A Note from Library Director Allison Gray: 

Happy New Year. We hope you are doing well during these ever-changing times. Please know that the Goleta Valley and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are here for you. We know life continues to be especially challenging for parents and students and we want to make sure you are aware that we have some great resources to help with homework. Brainfuse HelpNow! offers live tutors for students of all ages and in a wide array of subjects. It is available from 1:00 – 10:00 p.m. every day. To access Brainfuse HelpNow!, all you need is an internet connection, computer or mobile device, and your library card. In addition, Brainfuse HelpNow! has a new service inspired by the popularity of the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit”; students can now receive online chess lessons live from chess experts.

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries also provide free access to Britannica School, a safe, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information resource for Elementary, Middle, and High School. With Britannica School, discover encyclopedia articles, multimedia, primary sources, games, and other learning resources that support student research and reinforce curriculum standards. A further homework help site can be found at ProQuest Homework Central, all available on our website to help you and your children get through this difficult homeschooling period. We are pleased to announce that we are now offering free, online homework help to students in Kindergarten - 8th grade. Appointments can be scheduled on our Request Homework Help webpage. More information on this new offering is below.

Stay Connected

Stay up-to-date on what’s happening at the Library by following us on our social media channels (below) and YouTube (Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries). We post regularly about programs, books, websites, and more. We would love you to follow us on our social media platforms! Please also visit our website, www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org, for the latest information.

• Goleta Valley Library: Facebook: Facebook.com/GoletaValleyLibrary and Instagram: Instagram.com/goletavalleylibrary
• Solvang Library: Facebook: Facebook.com/SolvangLibrary and Instagram: Instagram.com/solvanglibrary
• Buellton Library: Facebook: Facebook.com/BuelltonLibraries and Instagram: Instagram.com/buelltonlibrary

We are looking forward to the day where we can get back to normal operations at our libraries but in the meantime, we appreciate your continued support and interest in all of our programs.  Be well.

B. Allison Gray
Library Director

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Library Director Allison Gray at the Goleta Valley Library Sidewalk Service

K-8 Live Online Homework Help

Local Kindergarten – 8^th grade students can now schedule free, online, one-on-one appointments with knowledgeable tutors to receive personalized help with their homework, all from the comfort and convenience of their homes!  Tutoring sessions are offered by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Appointments will be either 30 or 60 minutes long and can be scheduled through a form on the library's Request Homework Help webpage. Once you schedule an appointment, a friendly library staff member will send a confirmation email containing your reservation details and a link to the secure meeting room for your tutoring session. Appointments are held using the free meeting platform GoToMeeting, which allows students to video chat with tutors directly and share their screen for an interactive tutoring experience.

Unemployment Assistance Now on Brainfuse! JobNow

There are lots of great FREE resources available to patrons on the Goleta Valley Library website, including Brainfuse JobNow and VetNow! Log in to JobNow to receive job coaching and access the full-service resume lab. Brainfuse has added unemployment assistance to the JobNow platform, helping assist patrons struggling to file for unemployment benefits. Live support is available Monday - Thursday 3:00 p.m. - 8:59 p.m. These tools are offered over the phone or in an online chat. Brainfuse also has a VetNow component to learn more about eligible VA benefits and community resources.

Winter Reading Challenge is Happening Now!

The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries six-week Winter Reading Challenge for children, teens and adults is currently underway. Sign up at any time to participate! It’s a great way to celebrate the impactful power of books and reading. Since the Winter Reading Challenge launched on January 1, 2021, more than 530 participants have registered and read a total of over 2,600 books, and more than one dozen local organizations and businesses have generously donated prizes to be awarded to readers through weekly drawings. To participate, visit goletavalleylibrary.beanstack.org, or download the free app for Apple and Android devices to log your books on the go.

Get Involved at Your Library in the New Year!

Virtual volunteer opportunities await at the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries. Applications are currently being accepted for teens and adults eager to get involved in their community by volunteering virtually at the library. Teens can earn community service hours or volunteer just for fun by completing online book reviews or contributing to the Teen Graphic Novel Club. The library is also welcoming applications for adult volunteers who are interested in providing online tutoring to help K-8 students succeed academically through the library’s virtual after-school program. For more information, and to apply, click here.

NASA STEM Kits Coming to Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries

Goleta Valley Library has been awarded $5,500 in Library Services and Technology Act grant funding through the California State Library to develop STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) kits to provide learning opportunities for all ages in the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley communities.

This award will allow staff to create multiples of two themed kits, Sun-Earth-Moon Connections and Be a NASA Detective: Expanding Your Senses, which will contain all of the materials and supplies needed to participate in activities that introduce and reinforce STEM concepts. This project, called “Reach for the Stars,” follows a blueprint created by the NASA @ My Library program to connect NASA, public libraries, and their communities through hands-on activities and experiments. Kits will be available starting in summer 2021. Stay tuned for more information.

Sign Up for Free Monthly Craft Kits You can still sign your child(ren) up for the Library’s free monthly craft kids for Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley patrons! Each month you can pick up two craft kits for each child when you come to pick up your books at the Library. When you arrive at the Library and text or call that you are there to pick up your materials, just let us know that you also want your craft kits. It’s as easy as that! Sign up here.

Buellton Library

Writers' Workshop Join local author and staff, Craig Clevenger, in a once monthly virtual Writers' Workshop. This month's workshop is on February 13 at 12:30 p.m. and the theme is "Speaking of Voices: Writing Dialects, Accents & Phonetics in Dialogue: A discussion on the strengths, pitfalls and specific techniques when writing accents and dialects in dramatic dialogue." Bring your questions and get ready to chat with writers about their process. Registration is required for this event - click here to register. Best suited for adults.

Poetry Club Listen to poetry, talk and converse about prose and meaning of an array of poetry in our monthly virtual Poetry Club on February 17 at 3:00 p.m. Meet new people and talk about writing styles, authors, dictation and ways to get started with poetry. Registration is required - click here to register. Participation isn’t required; teens and adults are welcome! Free and open to the public.

Buellton Bookworms For this month's virtual book club on February 19 at 1:00 p.m. we will be discussing Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Set in the marsh of the North Carolina coast, Owens lyrical prose invites the reader to go on a journey with the main character Kya through the flora and fauna of the south. Call the library at 805-688-3115 to reserve a copy of the book or request one online at Blackgold.org. To participate in Buellton Bookworms, register here. Free and open to the public; best fit for adults. See you there!

Solvang Library

Special Guest Storytime Live

Solvang will host a special storytime with guests Madison Wilson and her mother Vashti Wilson on February 6 at 3:00 p.m. They founded the non-profit organization Madi's Treasure Box and through sales of their World Changer multicultural crayons are realizing a mission to provide multicultural tools promoting literacy and inclusion to schools and libraries across the United States. Watch this special storytime live on Solvang Library's Facebook page or on the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries YouTube channel.

Children and Teen Programs at Solvang Library

The Solvang Library offers lot of great monthly programs for children and teens to do virtually. Teens can join Roll Quest, a weekly role-playing game, Tuesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. A new session starts in February. Register here on the library's website for the link and more information. Storytimes with Mr. Zack are broadcast live every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. on both the Solvang Library Facebook page and the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries YouTube channel. Check either site to watch videos of past storytimes. Participate in crafts online with Solvang Library. In February we will explore Paper Flowers! You can request a kit by sending an email to solvanglibrary@cityofgoleta.org. Visit the Events Calendar to see more great programming.

February Programs for Adults at Solvang Library

Solvang Library offers a variety of virtual adult programming from fun to educational. The monthly Bring Your Own Book Club will meet online February 9 at 6:00 p.m. The theme is "Snow." Register here to recieive the participation link. Join in the Investors' Roundtable on February 13 at 3:00 p.m.  No registration is necessary to join the meeting. The meeting link and more information can be found here. Don't miss the Sweet and Savory Cooking Club on February 18 at 4:00 p.m.  No registration is necessary to join. Learn more and get the link to join here. Find out more about what's happening at the library at www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.

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