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All Alameda Free Library locations will be closed on
Monday, February 16, 2026
in observance of Presidents’ Day
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FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
Join Us In Celebrating
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AFL FRESH
@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Celebrating Black History Month Author Visit: JaNay Brown-Wood
Thursday, February 12, 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Join us for a reading of JaNay Brown-Wood's newest book, This Hair Belongs. The first 25 families will receive a free copy of the author's book. Following the author's presentation, we invite attendees to meet the author and get their books signed. This Hair Belongs is a joyful ode to Black hair that will empower readers to celebrate the historical, cultural, and emotional significance of their natural hair.
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Friday, February 27, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Joun us to enjoy performer Hannah Mayree of the Black Banjo Reclamation Project, with special guests! The Black Banjo Reclamation Project (BBRP) is a group of musicians and performers employing a multitude of tactics to advance African American and Black life through the pursuance of the traditional folk musical practices relating to the banjo.
No registration required; bring your loved ones and see you there!
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@Bay Farm Island Library, Leydecker Event Center
Saturday, February 28, 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Celebrate Black History Month with a collage workshop inspired by the work of Rosie Lee Tompkins. This is an intergenerational program (ages six to ninety-nine) led by local author and illustrator Constance Moore!
Registration is required and space is limited. Call 510-747-7787 to sign up.
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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
Saturday, February 07, 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới and Gung Hay Fat Choy! Prepare to ring in the Lunar New Year with a special Petit Picassos Art Class! We will celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year with festive stories, a special “Year of the Horse” art project, and a wishing wall to write down our hopes and wishes for the new year!
Space is limited and registration is required. Call (510) 747-7787 to register. Open to families (ages 5+).
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@Main Library
NEW! Each week we will be leading a different S.T.E.A.M focused program for ages 8+ focusing on topics like Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Find out more about the activities planned.
Activities start at 4pm and registration is required! Please contact Children's at the Main Library via phone or email to register: (510) 747-7705 | ChildRef@alamedaca.gov
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@West End Library
Thursday, February 19, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Join us as we ring in the Lunar New Year with a Chinese calligraphy workshop, Blessings in Bloom for ages 8 and up. This workshop will take place Thursday, February 19 from 4 - 5 pm. Participants will learn to write the character for "Fortune" and decorate their own lanterns to take home while learning about the significance of the lantern in Chinese culture and celebrations.
Registration is required and spaces are limited. You can save your spot by using this link or calling 510-747-7767.
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
Monday, February 23, 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Join us for a reading of the book "Liliana's Match: Finding Bella" with author Victoria Smith. We will be reading the book and then making sensory bracelets to take home.
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@West End Library
Tuesday, February 24, 10:30 - 11:00 AM
Join us as we welcome Vita from Kids Go Mandarin at our regularly scheduled Toddler Storytime on Tuesday, February 24 at 10:30 am. Vita will help us ring in the Lunar New Year and present a fun and engaging music program which will include movement and songs in both Mandarin and English. Join us for this joyous event.
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@West End Library
Saturday, February 28, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
The Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA) will join us to celebrate Black History Month. A local artist will be presenting a workshop featuring the work of Vanessa Brantley-Newton, well-known children's author and illustrator. Each participant will create a piece of art in the bright and colorful style of this African American artist.
This event is for children age 5 and up. Space is limited and registration is required. Registration will open February 1st, here.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: CHILDREN
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@Bay Farm Island Library
2nd Thursday of the month from 3:30 - 5:00PM
On February12th session celebrate with Youth Art Club love and friendship!
This month, participants will learn a few basic sewing skills to create and decorate their own fabric Valentines. Open to 4th-8th graders.
Space is limited and registration is required Please register online or call the Bay Farm Island Library at (510) 747-7787.
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@West End Library
Third Saturday of the month, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Join us at the West End Library for drop-in Chess Club for Kids (8+) No instruction provided. Just bring yourself; boards and pieces will be available.
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Sunday, February 8th, 2PM
Join us for a sensory-friendly, family focused movie matinee!
January selection: Smurfs
Rated PG for action, language and some rude humor
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LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR TEENS & ADULTS |
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@Main Library Café
Saturday, February 07, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM First Saturday of the month, 11AM-12PM
Please join us in the Main Library Cafe for a discussion of articles and short fiction from The New Yorker magazine.
February's selections are: "Safety” by Joan Silber (12/8 issue); "Understanding the Science" by Camille Bordas (12/15); “Risk, Discipline” by Andrew Martin (12/22); "The Welfare State" by Nell Zink (12/29)
Registration is strongly encouraged; here is the link.
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Thursday, February 26, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Celebrate Friendlove this February by making friendship bracelets for your close people. Drop-in, all materials provided with limited instruction. No registration required, but we can only seat 10 participants at a given time.
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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: Andy
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan is a nonfiction bird journal about the author’s experience of bird watching in her own backyard. The journal includes stories, information, and many colorful sketches of the birds or other animals that Tan drew. The sketches are brimming with imagination. This book was enjoyable to read and was full of short, interesting stories. I especially liked the sketches and illustrations, all hand-drawn by the author. The personification of the birds made me giggle. The simplicity of this book and its backyard setting made me feel like I could go bird watching myself.
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Reviewed by: Rachel
We Fell Apart by E.Lockhart
With We Fell Apart, Lockhart returns to the world of family secrets hidden at Martha’s Vineyard. Matilda is living with her stepdad in California when her absent birth father invites her to stay with him in his mansion, paid for by his famous paintings. Eager to learn about the family she never knew, Matilda flies to Martha’s Vineyard. Very soon, it becomes obvious that something isn’t right. The book is dark but a very fast read, with an unsettling nature, shocking plot twists, a unique plot, and amazing characters.
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 Tuesday, February 03, 04:30 - 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 Group (TAG)? You can gain valuable experience and earn volunteer hours as a member.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: TEENS & ADULTS |
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@West End Library
First Saturday of the month, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
Love Chess? Join us, beginning January 3rd. Boards will be provided, however, there will be no instruction. Pre-registration not required.
(Lookout for the Kids Chess club on the 3rd Saturday of each month.)
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@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, Large Group Study Room
Tuesday, February 3, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Tuesday, February 17, 4:00 - 5:30 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.
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
Tuesday, February 03, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
First Tuesday of the month, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Please join the Alameda Coin Club in the 2nd Floor Conference Room 224 for presentations, discussions, and valuation of rare coins.
Special information for February's meeting: it will be a hybrid meeting. You may either attend in person at the Alameda Free Library or on Zoom. The program will be presented by Ken Keltz and the title is: “A brief history of Mexican coins”. The coin of the month is any foreign coin, but, if possible, a Mexican coin.
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Saturday, February 14, 10:30 AM -12:30 PM Second Saturday of the month, 10:30 AM -12:30 PM
Come learn the basics of sewing from local makers Gaby and Cynthia. Make a new sewing project every session! We will provide materials, instruction sheets, and know-how to get you started. This month's project is Improv Quilting! No previous experience is required - please come ready to learn!
This program is designed for adults ages 18 and up.
Registration required. Please register online or call the Main Library at (510) 747-7713 for support.
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
Saturday, February 7, 2:00 PM - 3:00 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.
This program takes place on the second floor also accessible by elevator.
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Friday, February 13, 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Join us 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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Saturday, February 14, 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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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Saturday, February 28, 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM Fourth Saturday of the month, 11AM - 1PM
Join us in the Large Group Study Room at the Main Library for personalized career advice - from resumes to interviews, networking to job boards, we’ve got what you need to get hired. Please bring any materials you'd like reviewed as well as an Internet-enabled device if you have one. Registration is strongly encouraged; here is the link.
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Wednesday, February 4th, 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: Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan
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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: Romance. 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 4:30 to 5:30PM. Copies are available in the Alameda Free Library collection and through LINK+. This month's pick: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.
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Bay Farm Mystery Book Club. Fourth Tuesday of the month 4:30 to 5:30PM. Copies are available in the Alameda Free Library collection and through LINK+. This month's pick: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore.
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A Novel Idea. Main Library, Large Group Study Room. Fourth Sunday of the month, 3:00 - 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! This month's pick: Colored Television by Danzy Senna. A few complimentary copies of each book are available at the Main Library Reference Desk the day after each meeting and through LINK+.
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Enjoy over 5,000 popular eMagazine titles for all ages. Libby titles are compatible with most devices, including smartphones, tablets, computers, and Kindles. Use the Libby app to start reading magazines with no wait and no limits.
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Recommended by: Oliver
I was inspired to re-read Fantasia by Assia Djebar when I came across a short story of hers in a collection of writing in French. She uses this novel to flip between the micro and macro experiences of French colonization in Algeria in a manner that is accessible, erudite, and touching.
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Recommended by: Hannah
I recommend the TV Show 3 Body Problem, a Netflix Series, adaptation of The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (first volume of the series Remembrance of Earth's Past.) This production of the story was well done, and I was impressed by how closely it followed the book as well as the acting of the main characters. I think it did a great job capturing the atmosphere of the historical timeline in the 1960s and 1970s and portraying how the past influences the modern day both within the show and in real life.
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Recommended by: Kayla
I recommend Detective Beans: The Case of the Missing Hat by Li Chen. It's a really cute and funny story about a cat named Beans who aspires to be a detective. Earlier in the day, Beans discovers that his hat has vanished and has to go on an long and exciting journey to find the missing piece of his ensemble. He's greeted by a varied cast of characters. The graphic novel is charming with a dash of wit and intrigue.
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Recommended by: Virginia
I recently finished Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy which at its heart is a mystery but is also a tale of climate change and how it is affecting the earth. A single father is raising three children on an isolated island in the Antarctic, home to the world's largest seed bank. The researchers who were working there have abandoned the site due to rising sea levels and the family is responsible for maintaining the seed bank and ultimately deciding which seeds to save as the bank begins to flood. A shipwrecked woman washes ashore and the family takes her in and nurses her back to health. The reason why she came is a mystery and complicates life on the island. Why has she come? And what really happened to the researchers? It is a tale of secrets, family and love in a world of rising sea levels and other climate disasters.
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Recommended by: Ken
Prunella by Beth Ferry is a delightful children's book about strange plants and nonconformity.
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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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