San Mateo Public Library

Quieres aprender Español en forma divertida? Acompáñenos con Ms. Brenda! Do you want to learn Spanish in a fun way? Join us with Ms. Brenda! For ages 3-7. Register at https://smplibrary.as.me/learn

Enjoy the seven books in the classic Harry Potter series and so much more, available instantly in English and several other languages!

What's your favorite book to read out loud with your family? Is it a picture book or a chapter book? Is it a newly discovered favorite or a well-worn classic? Is there a story behind why it's your favorite? Join us and other families via Zoom to show off your favorite book to read aloud and share what it means to you. Visit https://tinyurl.com/yxah25p9 to register!

It is time for our final Family LEGO Build Challenge! This week's theme is outer space! We built a satellite and a rocket using minimal pieces and a lot of imagination! We hope you've had a lot of fun with these challenges and that you've made some amazing builds. Stay tuned for more LEGO programs for kids and families, including our upcoming LEGO STEM Club!

Looking for something new to read? Sign up for a Mixed Bag and get a brown paper bag with at least 2 free books. This program is for High School students in the 9th 12th grades. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/2Uti1cz

The Family LEGO Build Challenge for this week is...a house! Can you make a tiny shack or a stately manor? How about the home you live in now? We made a cute little split-story dream house this week! If you like what you made, share a photo of it in the comments below!

Always remember: it’s never too late to turn in your overdue library books! This copy of Charlie Brown’s All-Stars came in through our return box. It was only 47 years and 5 months late! . . . #sanmateo #sanmateopubliclibrary #smpl #librariesofinstagram #publiclibrary #librarybook #overduelibrarybook #overduebook #charliebrown #charlesmschulz

Enter the Black History Month Art & Writing Contest for teens at https://www.cityofsanmateo.org//Black-History-Month-Contes

Aileen Cassinetto, Poet Laureate of San Mateo County, edited an anthology of poems called: I Have a Dream: Inaugural Poems For a New Generation. She writes: The idea for this anthology came about after more than 100 of our county’s high school students spent the last month of 2020 attending poetry workshops and crafting inaugural poems. Partly inspired by the Academy of American Poets’ 2021 Inaugural Poem Contest, we challenged San Mateo County’s youth to write about their views, their experiences and their hopes for America. Our purpose is not only to amplify the voices of our young people, but also acknowledge that they are co-authors of our national and community narrative, and of the spaces which they inhabit. Visit https://www.culturalweekly.com/i-have-a-dream-inaugural-po/ to read a few sample poems.

We are posting LEGO build challenges all through the month of December! This week's LEGO Family Build Challenge is...build a present! We made some pretty packages tied up with string, um, bricks, and would love to see what you can come up with! If you like what you made, share a picture in the comments!

This program takes one book and explores different ways to prepare preschoolers to learn how to read on their own through a short discussion of the story and an interactive activity and craft. In January, we will read Lucky Ducklings, by Eva Moore. Craft kits for this program can be picked up through our curbside service. To register, visit https://smplibrary.as.me/preschoollitfest

Great news! San Mateo Public Library will be moving our digital magazines from RBdigital to the Libby app as part of our OverDrive collection on February 1, 2021. You will continue to be able to browse, borrow, and enjoy all the same great magazines you loved in the RBdigital app, now available in Libby from OverDrive. If you have already been enjoying the Libby app, there will be no change, other than you may notice even more great titles available for you to borrow.

Missed the 1000 Book Challenge last week? Stop by today 11am-1:30pm or tomorrow 4-6pm at the Main Library and pick up a free book for kids (0-12 years) #smplibrary #plslibraries

Happy Holidays from everyone at the San Mateo Public Library! As a reminder, our book return box is closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25, and Jan. 1.

Explore yoga-inspired movement and mindfulness practice for preschoolers (and up) and their caregivers. Registration is required: https://smplibrary.as.me/sss A recording may be available for participants unable to attend due to registration limits, please email Adriana to request temporary access to a recording: [email protected]

Cold weather is the best time to knit yourself (or a loved one) a warm scarf or a pair of mittens! Look for knit, crochet, and embroidery design inspiration by vising Hoopla today.

Join us for an overview of learning differences and its impact on children's learning, presented by Certified Educational Therapist Maayan Glaser-Koren, MA. To register, visit https://smplibrary.as.me/learning

Join us on our Animal Crossing island for a winter celebration on December 26! Add friend code SW 3212-7843-1039 for access to the island. To chat in Zoom during the event, visit https://bit.ly/2JGFrcw to register.

For kids in grades K-3. Sign up for reading practice with a volunteer on November 3 and November 17, and bring your favorite books! Registration required. To sign up. visit http://forms.gle/dUTtxpv32nSTh9ph6

Visit https://smplibrary.as.me/RedCross to register for a Red Cross emergency preparedness program for kids!

We are still going strong for the Grab & Go holiday gifts for kids, today at the Main library from 11-2! We have added more books, so if you arrive after the gifts are gone you can still pick up one free brand new book!

Don't forget to download your favorite contemporary holiday favorites from Hoopla to help you spread holiday cheer!

The SMPL Book Discussion Group plans to meet Thursday, November 5 at 5 p.m. on Zoom to discuss The Queens of Animation: The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History by Nathalia Holt. Please contact Cynthia McCarthy at [email protected] for the Zoom meeting link.

Learn Python with the library’s Girls who Code club! On Thursday evenings through December 17, we’ll learn basic Python concepts virtually via Zoom. No prior knowledge is needed, and Zoom breakout rooms will be used to tailor the class to experience level as needed. For ALL 6th-12th graders boys, girls, gender non-conforming, and nonbinary. Click below to register: https://smplibrary.as.me/schedule.php

Celebrate Indie Author Day with the San Mateo Public Library and California Writers Club-SF Peninsula Branch Saturday, November 7 with a live panel and workshop videos about writing and publishing. Longtime partners in the library's writing programs, Writers Helping Writers and Shut Up & Write!, CWC members will talk about what belonging to a writers' group has meant to them and their careers. Please join us at 1 p.m. Saturday, November 7 to hear published authors Geri Spiele...r (Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at President Ford, San Francisco Values: Common Ground for Getting America Back on Track), Audrey Kalman (Tiny Shoes Dancing, What Remains Unsaid), Joan Gelfand (You Can Be a Winning Writer, Extreme: A Novel) and other writers reveal the secrets of joining with and supporting other writers. Email Cynthia McCarthy at [email protected] for the Zoom meeting link.

Join us for a spooky Halloween themed Storytime for ALL AGES! This Storytime will provide an opportunity for participants to interact with each other and the presenter through Zoom, registration is required. https://smplibrary.as.me/spooky For those unable to register, this Storytime will also be streamed live on YouTube.

Presenting a bilingual storytime via Zoom with Ms. Brenda every Monday at 2 pm! Visit https://smplibrary.as.me/bilingual to register. Participants will get the link to access Zoom the day before the session.

The San Mateo Public Library is pleased to share our Impact Report for 2019-2020! The annual report highlights some of the exciting programs, diverse resources and services, and community connections at the library during the fiscal year. https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/.../Impact-Report-2019-2020

Instantly read, watch, and listen to spooky stories for kids with Hoopla and your library card! We really love "Gustavo the Shy Ghost." Happy Halloween!