole two hours.

Crab Cove Storytime: Here we are with summer half over. A great time to be reminded of our very own Crab Cove Visitors' Center! A naturalist from Crab Cove will be our guest storyteller during our regular Toddler Storytime.

Online Author Talks

Online Author Talk Program Descriptions (in date order as they appear in the table above):  

Karin Slaughter: Join us for a thrilling evening with acclaimed author Karin Slaughter as we chat about her North Falls series, consisting of We Are All Guilty Here, in which two teenage girls vanish in rural Georgia, and her upcoming sequel, The Secrets We Hide. In The Secrets We Hide, Slaughter welcomes readers back to North Falls, a small town with big secrets. Register and add questions for Karin Slaughter.

Reyna Grande: In her ambitious new memoir, Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget, beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival. Register and add questions for Reyna Granda.

Dr. Marisa Franco: Join us in virtual conversation with bestselling author Dr. Marisa Franco, one of the world’s leading experts in human connection. Her book, Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make–And Keep–Friends, explores the science of different attachment styles and how they impact our relationships–often in ways we don’t realize! Register and add questions for Dr. Marisa Franco.

Other Special Events

Special Event Descriptions (in date order as they appear in the table above):  

Alameda Book Con (ABC) 2026: The Alameda Free Library is excited to announce Alameda Book Con (ABC) 2026—an engaging literary event celebrating local authors and creators. Please visit www.alamedafree.org/ABC2026 for more information, including a partial list of featured authors and creators.

Sound Bath: Come one, come all to an interactive sound bath experience offered by community member Isabella of Breathing Room Alameda. Leading off with a "hear & tell," participants can come in close as each instrument is demonstrated.  Instruments will be passed around to people wanting to participate, one instrument at a time. Instruments include: small, medium & large metal bowls, ocean drum, rain stick, koshi chimes, buffalo drum. Other instruments, such as crystal bowls and gongs, will also be played.

Speed Friending – 35-45 Edition: Are you looking to make new friends? Join us for a fun, interactive event where you will meet new people and hopefully make new friends. This event will be for people who are between 35(ish) and 45(ish). First come, first seated. Bring along fast facts and interesting questions to dive deep into the the time provided with each participant. Sheets of interesting questions and ideas will be available for participants. A fun activity will be available after the sessions. Hope to see you there! Herbal tea will be available.

DROP Day Alameda: Join us to learn more about the California DROP program and decide whether you would like to enroll with the help of volunteers from community member Don and volunteers from Oakland Privacy. DROP gives you more control over your data. You can tell data brokers to delete and not sell your personal information. Using DROP helps you limit the information data brokers collect and sell about you. Data brokers collect a wide range of your personal information, which may include your social security number, data about your children, search history, and much more. Bring an Internet-enabled device to learn more about the process online; feel free to drop in anytime in the duration of the program to get support.

Movie Screening – “Crip Camp”: Celebrate Disability Pride Month with a special screening of the seminal documentary "Crip Camp," followed by a Q&A with Director Jim LeBrecht. This event is made possible with generous support from the City of Alameda's ADA Coordinator.

Upcycled Fairy Wings: Adults! Step out of your comfort zone and show your creativity in this unique workshop facilitated by community members Eve and Logan of Upcycle Alameda. We will be decorating wearable, wire frame fairy wings with upcycled materials. Great for Pride or any occasion! Registration is required!

‘The Names of Sickness’: Emily Dickinson, Diagnostic Reading, and Articulating Disability: Celebrate Disability Pride Month with a presentation by community member Vivian. We will delve into Dickinson’s poetry and how writers historically represent chronic illness and pain in their works.

For more information about any of these programs, please contact the following:

Bay Farm Island Library:  bfiref@alamedaca.gov, 510-747-7787

West End Branch Library:  webref@alamedaca.gov, 510-747-7767

Adult and Teen programs (Main Library): refdesk@alamedaca.gov, 510-747-7713

Children’s programs (Main Library):  childref@alamedaca.gov, 510-747-7705

All events are free and open to the public. Sponsored by Friends of the Alameda Free Library.

If you need accessibility accommodations to participate, or information translated or in other formats, please contact ada@alamedaca.gov at least seven (7) working days before the event.