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SPL Biweekly Newsletter | April 17, 2026
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#LitLibLoot is a no cost book subscription program for teens in grades 6-12. When you sign up you will receive 2-3 YA books picked specifically for you. While any library items included in the subscription must be returned, all the special mystery loot is yours to keep!
If you have not already participated this cycle, sign-ups are still open for May subscriptions! Get a head start on summer reading or find some reads to help you unwind as the school year draws to an end. We will check in with you at the beginning of the month and remind you that your subscription is on its way. You can then expect to be contacted to pick up your subscription around the middle of the month. A new round of sign-ups will open in the fall, so stay tuned for more details.
Sign-ups will remain open through Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Fill out the sign-up survey to register.
Click here to register.
Kids, get ready for some fun at the library with Cartoon Club! Come relax in the middle of the week, watching a series of silly cartoons for the whole family.
Wednesdays in April, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
John Steinbeck Library
No registration required
Come by El Gabilan Library this Saturday for the final session of The Game Zone, where kids can play card games, board games, and other fun activities. This Saturday, we’ll be doing a scavenger hunt, coloring pages, snacks and more.
Saturday, April 18, 2026
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
El Gabilan Library
No registration required.
Get ready for something special this month! It's time to dress up in your finest attire and come practice your manners at our Tea Party. Sip some tea, indulge in scrumptious snacks, and participate in games and activities. Fun for the entire family, all ages welcomed.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Cesar Chavez Library
No registration required.
TEENS! Roll your own sushi-shaped candles out of beeswax! We will be working with beeswax sheets and the end result will be a candle that can burn from 2-3 hours. We'll provide the directions, supplies, and snacks.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
John Steinbeck Library TEEN AREA
No registration required.
Time to dive under the sea with this library DIY Kit! We're exploring the world of tie-dye, but instead of shirts, we're dying stingrays. Create your own colorful underwater world!
Thursday, April 23, 2026
2:00 PM - 6:00 PM - While supplies last.
All Library Locations
No registration required
Can you guess what's in the spotlight? On the first Saturday of every month we shine our storytime spotlight on something new. Join us for stories, music, and a themed craft as we have fun together!
Saturday, May 2, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
El Gabilan Library
No registration required
Questions about a kid or teen program?
Click the button below to send a message!
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Join us in celebrating the Day of the Children! Enjoy a live performance by Aguacate Music Kids, **FREE books** for every child, and delicious KONA Ice. Don't miss out on this exciting event, no registration is required!
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cesar Chavez Library
For more information on all of our Adult and Family Literacy services, call (831) 758-7916.
April is National Poetry Month, and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than with our next virtual author talk! Miranda Cowley Heller, New York Times bestselling author of "The Paper Palace," will share her debut poetry collection "What the Deep Water Knows," an exquisite series of reflections on love in all its seasons. In poetry that is lyrical and quick-witted, gentle and devastatingly frank, Heller contemplates time, marriage, and motherhood in verse that will envelop you and bring you to the water's emotional edge. Don't miss out!
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Virtual
Register here.
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Since 1790, the U.S Census has been a resource both for community planning and for genealogists. Once you find a relative, the wealth of information can help establish or confirm details about an ancestor’s life. In this class, we’ll talk about all the things the Census has and doesn’t have for genealogical research including supplementary documents and unexpected notations.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM PDT
Virtual
Register here.
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Behind every family tree are fascinating stories, unexpected discoveries, and a few puzzles still waiting to be solved. Our Virtual Genealogy Work Group is a welcoming space to share research ideas, learn about helpful resources, and connect with others who enjoy exploring family history. Whether you’re taking your first steps into genealogy or have years of research experience, you’re invited to join the conversation, swap strategies, and continue the journey of uncovering the past together.
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
6:00 PM -7:00 PM PDT
Virtual
To get the Zoom link, please contact Cathy at Cathleen.Andrews@salinas.gov
Find calm and clarity in the midst of daily life. This four part class offers a beginner-friendly, traditional approach to Heart Zen meditation to help cultivate mindfulness, even in the busiest moments of life.
Charles Meng is a Salinas-based retired educator with over 16 years of meditation experience. A former instructor at Monterey Zen Meditation Center, Charles is passionate about helping beginners find clarity and balance through simple, effective Zen practices.
Bring your own yoga mat! Chairs available upon request.
First four Saturdays of May
May 2, 9, 16, & 23
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Cesar Chavez Library
This is not a drop-in program. Attendance is required at all four sessions.
Please register here.
Questions about an adult or literacy program?
Click the button below to send a message!
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Library Collection & Resources
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Have you bean enjoying Abbott Elementary, Arcane, and other TV shows? Let Novelist Plus show you books perfect to pair with your favorite TV. Choose from a variety of filters like genre and point of view to make sure you’re really finding your next best read of the year.
Log in free with your library card today!
Happy Deoxyribonucleic Acid Day, or DNA Day, April 25th! Using Britannica Education online, learn about all the cutting-edge advances in the genetics field like DNA origami. Enjoy not only articles and biographies with live adaptable reading levels, but also expert-curated and accessible images and videos.
Log in free with your library card today!
Questions about our collection or online resources? Click the button below to send a message!
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Other News from the Library |
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Attention people of Salinas - We want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes out of your day to tell us what you want from your library. Currently, we have two surveys out to the public:
Help Shape Your Library Survey
The Help Shape Your Library Survey is your opportunity to help determine the direction of Salinas Public Library into the rest of 2025 and beyond. In this survey, we want to know who you are, how you use the library, and what you want to see more of from us, whether that's a bigger library collection, more programs and events, more seating and spaces in the library, more online resources and digital materials, more technology and equipment available to use, or something else. Click here to take the survey and help shape your library!
Operating Hours Expansion Survey
The Operating Hours Expansion Survey is your chance to tell us when you want the library open. Are you looking for later nights? Earlier mornings? More weekend availability? More opportunities to visit a specific library location? We want to know how we can best serve you! Click here to take the survey.
Friends of the Salinas Public Library May Sale! 50% off of everything.
May 4 - 7, 2026
FOSPL Corner Bookshop at John Steinbeck Library
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
FOSPL Book Nooks at Cesar Chavez Library and El Gabilan Library during normal library hours.
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