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All Alameda Free Library locations will be closed on
Thursday, June 19th
in observance of the Juneteenth Holiday
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JUNE NEWSLETTER
Join Us In Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
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STORYTIME SCHEDULE AT ALL LOCATIONS |
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MAIN LIBRARY, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ROOM
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BAY FARM ISLAND LIBRARY
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Sunday, June 01, 2025 | 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Summer Reading starts off with a bang on Sunday, June 1st, from 1:00-4:00pm at the Main Library.
We'll be celebrating with Pop & Go Puppets and their new show, Rumplestuntskin. The puppet show begins at 3:00pm.
All ages welcome
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The mission of the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Friends of Alameda Free Library (FAL) is to raise funds and advocate for the success of the Alameda Free Library. For more than 50 years, FAL has worked alongside the Library to ensure equal, free, and safe access to critical resources. The Library relies on FAL to maintain and expand its collections of books, digital resources, and technology. In 2024, more than 37,000 individuals attended over 1,200 Library programs offered, which were made possible with FAL’s support. To stay up to date with important Library-specific community events, FAL used book sales, and more, please visit us at https://alamedafriends.com/ and sign up for our monthly newsletter here |
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 Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Saturday, June 28, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Music, movement, and lots of family fun will be had with Alameda musician Steve Slater and Harmony Monsters!
Call 510-747-7705 for more information.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Let's meet at the park for a picnic storytime on Wednesday mornings at 10:30am!
Bring a snack and a blanket, come early to play, then join Ms. Dawn under the trees and listen to stories while you eat.
See below for dates and park information in June -- more dates in July here.
Franklin Park: June 11, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Lincoln Park: June 18, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Littlejohn Park:June 25, 2025 | 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
June 13, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM June 20, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM June 27, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM July 11, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM July 18, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM July 25, 2025 | 02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Flashlight Fridays are back at the Main Library!
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 they can read alone to the sound of crickets.
No pesky siblings (or parents), just books, glorious books.
Registration is requested.
Please call 510-747-7705 or email childref@alamedaca.gov for more information or to reserve your tent.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Join us at the Main Library and play a family favorite game or explore the library's board game collection and try a game that's new to you. Best for ages 5 and up. No registration required.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Saturday, June 21, 2025 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Meet us at the Main Library for a very special storytime with Bay Area musician/storyteller Renee Padgett!
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 | 01:00 PM
Register and add questions for the author, then tune in live or watch the event recording.
Living the Otter life with Katherine Applegate (3rd-6th Grade)
Award-winning author and summer reading champion Katherine Applegate talks to viewers about her enthusiastically heartwarming novel in verse, Odder. Everyone wants to meet Odder, the Queen of Play!!
This event will be 30 minutes in length.
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Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 02:30 PM - 04:00 PM
Show off your Pride by making and trading friendship bracelets.
For ages 8 and up.
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CHILDREN MONTHLY EVENTS
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Sunday, June 8th, 2PM | Main Library.
Join us for a sensory-friendly, family focused movie matinee!
June selection: Paddington in Peru
Rated PG for action, mild rude humor and some thematic elements
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 Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Saturday, June 21, 2025 | 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Join us as local Oakland artist Rachel Palacios speaks about the ancient art of henna and practice making your own designs. You will also receive your own henna tattoo design from Rachel. [Important disclosures here]
Registration is required due to limited space availability. Spots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
You will receive a confirmation email if your registration is successful.
Click Here to Sign Up.
*This program is for teens in the 7th -12th grade.
Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov
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Support to academic achievements
Teens, are you hunting for a great spot to study or work on final projects? The library has got your back! During Study Hall, we've got plenty of open seating, snacks to keep you fueled up, and even coloring pages to help you take a break and unwind.
Session 1: Monday, June 2 | 4:00 - 6:00 PM
Session 2: Tuesday, June 3 | 3:00 - 6:00 PM
Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov
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City of Alameda - Sustainability and Resilience
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) and OKAPI Reusables cordially invite you to the documentary film screening of Story of the Cup.
Stay after for a discussion with the director of the film, Jessica Jane Robinson, and learn more about CASA and OKAPI Reusables.
Filmed in Alameda, Story of the Cup exposes the lifecycle of single-use cups and their detrimental impacts on the environment. The documentary closes with a community call to action and offers an alternative to disposable cups as a solution.
This program will be held in the Stafford Room, starting at 6:00 PM.
Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov
*Alameda Sustainability and Resilience
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 03:00 PM - 05:00 PM
Teens, get ready to get creative with Color Me Mine! Paint and personalize your own piece of pottery—make it bold, make it fun, make it yours.
Registration is required due to limited space. Spots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. You will receive a confirmation email if your registration is successful.
Click Here to Sign Up.
*This program is for teens in the 7th -12th grade.
** This is one of two sessions offered this summer. Teens may register for only one session, and only one submission per teen is allowed.
Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov
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TEEN MONTHLY EVENTS
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Wednesday, June 04, 2025 | 04:00 PM - 04:40 PM
Teens, join our Teen Book Club!
Each month, members get to pick the book we read from our Young Adult (YA) collection. While supplies last, free copies are given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
To join, please register.
Next up:
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor
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Teens in the 7th-12th grades are invited to write book reviews for the library. Please visit the Teen Book Reviews Page for more information.
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Tuesday, June 03, 2025 | 04:30 PM - 05:30 PM
Are you a teen in 7th-12th grade? Do you want to share your interests and help with library projects? If yes, then why not join the Teen Advisory Board (TAB)? You can gain valuable experience and earn volunteer hours as a member.
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Monday, June 02, 2025 | 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Monday, June 09, 2025 | 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Looking to get into Dungeons & Dragons? No experience needed. Character sheets, dice, and rules explanations provided.
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Reviewed by: David
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives, by Siddharth Kara, is a hard-hitting, eye-opening novel sharing the author's real-life experience in the Congo from 2019 to the present. Through interviews with miners and encounters with soldiers, Kara exposes the corrupted past and current political and economic realities powering the very machines we use daily. The book reveals the harsh lifestyles of those in the Congo and encourages readers to stop, think, and understand the human cost behind the technology we often take for granted.
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Reviewed by: Rachel
Desert Echoes by Abdi Nazemian
Desert Echoes tells the story of Kam, a boy grieving his missing boyfriend, Ash, two years later. Struggling to move on, he returns to the place Ash disappeared, hoping to heal. The novel explores Kam’s complicated home life, his friendship, and the secrets that grow between them. With flashbacks, flawed but relatable characters, and moments of sorrow, romance, and humor, this emotional story offers a personal look into grief, love, and healing—set quietly against the backdrop of the pandemic.
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MAIN LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS |
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Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
Saturday, June 14, 2025 | 02:00 PM
Join a multi-time winner of The Moth StorySlam on a journey of personal stories infused with humor, bringing light to the struggles and strengths of the human condition. Her stories, in addition to the Moth Grand Slam stage, have been heard on the Risk! Podcast, NPR’s Story Borealis, Unreeling Stories, and the Women's Storytelling Festival.
Regina uses storytelling as her weapon of choice to help tackle diversity, adversity, and suburban chaos. Her story asks the question:
What if the truths we keep hidden are the common threads that could bring us together?
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Sound & Vision
Saturday, June 07, 2025 | 02:00 PM
Enjoy live ambient music, take a tour of our new native plant garden, and participate in a land restoration activity!
Activities designed for the whole family. This venue is outdoors; there is some uneven ground as well as a paved pathway.
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City of Alameda Sustainability and Resilience
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM
Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) and OKAPI Reusables cordially invite you to the documentary film screening of Story of the Cup.
Stay after for a discussion with the director of the film, Jessica Jane Robinson, and learn more about CASA and OKAPI Reusables.
Filmed in Alameda, Story of the Cup exposes the lifecycle of single-use cups and their detrimental impacts on the environment. The documentary closes with a community call to action and offers an alternative to disposable cups as a solution.
This program will be held in the Stafford Room, starting at 6:00 PM.
Questions? Email refdesk@alamedaca.gov
*Alameda Sustainability and Resilience
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Constitutional Rights Workshop
Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 10:30 AM Monday, June 23, 2025 - 06:00 PM
Invitamos a los residentes de la ciudad de Alameda a conocer sus derechos básicos de inmigración, independientemente de su estado de ciudadanía. ¡Informados y organizados somos más fuertes!
We invite residents of the City of Alameda to learn about their basic constitutional immigration rights, regardless of their citizenship status. Informed and organized we are stronger!
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Este foro no constituye asesoramiento legal, póngase en contacto con un abogado si necesita asistencia legal.
This forum does not constitute legal advice, please contact a lawyer if you need legal assistance.
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Cycling Workshop
Monday, June 16, 2025 | 06:00 PM
Learn about the most common bike crashes in traffic, bike laws, riding comfort, theft prevention and locking information. No bikes needed.
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Theater Performance
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 06:00 PM
Join us in the Stafford Room award-winning dramatic artist Anthony Michael Jefferson.
Michael will perform his one-man show chronicling his journey from a cell in Soledad State Prison to a new life as a Bay Area chef.
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Cycling Workshop
Sunday, June 22, 2025 | 01:30 PM
Join us in the Stafford Room, we will review the basic process of fixing a flat and inner tube patching, as well as strategies to avoid flats. Bring your own flat tire or use one of our class demos!
Registration required
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Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 | 05:30 PM
Join us in the Stafford Room to answer the question: how do you dress for Pride? One and done, or more is more?!
Whatever your style, Upcycle Alameda has got your (faerie -winged) back! Local artist collective Upcycle Alameda will help you turn trash into trashy fab wings!
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ADULT MONTHLY EVENTS
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Tuesday, June 03, 2025 | 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 | 04:30 PM - 06:00 PM
Please join us at the Main Branch in the Family Study Room for a fiber arts craft circle. All kinds of fiber artists welcome. Please bring your own materials and expertise.
Limited instruction available. It will be an afternoon of community building and crafting. See you there!
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Saturday, June 07, 2025 | 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
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.
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Fourth Friday of the month, 12:30 AM - 02:00 PM
Join us in the Main Library Family Study Room at 12:30pm for a workforce development community of practice. New job, new you. Your next chapter starts right here in Alameda. Let us support you in taking that first step toward your future. You bring the hustle; we’ll bring the tools. From resumes to interviews, networking to job boards, we’ve got what you need to get hired. Because every great journey starts with a roadmap—come get yours. Any and all career stages welcome.
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Saturday, June 14, 2025 01:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Come prepared for a short intro, including: your name, why you write, what you write (genre(s)), what you're working on now or most recently. And then let's get to it!
I will provide 5 short prompts for your choosing for those of you that like warming up or prefer to start with some inspiration for writing short stories and such.
I look forward to seeing you in person or on zoom!
Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84243653058?pwd=RHVMT3I0amZoRGJTOEFKd2FpVVVUZz09
Meeting ID: 842 4365 3058 ; Passcode: 816773
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Third Wednesday of the month 11:30 AM - 05:30 PM
Alameda Health System (AHS) will be bringing their Mobile Health Van for basic screenings as well as more specialized referrals in the back parking lot of the Main Library.
Sign up for appointments with Alameda Health System staff who will be on-site. Max of 10 appointments per van visit.
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ADULT BOOK CLUBS
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Alameda Great Books Group. Main Library. Family Study Room. Second Tuesday of the month at 6:30PM. This month's pick: Alienated Labour by Karl Marx.
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A Cup of Coffee and a Good Book. Bay Farm Branch. Third Wednesday of the month at 1:00PM. This month's theme: The Pacific Northwest. Please email the facilitator, Lynda, at llyndaw@gmail.com for more information.
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Main Library Mystery Book Club. Fourth Monday of the month at 6:00pm. Copies are available in the Alameda Free Library collection and through LINK+. This month's pick: Secret Identity by Alex Segura.
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Bay Farm Mystery Book Club. Fourth Tuesday of the month at 5:30PM. Copies are available in the Alameda Free Library collection and through LINK+. This month's pick: Secret Identity by Alex Segura.
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A Novel Idea. Main Library. Last Tuesday of the month at 5:30PM. Copies are available in the Alameda Free Library collection and through LINK+. This month's pick: Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. McGill. Join us for a lively discussion and deepen your engagement with your reading!
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JUNE PROGRAMS AT THE BRANCHES:
CHILDREN — TEENS & TWEENS — ADULTS
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Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
Saturday, June 07, 2025 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Celebrate Pride at a special storytime for the whole family! Join us at the Bay Farm Island.
Everyone is welcome.
Stay for a rainbow-themed craft afterward!
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Sound & Vision
Saturday, June 07, 2025 | 02:00 PM
Enjoy live ambient music, take a tour of our new native plant garden, and participate in a land restoration activity!
Activities designed for the whole family. This venue is outdoors; there is some uneven ground as well as a paved pathway.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Saturday, June 21, 2025 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
The East Bay Vivarium brings their traveling menagerie to the Bay Farm Island Library. Get ready to be surprised, delighted, and amazed!
Meet up to 20 amazing creatures in this exciting, safe program!
All children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Monday, June 23, 2025 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Join us at 10:30 am at the Bay Farm Island Library for a special preschool storytime with a naturalist from Crab Cove.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Hosted by Petit Picassos!
Join us outdoors near the Bay Farm Island Library for crafts, snacks, and summer stories under the trees.
Open to children ages four through nine. Timing is flexible, dropping in anytime between 10:30 and 12:30, but registration is required!
Please call or visit the Bay Farm Island Library to sign up (510- 747 - 7787).
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 BAY FARM MONTHLY EVENTS
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Third Tuesday of the month 1:00 AM - 03:00 PM
Join us at the Bay Farm Island Library at 1pm for small-group instruction on computers, tablets, smartphones and more!
Registration required.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Wednesday, June 04, 2025 | 03:30
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 | 03:30
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 | 03:30
The West End Library will be presenting a four-part Qigong series for children aged 7-12. This series will be presented by Robert Dorsett who is a certified Qigong instructor who has been teaching privately as well as with the Alameda Parks and Recreation Department.
Qigong is a practice designed to calm the mind and focus the body. Kids will learn meditation and movement skills to help them navigate their busy world.
Space is limited, and Registration is required.
Please use the link below or the QR code above to register.
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Saturday Family Storytime
Saturday, June 07, 2025 | 10:30 AM
Join us at the West End Library for First-Saturday-of-the-Month family storytime! These storytimes are about a 30 minute program geared towards a mix of ages.
We invite families to participate as we read stories, learn about topics of interest, gain knowledge of how our animal or built world works, create special crafts, immerse ourselves in scavenger hunts, and more.
No registration required
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Celebrating LGBTQI Pride Month
Saturday, June 14, 2025 02:00 - 03:00 PM
Join us at the West End Library where we will be celebrating YOU with a PRIDE Crafternoon! Design and create crafts expressing who you are on Saturday, June 14 at 2 pm.
This is a drop-in program and is designed for children and their families.
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Summer Reading 2025: LEVEL UP
Saturday, June 28, 2025 03:00 - 04:00 PM
The West End Library will be hosting Puppet Art Theatre with their adventurous and hilarious puppet show entitled: Tommy's Space Adventure.
The puppet show will begin promptly at 3 pm. It is best enjoyed by children 3 years and up and their families.
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Tune in for live monthly author talks from your personal device or a library computer. Submit questions to some of the world's top authors and creators in real time. Browse the expansive back catalog of session recordings whenever you like
Questions?
Ask library staff at the Reference Desk or visit our microsite to learn more.
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Extinctopedia
Extinctopedia tells a complex story, not just of those who are extinct but also of those in greatest peril, with explanations of what threatens their survival. It is also a story of hope—hopes for animals that have been rediscovered, hope in the form of newly-discovered animals, and hope that we might hear the warning call and act to preserve the amazing biodiversity of our fragile planet for future generations to come.
Wednesday, June 4th at 11:00 AM PDT >> See More and Register
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Explore Unexpected Twists and Turns
You’re invited to an exclusive preview event with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell as she introduces readers to her forthcoming title Don’t Let Him In (Out June 24, 2025!). Along with an introduction to her newest bone-chilling, psychological thriller, Jewell will chat about her life as a writer and her critically-acclaimed body of work.
Tuesday, June 10th at 11:00 AM PDT >> See More and Register
Lisa Jewell @AFL
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Living the Otter Life
Join us as award-winning author and summer reading champion Katherine Applegate talks to viewers about her enthusiastically heartwarming novel in verse, Odder. Everyone wants to meet Odder, the Queen of Play!!
Tuesday, June 24th at 1:00 PM PDT >> See More and Register
This event will be 30 minutes in length.
Katherine Applegate @AFL
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Our online database of digital books in World Languages, that allows kids to enjoy the magic of books in LOTE (Languages Other Than English).
Each book comes with English translations to help kids learn languages.
LOTE4Kids has over 4,500+ picture books in 75+ languages, with new books and languages released each month – helping libraries to engage immigrant, refugee and multilingual families in their communities.
How LOTE4Kids can help you:
- Provide an additional resource for kids learning languages at school
- Help ESL kids to learn English while holding onto mother tongue
- Engage culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families
- Grow and diversify your children’s LOTE and digital book collections
You will need your library card number to access this resource.
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Recommended by: Ken
Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
It features a story within a story with some cool sci-fi ideas as well as themes of the boxes and labels placed on us by others. The dual storylines intersect in some really fascinating ways
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Recommended by: Isak
The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer
Janelle Monáe builds on their 2018 Grammy-nominated album and "emotion picture." The book of short stories, written in collaboration with other writers of color, uses science fiction to explore ideas of surveillance, community, and relationships under oppressive regimes. At times hopeful and at other times grim, I love that she imagines a future in which transgender people of color find ways to creatively and collectively thrive, despite all that is stacked against them. I highly recommend the album, emotion picture, and book!
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Recommended by: Jena
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated beautifully by Bahni Turpin. It is a West African inspired young adult magical fantasy that deals with themes of identity, power and racism.
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Recommended by: Hannah
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
A gothic, horror novella retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe. Kingfisher weaves together a subtle but impactful tale of creepy horror and dry wit, with additionally insightful commentary about identity and language. Thoroughly unsettling and entirely enjoyable!!
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Recommended by: KY
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
One of the best sci-fi books I've read recently. Funny, full of Star-Trekesque-science, and full of humanity. From the same author who wrote The Martian.
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Recommended by: Oliver
If We Burn by Vincent Bevins
An interesting historical romp, charting the evolution and relative utility of different types of mass protest in recent decades. I've found it richly informative, at times humbling and unexpectedly instructive.
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Recommended by: Xochil
Arboreality by Rebecca Campbell
It takes place in Vancouver Island, Canada nearing the end of 21st century. Six chapters tell the stories of an intergenerational community surviving a changing world ravaged by climate change. The prose is beautifully detailed with scientific descriptions and sensory rich language that capture the loss and grief humanity faces.
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Recommended by: Mia
Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam by Thien Pham
It's a graphic memoir told in vignettes that revolve around different dishes from the author/artist's life from his earliest childhood memory on a refugee boat to when he received his US citizenship as an adult living in the Bay Area. It was very captivating, and I appreciated the art style and the way that different languages (and Pham's understanding of them) was illustrated.
The book won an Eisner and the YALSA Non-Fiction Honor (2024,) with good reason!
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This was a long list!
Thank you for supporting your library with your readership and attendance to events. Please let us know how we are doing.
We listen!!
Looking for more recommendations?
Check out these book lists created by AFL librarians.
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