San Francisco Public Library Bernal Heights Branch

Even though we can’t offer our normal storytimes and programs for the time being, we encourage you to play at home to keep children engaged, learning and happy. Check out some of our play-at-home activities, developed by SFPL's Early Learning Services Committee.

To our beloved patrons, We are writing to share the latest information and guidance regarding the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Over the weekend, the Department of Public Health issued the ORDER OF THE HEALTH OFFICER No. C19-02 with instructions for City-owned facilities to cancel all non-essential group events to facilitate social distancing, which will help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our community. In accordance with this directive, the Library is canc...elling all programs, classes and events, including community use of meeting rooms until further notice. If you have questions about a particular event or about checked out items, please call your local branch or the main line at (415) 557-4400. You can also chat with a librarian by clicking on the Chat with Us icon on our homepage. http://sfpl.org Protect, Prepare and Know the Facts As a reminder, the best ways to reduce risk of getting sick, as with seasonal colds or the flu, still applies to prevent COVID-19: Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Cover your cough or sneeze. Stay home if you are sick. Avoid touching your face. Try alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave. If you have recently returned from a country, state or region with ongoing COVID-19 infections, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials. Vulnerable individuals, which is defined as 60+ years or who have health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease and weakened immune systems, are recommended to limit outings, avoid large gatherings, telecommute if possible, stay home if they are sick and avoid people who are sick. There is no recommendation to wear masks at this time to prevent yourself from getting sick. Please refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for frequently asked questions. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html Library Access from Home https://sfpl.org/books-and-media/elibrary The Library’s robust digital services give card holders 24/7 free access to ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, classes and more. For official updates about the coronavirus text COVID19SF to 888-777. You can also stay informed by visiting SF72.org. Remember, we are all in this together, and together we’ll get through this.

Do you know a teen going into grade 10-12 in the fall that's interested in giving back to their community, learning valuable workplace skills, making their voices heard, and earning a $500 scholarship this summer? Applications are now open for the YELL (Youth Engaged in Library Leadership) program, which will be hosted at Bernal Heights, Bayview, Chinatown, Excelsior, North Beach, Ortega, Parkside, Portola, Sunset and Visitacion Valley! Teens can complete the YELL application in person or online at https://themixatsfpl.org/jobs-and-volunteer

Want to find out about all of the activities happening at the Bernal Heights Branch Library? Sign up for our online newsletter and never miss an author event, storytime, musical performance, or craft program again.

We are so excited to host Keenan Webster again! Join us for this special program for More Than a Month: Black History, Culture and Heritage -- this Saturday 2/29 at 2pm.

Are you tired of waiting in line for popular titles? Come check out the Lucky Day Collection at the Bernal Heights Branch launching on Sunday, March 1. These are copies of our most popular books that cannot be reserved and are available immediately for the next lucky person. Stop in. You might get lucky!

Join us tonight, 2/5 from 7-8 pm for the first in a three part parenting series at the library. Anya Manes, local educator and counselor, will discuss how to talk to your kids about sex. Learn about conversations that are developmentally appropriate, how to present information comfortably, and how to teach key relationship skills.

Come celebrate Elephant & Piggie this Friday! Party starts at 3:30pm. Tickets will be given out at the Children's Desk starting at 3pm. See you there!

Please join us for these important discussions. The first talk in our parenting series is this Wednesday, February 5th. For parents of children of all ages.

Play to learn at the library! Join us this Sunday, 1/26, 2-4pm for dress up, stamp art, building toys and more. Perfect for ages 0-5, but all are welcome.

Come indoors for Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema’s first, quarterly, free Face-to-Face with the Filmmaker screening of the 2020 season. Theo Rigby, director of the film Waking Dream, will be in attendance tomorrow, 1/22 from 7-8:30 pm at the Bernal Heights Branch Library.

Trying to save money in 2020? Here are a few way the library can help! Watch free streaming movies with Kanopy... https://sfpl.kanopy.com - Enjoy critically-acclaimed movies, documentaries, award-winning foreign films and more. Stream on your computer or connect to your Apple TV, Roku, Android TV and others. Read the latest magazines with Flipster for free https://bit.ly/2SObrOi - Read popular digital magazine titles online from a computer or download them to a smartphone or tablet using the mobile app for offline reading. Read the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Consumer Reports, Wired, Car & Driver, Vogue and more. Visit museums for free with Discover and Go! https://sfpl.discoverandgo.net - Library users who are San Francisco residents can access free passes to more than a dozen San Francisco Bay Area museums and attractions with the use of their library card. With Discover & Go, library users can better reserve a pass online with their library card and print their tickets at home or at the neighborhood library. Get free tickets to SFMOMA, California Academy of Sciences, Exploratorium and more.