The Library Reading Corner - January 2020

A Note from Library Director Allison Gray: 

When people say to me that libraries are obsolete now that we have the internet and streaming services, I want to show them the numbers for Goleta Valley Library. I just finished tallying up the statistics for the 2018/19 Fiscal Year and people are using the library more than ever!

Over a quarter of a million people visited the library during the more than 15,000 hours we were open, which averages to about 740 visitors per day. Those library users borrowed well over half a million (605,000) physical items from the Goleta Valley Library and downloaded over 75,000 items. Library staff conducted more than 600 programs for all ages, with a total attendance of over 21,000 people! View the full 2018/19 Goleta Valley Library Annual Report here.

What do all of these numbers mean? The Goleta Valley Library is an extremely busy, vibrant, multifaceted organization that goes out of its way to meet the needs of its community. Check out this Library Use Calculator to see how much money you saved in your last trip to the library.

Stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Library by following us on our Facebook (@GoletaValley Library) and Instagram (goletavalleylibrary) accounts. We post regularly about programs, books, websites, and more. We would love you to follow us on our social media platforms.

B. Allison Gray
Goleta Valley Library Director

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GOLETA VALLEY LIBRARY

The Adult Winter Reading Club is Back!

From now through February 28, 2020, the Adult Winter Reading Club is happening at Goleta Valley Library. Patrons are encouraged to read or listen to as many books (including magazines and periodicals) as they can over this time period and be entered into a weekly raffle to win prizes. While filling out your raffle ticket, check out the Library’s “Did You Know” display, showcasing the many services offered by the Goleta Valley Library. Prizes are donated by our very generous local businesses. Sign up to participate in person at the library.

First Ever Spanish Book Club for Grades 3-6

We hope you will join us for our first ever Spanish Book Club for children in grades 3 – 6 at the Goleta Valley Library! This new book club is aimed at Spanish-speaking children who would like to improve their Spanish reading and comprehension skills. Each book will be covered over three meetings where students will get to practice their Spanish vocabulary as they discuss what they've read and theorize what will come next in the book. The book club will help children improve their Spanish language skills by:

• Deepening their appreciation and understanding of Spanish-language text
• Extending their thinking to process and interpret different perspectives and opinions of their peers
• Expanding their ability to express ideas orally using academic language
• Providing an authentic context for applying norms for listening and speaking

The Spanish Book Club meets the 2nd and 4th Sunday of every month at 3:00 p.m. at the Library (500 N. Fairview Avenue). Space is limited and registration is required in person at the library or by calling 964-7878.

Free Homework Help

FREE homework help is available to Kindergarten – 5^th graders at the Goleta Valley Library, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 – 6:00 p.m. Students are paired with library staff and volunteer tutors; the Library will try to pair up the same tutor with the same student so that they can build a relationship that goes beyond homework help. For more information, or if you are a senior citizen and would like to volunteer to be a tutor, please call the library at 805-964-7878. 

Another option for homework help is the online program Brainfuse HelpNow, which provides access to live tutors who can help answer problematic questions. This program is free and available to anyone with a library card. Live online tutoring is available from 1:00 – 10:00 p.m. daily

Dos Pueblos High School Students Receive Goleta Valley Library Cards

The Goleta Valley Library has a goal of putting library cards into the hands of every student in the Goleta Valley. To make this goal a reality, more than two thousand Goleta Valley Library cards were delivered to Dos Pueblos High School in December and distributed to the students. The first two classrooms to receive the Goleta Valley Library cards cheered when they were presented. View a video clip of the excitement here. Ellwood Elementary is the next school slated to receive library cards; distribution is planned for January 2020.

Heather Magner, the DPHS librarian said this is a dream come true.  She said. “While our DPHS library has much to offer, the wealth of resources available to them with a Goleta Valley library card is a game changer, particularly their huge offerings of ebooks and quality audiobooks. The newest program, Brainfuse, which offers online tutoring after library hours, is equally exciting! With our 1-1 iPad program and the library card, now everyone has access to a plethora of amazing materials and support. I deeply appreciate the hard work the Goleta Valley Public librarians put in to make this happen. Thank you!”

There are many reasons the library cards are especially useful for High School students. The cards allow students free full-text access to the New York Times to help with homework via the Goleta Valley Library website (www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org). The library cards also allow students access to Hoopla, a great site for downloading free e-books, e-audiobooks, comic books, movies, TV shows, and music. Hoopla is so popular with students that the Goleta Valley Library has budgeted additional funds anticipating significant increased use. Goleta Valley Library also offers personalized reading lists to patrons with library cards. Now students interested in new books to read can simply complete a form on the Goleta Valley Library website and have a customized list sent to them.

The student library card effort was made possible thanks to a Student Success Initiative Grant the Goleta Valley Library received. The goal of the grant is to ensure that all school-aged children in the Goleta Valley Library service area have a library card. Thus far, students at Goleta Valley Junior High, El Camino Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Brandon Elementary, and Coastline Christian Academy have received library cards.

Click here to learn more.

BUELLTON LIBRARY

Become a Buellton Bookworm!

The Buellton Bookworms is a monthly book club that meets the third Friday of each month from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. at the Buellton Library (140 West Highway 246). This month’s selection is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and meets on January 17. Attendees are welcome to engage with questions and comments, or just listen to the discussion led by library staff. No registration is required. Get a head start on the book for February, pick up a copy of Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.

Writers Workshop

The Buellton Library offers a free Writers Workshop every second Saturday of the month from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to share your work, meet other writers, and discuss the tools of the trade. Topics of each workshop vary month to month. The next workshop is February 8 and the topic is “Positive Conflict.” The workshop is open to the public and led by library staff/local author Craig Clevenger. For more information about future monthly topics, please like us on Facebook and view the Events Calendar.

SOLVANG LIBRARY

BYO (Bring Your Own) Book Club

Meet up with Solvang Library staff on the second Tuesday of each month from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at a fun community location! Share what you’ve been reading with other readers and hear about their recent favorites! Please sign up using the library website each month to ensure there is enough seating. The next BYO Book Club is February 11. Contact the Solvang Library at 688-4214 to find out the next location.

Free Films

Solvang Library is hosting two free films this month (1745 Mission Drive):

• Selma on Saturday January 18, 1:00 p.m. - Civil-rights activists march from Selma, Alabama to Montgomery to secure voting rights for black Americans in this 2014 docudrama, which focuses on the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. Rated PG-13, 128 minutes.
• Judy on Saturday January 25, 1:00 p.m. -  Renee Zellweger stars in this 2019 film celebrating Judy Garland. Rated PG-13, 218 minutes

Thank you for your interest and support in our libraries. Happy Reading!