Reading is a Gift: Join the December Library Fun

There is lots of fun in store at the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley Libraries this holiday season! Patrons can pick up a free copy of The Polar Express by two-time Caldecott medalist Chris Van Allsburg at the Goleta, Buellton, and Solvang Libraries, while supplies last. At Goleta Valley Library and Solvang Library, young patrons can enjoy searching for the Elf on the Shelf. At Buellton Library, children have the opportunity to write Letters to Santa and receive a reply from the North Pole! More details are available here.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program Re-Launches

The Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are excited to resume their 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program with all-new reading logs and fun prizes!

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is an early literacy program popular at libraries across the country. It encourages parents and caregivers to read to their children, which helps prepare them for school readiness and lifelong success by building a strong foundation for later reading and writing. Learn more here.

Book Your Winter Getaway! Discover New Adventures while Reading

Let’s start the new year with a great read! The Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries are excited to launch their 10^th annual Winter Reading Program on Tuesday, January 4^th. The program is open to all ages and will run through Friday, March 4^th. This year’s theme – Book a Winter Getaway! – invites readers to discover a new adventure in the pages of a book.  More details will be announced closer to the start date of the program.

Goleta Valley Library Bookvan Off to Impressive Start

Updated Schedule Released

The Goleta Valley Library Bookvan is off to an impressive start providing new library services to the Isla Vista community. Since the Bookvan rolled into Isla Vista on October 4, 2021, it has served more than 1,000 people. These patrons have been getting library cards, books, audiovisual materials, Library of Things items, technology, craft kits for kids, honor system books, free books, and more. 

Due to Daylight Saving Time, the Bookvan schedule has been modified, but will continue to operate Monday through Friday with a repeating schedule every two weeks. Read more here.

Zip Book Program Resumes!

We are pleased to announce that after a pause of six months, funding for the Zip Book program has been secured from the California State Library. Patrons can now begin placing zip book requests. The program’s goal is to support library patrons who live in rural areas who do not have easy access to their home library.  Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Library patrons in good standing can have five books per month sent to their home address directly from Amazon. Regular and large prints books, and books on CD published prior to 2020 can be requested. For more information and to place a zip book request click here. 

Introducing hoopla BingePass

hoopla BingePass is now available at the Goleta & Santa Ynez Valley Libraries!  BingePass is a new type of hoopla Instant borrow that provides library patrons with unlimited access to popular streaming content for seven days, using only one hoopla Instant borrow.  BingePass launches with the addition of hoopla Magazines and The Great Courses Library Collection. Patrons will have unlimited access to that collection for seven days. There is so much you will be able to do: read 1 – 50 magazines, complete a full course from The Great Courses, or bounce between multiple courses to explore a variety of interests.  BingePass is available on the hoopla browser experience, and it’ll appear in iOS and Android experiences as soon as the app on the patron’s device is updated.

Calling All Teens

Are you looking for a fun way to earn community service hours online over winter break? Do you love comics and graphic novels? We have just the club for you! Click here to register for our next online meeting of the Teen Graphic Novel Club on December 28^th at 3:30 p.m. We’ll chat about the manga adaptation of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas by Jun Asuka and Klaus (Vols. 1-7) by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. Both are free and instantly downloadable with your library card through Hoopla. Attendees can earn community service hours by acting as a discussion leader during the meeting, creating flyers and bookmarks for the club, and writing book reviews on this month's books. Email awhelan@cityofgoleta.org for details.

Buellton Bookworms

Start the New Year off with the Buellton Bookworms on January 21 at 1:00 p.m. The Buellton Bookworms meets virtually every 3rd Friday of the month. In January we will be talking about Jessica Bruder's Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century which was recently turned into an award winning film. Click here to register and access the meeting link. Stop by the library to pick up your copy or request one online.

Book Club for Kids

Readers 8 - 12 years old are invited to explore new books with Solvang's Book Club for Kids. The group meets virtually twice a month for 30 minutes. December's book is "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker. The next meeting is December 29 at 4:00 p.m. January's book is "Efren Divided" by Ernesto Cisneros and will meet January 12 and 26 at 4:00 p.m. Register on the Library's website calendar. The first ten children to register will receive a free copy of the book.