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All Alameda Free Library locations will be closed on
Tuesday, November 11
in observance of Veteran's Day
 All Alameda Free Library locations will be closed on
Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28
in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday
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NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER
Join Us In Celebrating
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AFL FRESH
@Main Library, Children's Programming Rm
Thursday, November 13, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Join us on Thursday, November 13th at 4pm in the Children's Program Room, to learn about the past and present history of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe and learn how to play the Ohlone Staves Game!
Plus! We’ll also have a free serving of acorn brownies and a free book while supplies last.
Questions? (510) 747-7705 | childref@alamedaca.gov
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@Bay Farm Island Library,Leydecker Event Ctr.
Saturday, November 22, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us to hear Ohlone stories of the stars shared in partnership with Mak-'amham/Cafe Ohlone and learn a song in Chochenyo, the language of the East Bay Ohlone people.
Free tea and acorn brownies while supplies last!
Open to ages 5 and up.
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@West End Library
Saturday, November 22, 2:00 - 3:00 PM
You are invited to celebrate Native American Heritage Month with us at the West End Library. Artisan Storyteller, Alicia Retes with be sharing the cultural and spiritual significance of The Three Sisters and other indigenous interactive stories.
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STORYTIME SCHEDULE AT ALL LOCATIONS |
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MAIN LIBRARY, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ROOM
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@Main Library, Children's Programming Rm
Saturday, November 1, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Saturday, November 15, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Learn how to sketch anime characters and explore different art styles in this 2-Day Workshop Series.
This series is for children ages 9-12. Registration is required. Register here.
Questions? (510) 747-7705 | childref@alamedaca.gov
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@West End Library
Saturday, November 15, 3:00 - 3:30 PM
Come join us for a fun and funny Puppet Show, The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Holiday Edition. Puppet Art Theater has adapted this classic fable to be all-inclusive.
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@Main Library, Stafford Room
Saturday, November 22, 2:00 - 3:00 PM
Meet and learn about bats at the Main Library.
Plus, join us after for fun bat themed crafts!
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: CHILDREN
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@Bay Farm Island Library
Thursday, November 6, 3:30 - 5:00 PM
4th through 8th graders, meet at the Bay Farm Island Library on the first Thursday of every month to create works of art!
Participants in our November meeting will learn how to hand-sew a stuffie!
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Sunday, November 9, @ 2:00 PM
Join us for a sensory-friendly, family focused movie matinee!
November selection: Toy Story (G)
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LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR TEENS & ADULTS |
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@Main Library, Family Study Room
Monday, November 03, 2025 | 03:30 - 05:00
Join us! We'll be making an air-dry clay dish in the shape of a leaf-- a seasonal craft to keep or gift!
To sign up, please complete this registration form.
Registration required, limited to 10 adults. Air-dry clay and molding tools will be provided. Limited instruction available. Questions? Call us at 510-747-7713 or send us an email at refdesk@alamedaca.gov.
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@Main Library, Stafford Room
Sunday, November 23, @ 2:00 PM
We are reading Double Indemnity by James M. Cain and discussing it at our November Mystery Book Club meetings. Please consider joining us for a "bonus meeting" to watch the 1944 film.
Double Indemnity (unrated, one hour forty-seven minutes), starring Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck and directed by Billy Wilder, is widely considered a film noir classic. It was nominated for seven Academy awards.
No pre-registration necessary. Snacks will be provided.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: TEENS ONLY |
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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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Reviewed by: Zoe
I Hope This Doesn't Find You by Ann Liang
I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang follows Sadie Wen, valedictorian, school co-captain, and model student. A people-pleaser at heart, Sadie channels her frustration into unsent emails. One day those emails are accidentally sent out, destroying her image and relationships in an instant. Just when she thinks all is lost, Julius, her rival since they entered Woodvale Academy, might be the light at the end of the tunnel. I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its engaging plot, short chapters, and great side characters
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Reviewed by: Mariah
Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi
Readers dive back into the Shatter Me world in Watch Me, the first book in a new series. Ten years after Aaron Warner, Juliette Ferrars, and their friends destroyed The Reestablishment, James, now 21, sets out on a secret mission to Ark Island, the last stronghold with advanced technology and security. Rosabelle, forced to work as an assassin, is sent with him. Can they trust each other? Secrets and betrayals unfold in every chapter. This fast-paced, funny, and heartwarming read shows how the characters have changed. A light, easy spin-off perfect for fans of Shatter Me and anyone in a reading slump.
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 Tuesday, November 04, 4:30 - 5:30 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 Group (TAG)? You can gain valuable experience and earn volunteer hours as a member.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: TEENS & ADULTS
@Main Library, Children's Programming RM
Every Wednesday, 12:15 - 12:45 PM
Try a different pace of life with our new weekly storytime for adults!
Bring your lunch to the Children's Programming Room of the Main Library on Wednesday afternoons for a half-hour of short stories, picture books, and other tales curated by our expert librarians.
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@Main Library, Family Study Room
Tuesday, November 04, 4:30 - 6:00 PM
Tuesday, November 18, 4:30 - 6:00 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, November 08, 1:00 - 4:00 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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@ Bay Farm Island Library
Third Tuesday of the month, 1:00 AM - 3:00 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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@Main Library, Family Study Room
Join us in the Family Study Room on the second Friday of every month at 3pm to practice your French conversation skills.
This is a monthly series designed to increase your confidence in speaking French conversationally in your communities.
All dialects welcome. À bientôt!
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Second Tuesday every other month
Tuesday, November 18, 2:00 - 05:00 PM
To sign up please visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code ALAMEDALIBRARY
To save time while saving a life please fill out a Rapidpass. Learn more at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Wednesday, November 05, 4:00 - 4:40 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: We Were Liars by E.Lockhart
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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: All about food. 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: Double Indemnity by James M. Cain.
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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: Double Indemnity by James M. Cain.
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A Novel Idea. Main Library, Family Study Room (first floor.) Fourth Sunday of the month at 3:00PM to 4:30PM. A Novel Idea is a book club for adults featuring novels from diverse genres and authors. Join us for a lively discussion and deepen your engagement with your reading! A few complimentary copies of each book are available at the Main Library Reference Desk the day after each meeting. This month's selection: Fire Exit by Morgan Talty. No meeting in December 2025.
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No feeling is Final. West End Library. Third Thursday of the month at 3:00PM. Taken from Austrian poet Rainier Maria Rilke's The Book of Hours, "No feeling is final" is the name given to our poetry reading group and community of practice where participants are encouraged to move through life's variable rhythms with the help of a regular poetry practice. We encourage adults 18 and up to come build community through poetry in this monthly part-book club, part-workshop gathering. Read poetry, write to prompts, and welcome local poets to share their works-in-progress. Bound poetry zines featuring each month's poems will be available to pick at the West End Branch Library the week prior to the program, with additional copies available when we meet. All levels of experience reading and writing poetry are welcomed! “Go to limits of your longing: let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” - RMR
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Thanks to the funding from Friends of the Alameda Free Library we are excited to offer All Access to the New York Times Digital Subscription which includes the News, Games, Cooking, Wirecutter, and the Athletic.
How to access / redeem your code:
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While within the Library:
Navigate to www.nytimes.com/register
Create an account with your personal email address, or “Log In” if you've already created an account.
Click through 5+ articles to ensure you do not hit a NYT paywall.
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If not physically at a Library location:
Access the Library's subscription link here and redeem the code with your NYTimes account.
After redeeming the code, You will receive an email with your login code to get all access.
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Recommended by: Ken
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
Just finished The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow. A fantastic story about sisters in New Salem dealing with suffragists, women's rights, and being witches in 1893
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Recommended by: DAS
Trickster makes the world by Lewis Hyde
All about the Trickster gods, and cultural heroes like Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, John Cage, Allen Ginsberg, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Frederick Douglas.
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Recommended by: Jennifer
What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher
I've recently enjoyed What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher. It's the third book in the Sworn Soldier series. The main character Alex Easton is searching an abandoned coal mine (that may be haunted?) in West Virginia for their friend's missing cousin, but what will they uncover in the process? It's a really enjoyable novella that mixes horror, fantasy, and adventure with a little bit of humor.
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Recommended by: KY
The Farm by Joanne Ramos
I'm not finished with it, but I'm super engrossed in The Farm by Joanne Ramos. I love the themes of labor and class and race, but all the characters are so well-sketched out that it's hard not to be sucked up into all of their stories
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Recommended by: Hannah
To Clutch a Razor by Veronica Roth
@AFL: ebook; eaudio
I've just finished To Clutch a Razor, which is a sequel to the novella When Among Crows. It's not too long but it's very impactful. We get to see the characters from the first book continue to grow and deal with past traumas, both emotional and physical. The way mythology and lore are intertwined with the modern world is immersive and intricate, and it's a world I wouldn't mind living in.
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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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