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 Logo of the Alameda Free Library. Image Text: Alameda Free LIbrary - Between the lines -
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If you need accessibility accommodations to participate, or information translated or in other formats, please contact ada@alamedaca.gov or fill out our ADA Request Form at least seven (7) working days before any event listed. |
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Did you know? Online study room reservations at the Main Library launched April 1.
The Library will be closed
Monday, May 25th
in observance of Memorial Day
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MAY NEWSLETTER
Join Us In Celebrating
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 Text on blue background image: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
 Text on blue background image: Jewish American Heritage Month
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AFL FRESH
@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Saturday, May 2,12:00 - 2:30PM
Join the Main Library for a day of intergalactic fun!
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12-2:30 PM | Button making, scavenger hunt, make-your-own lightsaber, and more crafts!
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12:00-1:00 PM | Star Wars Bingo
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1:00-2:00 PM | Star Wars Family Trivia
Plus! A special visit from the 501st Legion. Come ready to take a picture.
Crafts and giveaways are while supplies last.
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@Bay Farm Island Library, Leydecker Event Space
Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Saturday May 2, 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Children in kindergarten through third grade are invited to participate in a Petit Picassos Art Camp! Children will be introduced to two Asian American artists that have left an indelible mark on the art world.
Registration is required! Please contact the Bay Farm Island Library via phone or email to register: (510) 747-7787. For more information about this program, please email us at BFIref@alamedaca.gov.
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@Bay Farm Island Library
Saturday May 9, 1:00PM
Join us on Saturday at the Bay Farm Island Library for an art workshop with local author, artist, and teacher Constance Moore. Together, we'll be celebrating Moore's newest book A Language of Stitches: The Radical Quilts of Rosie Lee Tompkins by creating collages inspired by Rosie Lee Tompkins' work. We encourage anyone over the age of 6 to join us!
Registration is required! Please contact the Bay Farm Island Library via phone to register: (510) 747-7787.
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@West End Library
Saturday May 30, 3:00PM
Laya Arts Collective presents Stories That Dance. There will be Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance demonstrations interspersed with story-based movements and activities. Bring the family to enjoy this wonderful and unique event. All are welcome!
If you would like additional information about this event, please email WEBref@alamedaca.gov or call (510) 747-7767.
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@Main Library, Stafford Meeting Room
Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month with Vocolot
Sunday, May 31, 2:00- 4:00PM
please join us for a special performance by Vocolot!
Vocolot brings a joyous fusion of folk, jazz and cantorial vocal traditions into the contemporary a cappella world. Their music, rooted in universal heart, social conscience and Jewish soul, communicates a powerful vision of world peace and reconciliation.
Vocolot sings in English, Hebrew, Ladino, Yiddish, and Arabic, blending lush harmonies, soaring melodies and global percussion in original works and new renderings of ancient songs and texts.
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STORYTIME SCHEDULE AT ALL LOCATIONS |
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MAIN LIBRARY, CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING ROOM
BAY FARM ISLAND LIBRARY
WEST END LIBRARY
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@Main Library
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
Saturday May 9, 3:00PM
Sager Family Farms will be joining us at the West End Library. Not only will they bring their Live Viewing Hive so that you can see the inner workings of a beehive, but you will also learn about bees and how they produce beeswax. Topping that off, we will have a Beeswax Candle Making Workshop, where participants will roll and decorate their own beeswax candle. Space is Limited and Registration is Required.
To register or if you'd like additional information about this program, please email: WEBref@alamedaca.gov or call (510) 747-7767.
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@Main Library
Monday, May 11th, 4:00pm
Join the Main Library to read At The Odd Zoo with Alameda author Kris Pharris Erway. After the reading, we'll have a craft to make and take home.
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@Bay Farm Island Library
Saturday May 12, 4:30PM
Join us at Bay Farm Island for a discussion of Jewish American identity in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month! Alameda educator Natalie Abber will read stories, answer questions, and do a craft activity with us.
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@West End Library
Thursday May 14, 3:30PM
Sager Family Farms returns to the West End Library for a Seedball Making Workshop. They will be bringing their Live Viewing Hive for attendees to see bees at work. Attendees will also learn about pollinators and their importance in our world. Participants will then create their own seedball filled with native, drought resistant species of plants to bring home and grow in their own garden. This workshop is appropriate for children ages 5 and up. Space is limited and Registration is Required.
To register for this program or if you have any questions, please send an email to WEBref@alamedaca.gov or call (510) 747-7767.
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@Main Library, Children's Programming Room
Celebrating Jewish American Heritage - Composer and Songwriter Irving Berlin
Saturday, May 16, 2:00 - 3:00PM
Celebrate the music of Irving Berlin with a fun, family-friendly library program! Enjoy familiar songs, simple activities, and stories about one of America’s most beloved songwriters. Perfect for all ages to sing, learn, and have a great time together!
This program is presented alongside Ms. Jenn from Temple Israel of Alameda.
Registration is required! Please contact the Children's at the Main Library to register: (510) 747-7705 | ChildRef@alamedaca.gov
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@Bay Farm Island Library
Saturday, May 16, 10:30AM
Join us at Bay Farm Island Library for a Ballet Family Storytime lead by a ballerina from Tutu School Alameda.
This all ages 30-minute Storytime for the whole family will include twirling, songs, new ballet moves, and stories, of course!
Storytime will take place in the Leydecker Community Room right next to Bay Farm Island Library.
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@Main Library, Stafford Room
Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Odissi Dance
We will be hosting a Family Odissi Dance Class on the following dates
Saturday, May 9th from 11:15AM - 12:15PM
Sunday, May 17th from 2:00 - 3:00pm
Registration is required. Discover the beauty of Odissi, a classical dance from eastern India, in a fun and nurturing class designed for young learners. Families can build confidence and creativity as they learn foundational movements and expressive storytelling. Each session includes mindful circle time, engaging mythology stories, warm-ups, guided dance practice, and relaxing cool-downs—creating a joyful and enriching experience for the whole family.
To register: Please contact Children's to sign up your family for both or either program date: (510) 747-7705 | ChildRef@alamedaca.gov
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@Bay Farm Island Library
Wednesday, May 27, 3:00 - 5:00PM
Celebrate the end of the year with us at Bay Farm Island Library! We'll kick off the beginning of Summer together with games, coloring, and sunshine at the theatre space outside of our library! We'd like to especially honor the fifth graders who will be rising up to middle school next school year.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: CHILDREN
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@Bay Farm Island Library
2nd Thursday of the month, 3:30 - 5:00PM
Youth Art Club Presents: Perler Beads!
Spaces are limited with a new sign-up required each month. No prior experience is needed and all materials are provided.
Open to 4th-8th graders (Ages 9-13)
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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@West End Library
Fourth Saturday of the month, 10:30A - 12:00P
Join us at the West End Library, children aged 3+ can squish, sculpt and play with playdough.
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@Main Library, Stafford Room
Second Sunday of the month, 2:00 - 4:00PM
Join us for a sensory-friendly, family focused movie matinee!
May selection: How to train your Dragon (Live action 2025 version)
Rated PG: for sequences of intense action and some scary images, and brief mild language.
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LIBRARY PROGRAMS FOR TEENS & ADULTS |
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@Bay Farm Island
Tuesday, May 12, 10:30AM
Do you enjoy crocheting? And...are you interested in a fun way to capture all the books you read in a given period of time? Join us to learn from our marvelous guest instructor, Cara! She made the beautiful book quilt to commemorate all books read by her in 2025. The premise is using the colors in a book cover to create each square.
Space is limited and registration is required! Please contact the Bay Farm Island Library to register: (510) 747-7787 | BFIref@alamedaca.gov
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Thursday, May 21, 4:00PM
There are moments in life when pain, loss, or decline can feel overwhelming—when options seem to narrow and a sense of control slips out of reach. This conversation begins from a place of compassion for those experiences, acknowledging how real and complex that suffering can be.
Join local death doula, Sarah Hill, as she leads a gentle, informative discussion exploring legal pathways that some people consider at the end of life, including Medical Aid in Dying, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED), and international options such as Dignitas.
Advance registration is required for this event: click on Book Now at the top of the Event calendar entry or go to the page bottom section titled Book Online (Registration.)
For more information about this program, please email us at RefDesk@alamedaca.gov.
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@West End Library
Thursday May 28, 4:00 - 5:30PM
The West End Library will be streaming the PBS American Masters film, Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire.
The film explores Mr. Wiesel's life experiences, his writings and his lifelong fight against injustice. There are a limited number of copies of one of his autobiographical books, Night, which will be given to attendees, while supplies last. While the film is not rated, Parental Guidance is recommended. This film is recommended for adults and teens.
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@Main Library, Stafford Room
Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Saturday, May 30, 1:00PM
We welcome New York Times bestselling author Alka Joshi. Award-winning journalist Deepa Fernandez speaks with the author about her internationally acclaimed Jaipur Trilogy and new novel, Six Days in Bombay.
Advanced registration is required and handled external to the Library website via Eventbrite. Doors open at 1:00 pm and the program begins at 1:30 pm. Limited copies of Alka Joshi’s books will be available for sale in Books For Friends, located inside the Main Library, the day of the event. Alka will be available post-program for book signing.
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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: Rachel
No Perfect Places by Steven Salvatore
No Perfect Places is an intimate novel about family and loss. The main characters, Alex and Olly, are coping with their father’s incarceration and a family death. Alternating chapters between the twins reveal the thoughts and feelings of each. It was interesting to see the culmination of secrets and tragedies. I liked the complexity of their experiences and how realistic their coping processes were. It was a good representation of LGBTQ+ characters, mental health, and the effects of the criminal justice system.
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Reviewed by: Zurich
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Volume 2 by Aka Akasaka
Kaguya-Sama: Love Is War, Volume 2 is a funny romance-comedy manga about Kaguya Shinomiya and Miyuki Shirogane. They are both in love, but have too much pride to confess, referring to love as a “War.” This volume was very entertaining. I loved the scoreboard at the end of each chapter and how each chapter is hilarious. It’s not a very accurate representation of high school love, but it’s an amazing representation of cute romance, with Chika Fujiwara adding to the comedic aspect. It’s an enjoyable quick read, and I recommend it to teens who love funny rom-com school life mangas.
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 @Main Library, Stafford Room
Teen Advisory Group (TAG) | First Tuesday of the month 4:30 to 5:30PM
Are you a teen in 7th–12th grade looking to share your ideas, help with library projects, and earn volunteer hours? Join our Teen Advisory Group (TAG)! Registration is required.
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MONTHLY EVENTS :: TEENS & ADULTS |
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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 Café
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. No need to book through the Library website - registration is handled at this link: New Yorker Short Stories by Alameda Readers Group | Eventbrite
The stories for each meeting are from recent past issues and are listed at the registration link. Haven't had a chance to read before the gathering? Come early and read them - we will have copies available!
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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, Large Group Study Room
First & Third Tuesday of the month, 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. No registration is required for this program, though space is limited to 12 participants in-person.
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
First Tuesday of the month, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Please join us for presentations, discussions, and valuation of rare coins. No registration is required for this program, though space is limited to 12 participants in-person. There is also the option to participate virtually via Zoom.
Zoom info: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83607021976
Meeting ID: 836 0702 1976 ; Passcode: 028681
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Second Saturday of the month, 10:30 AM -12:30 PM
Come learn the basics of sewing from local makers Gaby and Cynthia. Work progressively on the same project month to month, or make a new sewing project every session! We will provide materials, instruction sheets as appropriate, and know-how to get you started.
No previous experience is required - please come ready to learn! This program is designed for adults ages 18 and up.
Registration is required! Please contact the Adult/Teen Services Department at the Main Library via phone or email to register: (510) 747-7713 | RefDesk@alamedaca.gov
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
First Saturday of the month 2:00 PM - 3:00PM
Learn the basics of 3D printing in this monthly, hands-on workshop. We welcome people attending multiple workshops and sharing what they have learned with other participants.
Registration is required! Please book online (by clicking on the Book Now Button on the Calendar Event page) or contact the Adult/Teen Services Department at the Main Library via phone or email to register: (510) 747-7713 | RefDesk@alamedaca.gov
This program takes place on the second floor also accessible by elevator
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@Main Library, Conference Room 224
Third Saturday of the month 2:00 to 3:00PM
As a companion to our Tech Petting Zoo series, we invite you to share and advance your learning of 3D modeling techniques in community. Facilitated by local maker Evan. Please bring your own device (laptop or recent generation iPad) if possible. There will be a limited number of devices to use during the program.
Registration is required! Please contact the Adult/Teen Services Department at the Main Library to register: (510) 747-7713 | RefDesk@alamedaca.gov
This program takes place on the second floor also accessible by elevator.
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Second Friday of the month, 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Join us on the second Friday of every month at 12pm 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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Second Saturday of the month, 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
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 required.
To register click on Book Now at the top of the Event calendar entry or go to the page bottom section titled Book Online (Registration) follow the prompt.
For more information about this program, please email us at RefDesk@alamedaca.gov.
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@Main Library, Large Group Study Room
Wednesday, April 15, @ 4:30 PM
Practice genuine connection through playful exercises. No performance pressure—just building the confidence and skills to show up and spark connection in our everyday unscripted lives. Learn to navigate awkward moments, meet new people with ease, and trust yourself when there's no script. Free and open to ages 13+.
Facilitated by Claire Slattery, founder + creator of Alameda's Improv Central. Registration required.
To register click on Book Now at the top of the Event calendar entry or go to the page bottom section titled Book Online (Registration) follow the prompt.
For more information about this program, please email us at RefDesk@alamedaca.gov.
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 How the Teen Book Club Works:
Each month, we read and discuss the monthly title. Members get to pick the book we read from our Young Adult (YA) collection, read it by our meeting date, and then join us to talk about it. After the discussion, we’ll vote on the book for the following month.
To join, please register.
Note: Some of our book selections may explore heavier topics and themes. We encourage teens and their grown-ups to decide together if a book feels like the right fit.
Questions? Email Aireana at amcdade@alamedaca.gov
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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: Award Winners of this Century (the past 26 years.) Questions? Please contact the moderator, Lynda, at llyndaw@gmail.com, or the Bay Farm Island Library at: (510) 747-7787 | BFIref@alamedaca.gov.
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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: Switch by local author and award-winning crime novelist, Lisa Towles, who will be our special guest at this meeting! She looks forward to hearing your feedback on Switch and answering questions. Registration is NOT required! Questions? Please contact the Adult/Teen Services Department at the Main Library via phone or email (510) 747-7713 | RefDesk@alamedaca.gov
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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: Switch by local author and award-winning crime novelist, Lisa Towles, who will be our special guest at this meeting! She looks forward to hearing your feedback on Switch and answering questions. Space is limited and registration is required! Please contact the Bay Farm Island Library via phone or email to register: (510) 747-7787 | BFIref@alamedaca.gov
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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: Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly. A few complimentary copies of each book are available at the Main Library Reference Desk the day after each meeting and through LINK+. To browse past selections, check out this list on our online catalog!
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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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If you need accessibility accommodations to participate, or information translated or in other formats, please contact ada@alamedaca.gov or fill out our ADA Request Form at least seven (7) working days before any event listed. |
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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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