News Room Archive

We're excited to announce our new OverDrive/Libby platform!

As part of Santa Barbara Public Library’s Book to Action program, the library invites you to write a poem inspired by the Channel Islands.

Do you read the NYT through the library's website? Please take a few minutes to fill out a survey about your experience.

Santa Barbara City Council approved a proposal to forgive outstanding fines and fees on library accounts in order to facilitate the transition to a new catalog and welcome patrons back to the Library.

Since October, Santa Barbara Public Library has been visiting Neighborhood Navigation Centers withs its Library on the Go outreach vehicle to provide services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

SBPL’s workforce development program, SBPL Works!, began offering scholarships for restaurant workers to earn food handlers certifications as part of a grant-funded initiative.

PlayFest Santa Barbara, under the Artistic Direction of R. Michael Gros, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library presents the (covid-delayed) Ninth Annual Festival of New Plays. The staged reading of Jerry Slaff's Honoree Play, LIES, will take place at the Santa Barbara Public Library at 40 E. Anapamu Street on Saturday, April 30th, at 6 PM. LIES was selected as the 2021 Honoree play following an international competition.

Santa Barbara Public Library has received a grant from the California State Library distribute 100 copies of the featured title, Island Visions, and implement related programming, with the hopes of inspiring members of the community to engage with important topics and make meaningful connections with each other, while taking action to improve their lives and invest in a more sustainable future.

On Tuesday, March 8, Santa Barbara City Council allocated $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the Library’s collection budget, especially digital content.

During the pandemic, the Library quickly pivoted to provide services by mail, virtually, and prioritized public service while maintaining health and safety precautions, even while other libraries within the County closed. SBPL has seen a 57% increase in cardholders from February 2019 to February 2022, and continues to add on average 500 new cardholders a month. Many of these new cardholders are interested in accessing the Library’s digital collections, including ebooks, digital audiobooks, many of the Library’s online learning programs, such as Mango Languages, Consumer Reports, and Linkedin Learning. ARPA funding will help meet this increased demand, and allow SBPL to continue to curate excellent collections of physical books as well.

Since the pandemic began, many working families are using a combination of friends, family, and neighbor caregivers to piece together care for their young children before they begin school. SBPL wants to support these burgeoning small business providers.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is now offering passes to visit MOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden to SBPL cardholders.

Carpinteria is in the process of becoming an independent Library jurisdiction. This decision was made last year by the Carpinteria City Council.

Existing Carpinteria account holders have the option to remain a member of SBPL by contacting staff in person at any SBPL location or the Carpinteria Community Library, by phone (805) 962-7653 or (805) 684-4314, or email CarpinteriaLibrary@SantaBarbaraCA.gov. Library staff can assign your account to Central Library, Eastside Library, or Montecito Library by 4/13 by 5 pm. After this time, you would need to visit an SBPL location in person to apply for a new SBPL card.

The Santa Barbara Public Library joins partnering community organizations in celebrating Vincent Van Gogh’s contributions to the Art World during the month of March.

SBPL is here to answer your questions about anything regarding our withdrawal from Black Gold and what this means for you and library services.

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of the diverse and rich history of African Americans. In honor of Black History Month, the Santa Barbara Public Library invites the community to celebrate by participating in a series of programs and resources that includes music education, storytelling, book discussions, and more.

2021 was a year full of unexpected challenges for families, caregivers and young children. Pandemic conditions undermined opportunities for little ones to learn social skills and for parents and caregivers to seek support from their community.

La Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara ha lanzado una iniciativa para ayudar a evaluar cómo puede mejorar sus servicios para satisfacer mejor las necesidades de la comunidad de habla hispana.

The Santa Barbara Public Library has launched an initiative to help assess how it can improve services to better meet the needs of the Spanish-speaking community. The Spanish Outreach Team has been collaborating with local organizations to assess what services will be most beneficial.

As members of Black Gold Library Cooperative, SBPL and SLO Library have been advocating for several years for all member libraries, including Santa Paula, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Goleta, and Paso Robles to transition to a new catalog system that would improve statistical reporting, allow for more customization by individual library jurisdictions, improve the user experience, and reduce costs

Due to the increased community transmission of COVID-19, SBPL has introduced a modified service model for use of indoor Library facilities from Thursday, January 6 through January 31, 2022 that limits library visits to 30 minutes or less.

La Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara ubicada en 40 E. Anapamu estará cerrada al público el martes 18 de enero de 2022 en conmemoración del Día de Martin Luther King, Jr.

Santa Barbara Public Library’s Central location at 40 E. Anapamu will be closed to the public on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

SBPL Biblioteca Express

Debido al aumento de la transmisión comunitaria de COVID-19, la Biblioteca está introduciendo un modelo de servicio modificado para el uso de las Instalaciones de la Biblioteca desde el jueves 6 de enero hasta el 31 de enero de 2022. La Biblioteca evaluará las condiciones de salud pública a fin de mes y podría extender el modelo de servicio modificado.

Due to the increased community transmission of COVID-19, the Library is introducing a modified service model for use of Library Facilities from Thursday, January 6 through February 14, 2022. The Library will evaluate public health conditions at the end of the month and may extend the modified service model.

Are you looking for opportunities to develop new skills for work, school, or perhaps just want to fulfill a New Year's resolution? Santa Barbara Public Library now offers access to learning platforms Coursera and LearningExpress. Both resources are available for free with your Santa Barbara Public Library card.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is inviting artists to submit proposals for youth and family arts activities in February 2022.

Santa Barbara Public Library has a new catalog called Aspen Discovery. Our new catalog makes it even easier to borrow materials from the library, whether you are using a desktop computer or a mobile device.

All Santa Barbara Public Library locations and book drops will be closed Friday, December 24th through Monday, January 3rd. For more information on hours, visit our Locations & Hours page.

Santa Barbara Public Library is adjusting service hours in response to updated public health guidelines. All SBPL locations will be closed for the Independence Holiday weekend July 3-July 5, 2021. Book returns will be closed at Central Library as well, but remain open at Eastside, Carpinteria, and Montecito locations. No materials are due at this time.

Beginning July 6th, the Central Library will increase service hours. This schedule of open hours will be in effect for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2022. Due to COVID-19 related budget cuts, Central and Eastside Library will not be returning to pre-pandemic hours this fiscal year.

SBPL invites the community to read and celebrate Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise this fall as a part of this year’s annual SB Reads program — NEA Big Read: Santa Barbara Reads.

La Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara invita a la comunidad a una serie de eventos de un mes que celebran la cultura de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos de Santa Bárbara.

The Santa Barbara Public Library invites the community to a month-long series of events celebrating the culture of Santa Barbara Latin American immigrants.

A favorite recipe can instantly transport someone to their country of origin and offer their children a taste of home. Now we are inviting members of our immigrant community to share their traditional family recipes in a cookbook.

La comida es una celebración de la cultura que nos conecta con la herencia familiar. Ahora estamos invitando a los miembros de nuestra comunidad de inmigrantes a compartir sus recetas familiares tradicionales para un libro de cocina.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is inviting poets of all ages to enter our Santa Barbara Reads 2021 Poetry Contest! Winning poems will be displayed at the SB Reads Kick-Off event in November as part of the LIbrary’s Poetry Walk experience.

En celebración del Mes de la Herencia Hispana y como parte de un Proyecto de Cal Humanities que explora la Identidad de los Inmigrantes, la Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara invita a los artistas de origen latinoamericano a presentar sus obras de arte para una exhibición en las Galerías Faulkner durante los meses de septiembre y Octubre de 2021.

(English)

In Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and as part of a Cal Humanities Project exploring Immigrant Identity, SBPL invites artists of Latin American origin to submit works of visual art for a featured show, The Things We Do Not Say: Intergenerational Conversations Through Art on Taboo Subjects, in the East and West Faulkner Galleries during the months of September and October 2021.

(En Español)

The Santa Barbara Public Library invites children, teens, and adults to celebrate reading by signing up for the annual Summer Reading Program, “On the Same Page.”

Santa Barbara Public Library will increase access to buildings for expanded library services beginning June 1st, 2021.

To prepare the buildings for reopening, all SBPL locations will be closed on Saturday, May 29th.

The public will be invited to visit the Library for up to 30 minutes at a time. To ensure that all are able to access the Library, patrons will be limited to one visit per day. Each building will have limited capacity to ensure social distancing and are set at 25% building capacity, including Library staff.

Santa Barbara Public Library is now offering computer access at Eastside Library for 30 minute appointments Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 1 pm, and Fridays from 2 pm to 5 pm. Patrons will need to have a library card, or can apply for an internet only card in order to use the computer. Computer use will be limited to one 30 minute session a day, and patrons must follow all public health guidelines.

SBPL is reaching out to local businesses to become destinations in a summer scavenger hunt for all ages. Each year the library runs Summer Reading to encourage reading, learning, and community engagement for residents during the summer months.

SBPL is partnering with local organizations and leaders as part of the library’s Book to Action programming, designed to inspire the community to read and discuss a book around important themes, then take action to address community issues.

SBPL will be adding a mobile library branch and hitting the road in 2021 thanks to the generous support of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation.

The Nurturing Know-How Series will offer free virtual learning opportunities for caregivers on topics of daycare licensure, early literacy, child health, safety practices/first aid, small business skills, school readiness, and developmentally appropriate learning activities, and related topics.

Questions about the COVID-19 vaccine? Learn how to sign up to receive the vaccine and more on the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department's website and the State of California's website.

SBPL has increased the holds limit for each library account from 10 items to 20 items to make it easier for patrons to request physical library materials, such as books and DVDs.

As the Santa Barbara community moves into the next phase of the pandemic, the Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) continues to bring new programming and ways to engage.

Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) is pleased to announce the launch of Brainfuse JobNow/VetNow™ as part of its Vets Connect @ the Library resources.

In accordance with the City of Santa Barbara holiday closure, All Santa Barbara Public Library locations will be closed Wednesday, December 23, 2020 through Monday, January 4, 2021.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is inviting local authors, writers, publishers, and researchers to submit proposals for virtual workshops for SBPL’s Local Author Days in late January 2021.

As we enter the cold and rainy season, we’ll be transitioning our holds pickup and browsing opportunities indoors beginning Wednesday, December 2.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is excited to announce this fall’s Santa Barbara Reads program, SB Reads: Create! featuring Big Magic: How to Live a Creative Life, and Let Go of Your Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Santa Barbara Reads is the Santa Barbara Public Library’s annual community read program. Generously funded by the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation and support from California Humanities, SB Reads 2020: Create! will investigate the creative process, and will feature the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, along with a small selection of other titles in English and Spanish. The goal of the program is to engage the community with local artists and writers to explore creativity and, as Gilbert suggests in her book, encourage embracing “a life that is driven more strongly by curiosity than by fear."

The Library’s buildings may not be open, but Santa Barbara Public Library has never truly closed.

Over the last six months, Library staff have creatively adapted in order to offer services during the COVID-19 pandemic. From mailing books during the stay at home order, generously funded by the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation, to continuing to offer Lunch at the Library in partnership with the Foodbank over the summer, the Library has continued to provide critical services.

Please help the Library prepare for fall 2020 by completing a survey.

In partnership with the Pacific Pride Foundation on Thursday, June 18 at 5:30pm, Bornstein will be a guest speaker at the kick-off to their PROUD Summer Program for LGBTQ+ & Ally Youth on Tuesday, June 16. This program will meet online 4:30 - 6:00 PM every Tuesday and Thursday - exploring LGBTQ+ youth fiction and graphic novels accessible online through the Library. Interested teens can sign up with Pacific Pride Foundation by filling out this form.

The Library is a source of information for all, and dedicated to elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color through our programming and collections. We’re also committed to interrogating our own systems, policies, and work as an institution.

Santa Barbara Public Library is inviting the community to read and discuss a book that tackles the difficult issue of suicide and mental health for this year’s Book to Action programming.The Santa Barbara Public Library is one of 25 California libraries chosen for Book to Action 2020, funded by the California Center for the Book.

The Santa Barbara Public Library and Office of Arts & Culture congratulates SB’s Poet Laureate, Laure-Anne Bosselaar, on her most recent poetry prize. We caught up with Laure-Anne and asked her a few questions.

SBPL has been working with SBUSD to create a simple, straightforward way for students to access Library materials, both by checking out books or materials, or accessing SBPL’s extensive digital collections.

While the Library is closed to the public, staff are still available to offer remote services for the Library's workforce development program, SBPL Works!

SBPL Delivers es un programa piloto que le permite recibir entre 1 y 4 artículos de la biblioteca en la puerta de su casa mientras que usted no puede venir a la biblioteca. Debido a que este es un programa piloto, estamos limitando las solicitudes a una por persona.

Websites and resources related to COVID-19, including individual mental health and healthcare resources, and support for impacted workers, nonprofits, and businesses.

The County of Santa Barbara’s Public Health Officer has declared that a local health emergency exists in Santa Barbara due to an imminent and proximate threat to the public health due to COVID-19. The emergency declaration implements the Governor’s executive order on large public gatherings and social distancing.

In order to implement the declaration and executive order all Santa Barbara Public Library locations will be closed effective March 14 through at least April 5, with a tentative reopening date of April 6.

In response to the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance on Gatherings, the Library will be cancelling all public programs through April 30th.

En respuesta a las recomendaciones de la Guía de Reuniones del Departamento de Salud Pública de California, la Biblioteca cancelará todos los programas públicos hasta abril.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is pleased to announce that on Saturday, February 29th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Central Library will be hosting a Volunteer Fair.

Santa Barbara Public Library is pleased to announce the re-opening of the newly renovated Eastside Branch Library.

SBPL is expanding the types of items you can borrow and classes you can take from the Library through a partnership with Girls Rock of Santa Barbara with a collection circulating electric, acoustic, and bass guitars, amps, and ukuleles.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is transitioning patron passwords from last name to a 4 digit Personal Identification Number (PIN). This is to simplify the patron user experience both inside and outside of the library.

The Central Library will be hosting a Volunteer Fair on Saturday, September 14th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

The Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) has joined the Santa Barbara VetNet group with other veteran-serving organizations and is bringing together many of the resources provided by these groups at the Central Library.

Calling all artists! What does the library card mean to you? Enter the 2019 Library Card Design Contest for a chance to have your artwork featured on a limited edition SBPL library card.

Celebrate Harry Potter's Birthday with us at our 3rd annual event on July 31, 2019 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm! This year is bigger and better than ever (we're talking 3 floors of magic and fun).

The Santa Barbara Public Library is hosting a career fair on Saturday, July 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Eastside Library.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is excited to announce its selection for this fall’s 18th annual Santa Barbara Reads program, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

A partir del 1 de julio de 2019, La Biblioteca Pública de Santa Bárbara ya no cobrará multas por materiales vencidos regresado tarde.

The Santa Barbara Public Library will stop charging overdue fees beginning today.

SBPL is going fine free July 1, 2019!

From now through August 1 all members of the community are invited to participate in this year's program of Choose Adventure. Sign up or view the complete summer guide at SBPLibrary.org/summer.

Santa Barbara Public Library is excited to announce their selection by the ARISS-US Team (Amateur Radio on the International Space Station) to host an amateur radio contact with International Space Station (ISS) crew members using the ARISS equipment on the ISS. This is a once in a lifetime experience made possible by the Amateur Radio community in cooperation with NASA.

Frequently asked questions about the transition of the Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos, and Santa Ynez libraries.

As of July 1, 2019, following the transition of the Buellton, Solvang, Los Olivos, and Santa Ynez libraries to the management of the Goleta Valley Public Library, the Santa Barbara Public Library will consist of the Central, Eastside, Carpinteria, and Montecito Branch Libraries.

The staged reading of Anna Nicholas’ Honoree Play, OUT THERE RIGHT HERE, will take place in the Santa Barbara Central Library on Saturday, May 25th, at 6 p.m.

Food insecurity is a complex issue that overlaps with other issues such as food production and availability systems, living wages, affordable housing, transportation availability, and discrimination. This intersectionalism is covered in the Central Library’s Book to Action selection for 2019, The Unending Hunger: Tracing Women and Food Insecurity Across Borders by Megan Carney.

Santa Barbara Public Library has new volunteer opportunities with trainings in late April and throughout May.

Santa Barbara Public Library will be hosting an evening with author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosockza at 7 pm on Thursday, April 11, in the Faulkner Gallery at 40 E. Anapamu, Santa Barbara. Krosoczka will be discussing Hey, Kiddo, his moving illustrated memoir about growing up in a family grappling with his mother’s heroin addiction.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is pleased to announce that on Saturday, May 11^th from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Central Library will be hosting its second annual Volunteer Fair.

On March 26, 2019, the Santa Barbara City Council agenda includes the installation of Laure-Anne Bosselaar as Poet Laureate in the annual National Poetry Month Proclamation.

Beginning Thursday, February 14, Santa Barbara Public Library System will be hosting a weekly bilingual playgroup for young children and their caregivers from 8:30 am to 10:30 am at the Eastside Library 1102 E Montecito St., Santa Barbara. You can also get a taste of the fun when our "Library on the Go" will be set up at "Kids World" Alameda Park on Saturday, February 16 between 2:00 and 3:00 pm.

In commemoration of the one year anniversary of the debris flows that devastated so many in the greater Santa Barbara community the Santa Barbara Central Library and the Squire Foundation are offering a poetry workshop on Saturday 1/26 at the Central Library from 10 am to 2 pm.

As part of the Santa Barbara Central Library's commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Santa Barbara oil spill, they have partnered with the Squire Foundation and the Energy Justice in Global Perspective Sawyer Seminar to host an artist talk and panel, Art in Environmental Activism, on Wednesday 1/16 at 6 pm at the Central Library.

Beginning January 9th, entrepreneurs, innovators, funders, and other interested community members are invited to attend the Eastside Library's 1 Million Cups gathering each Wednesday from 9 to 10 a.m. at 1102 E. Montecito Street.

Santa Barbara Public Library is offering a series of beginner and advanced coding classes for children and teens this January.

The Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St., offers classes every Tuesday for adults to learn and practice digital and technological skills in the Library’s Tech Lab. In December the library is offering: Social Media Basics, Cutting the Cable Cord, and 3D Printing.

The Santa Barbara Public Library will be hosting a Community Baby Shower at the Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St., on December 1st from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. If you're expecting a baby or have a newborn this baby shower is for you!

The Santa Barbara Public Library System is offering a free 8-hour Adult Literacy Tutor Training workshop that provides volunteers with an orientation to the program and prepares them to teach basic reading, writing, and conversation skills to native English speakers and English language learnerson November 27 and 29.

The next edition of the lecture series, “Fast & Curious: ED Talks from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School,” will take place on Thursday, November 29 at 7 pm at the Santa Barbara Central Library’s Faulkner Gallery, 40 E. Anapamu St.

The Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St., offers classes every Tuesday for adults to learn and practice digital and technological skills in the Library’s Tech Lab. Registration is not required but strongly encouraged.

Santa Barbara Public Library patrons can pay down overdue fines on their accounts Monday, November 5 through Thursday, November 15 by bringing items of food to the library to be donated to the Unity Shoppe of Santa Barbara.

MakeSB continues to highlight new and original musical talent from all around the world; Saturday, November 3^rd at 7 PM, the library is proud to host co-headliners Lawn Chairs (Oakland, CA) and The Co Founder (Bellingham, WA), with local support from Santa Barbara band Pookie.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System will host a Career Vision workshop at the Eastside Library, 1102 Montecito St. on Saturday, November 3, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. The six-hour employment workshop will present innovative and imaginative ideas that turn the job search process from reactive to proactive.

MakeSB, in conjunction with KCSB and CISM (UCSB’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Music), is proud to welcome Old Time Relijun to the Central Library Thursday, November 1st at 7:00 PM.

Santa Barbara Public Library and California Hope 805 will offer a series of writing workshops in support of wellness in the community after the Thomas Fire and Montecito Debris Flow events.

Are you a local artist interested in showing your work at the downtown Central Library? The Santa Barbara Art Association will manage the jurying for one-person art shows for the library on Saturday, November 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St. with pick up of those pieces from 3 – 4 p.m. that same day.

The Santa Barbara Public Library and the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara welcome the community to the first of the 2018-2019 civic forums the two organizations hold together in partnership.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is excited to celebrate the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus by offering the novel and related texts as the Santa Barbara Public Library System’s 17th annual Santa Barbara Read.

Join the Central Library and the Friends for an interview, signing, and reading of Riggs' debut novel What She Gave Away on Thursday, September 27 at 5:30 PM.

Santa Barbara Public Library System will participate in National Voter Registration Day, a non-partisan voter registration drive on Tuesday, September 25, 2018.

join the Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation, society, and the local community from September 15 - October 15.

Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), in partnership with the Central Library, is hosting a Foro Inquilino/Tenant's Forum on September 5, 2018.

Join the Santa Barbara Public Library for an evening of inspiration and practical strategies for raising emotionally healthy children with the author of The Emotionally Healthy Child at the Santa Barbara Central Library and the Montecito Branch Library in September.

A free college application essay prep course will be offered at the Eastside Library. The aim of the course is to provide students with a completed draft of their college application essay.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System is excited to celebrate the bicentennial of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus as the Santa Barbara Reads 2018 selection.

MakeSB welcomes Wild Animals to perform at the Central Library Tuesday, September 4th at 7 PM.

The Santa Barbara Central Library seeks volunteers for Youth Services’ Homework Help Program to work with children in Kindergarten through 6th grade.

SBPL Works! is the Library's career and workforce development center.

This August, as part of the Summer Reading Program, Santa Barbara Public Library System is introducing WriteSB.

MakeSB continues on Monday, August 6 at 7PM with a musical showcase.

Santa Barbara’s Central and Eastside libraries are officially designated cooling centers. We invite residents to get some relief from the heat and enjoy engaging programs, classes, and events at not only Central and Eastside, but at our branches throughout southern Santa Barbara County.

Wizards and muggles alike are invited to join Santa Barbara Public Library for an evening of magic, Tuesday, July 31st, from 7-9 pm at Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu.

More than 30 community organizations will be present at the 2018 SBPL Volunteer Fair on Saturday, July 28 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

Santa Barbara Public Library's own Frances Burns Linn will be inducted in the California Library Hall of Fame this fall.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is excited to announce a slate of filmmaking programming for teens throughout the month of July.

Author Annette McGivney at the Central Library on Wednesday, July 25 at 6:30pm. McGivney will be speaking on her book, Pure Land: A True Story of Three Lives, Three Cultures and the Search for Heaven.

MakeSB continues on Friday, July 13 at 7 PM with a musical showcase featuring Retirement Party (Chicago, IL), Moonily and Soko the Whale Dog at the Santa Barbara Central Library.

Participants ages 12-17 are invited to participate in the CodeSB: Community Resources with Computer Science cohort this summer at the Santa Barbara Central Library. CodeSB will run for 6 weeks every Wednesday from 2:00 - 4:30 PM beginning July 11 through August 15.

the Central Library will be hosting its first annual Volunteer Fair on Saturday, July 28^th from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

While adults are encouraged to Choose Adventure and sign-up for the Summer Reading Program, via which they can earn prize entries for each book they read, they are also encouraged to attend events, join a book club, engage with the community, contact old friends, and more.

With schools letting out and the summer solstice just around the corner, the Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) is launching its 2018 Summer Reading and Learning Program! From June 1 through August 15 all members of the community are invited to participate in this year's program and Choose Adventure.

To celebrate the launch of #MakeSB the Central Library invites the community to enjoy performances from three local musicians at the #MakeSB grand-opening kickoff on Friday, June 8th, 2018 from 7 - 9 PM.

Join the Central Library's volunteer team and help us "Choose Adventure" by supporting summer reading!

The Santa Barbara Central Library continues to offer programs and classes aimed at teaching and engaging through technology.

This coming week the Central Library is hosting two events with community partners to share information on how residents can help protect their home from fires with landscaping tips and providing an update on the front country trails and the process for their restoration.

The Goleta Valley Library has become an independent jurisdiction within the Black Gold Library Cooperative Library System starting July 1, 2018.

Join the Santa Barbara Public Library in celebrating all things public library during National Library Week, April 8-14!

The Montecito Branch Library will reopen on Friday, March 23, 2018.

The Carpinteria Branch of the Santa Barbara Public Library System currently remains open and is a safe and dry place for children and families.

Due to the issuance of a Mandatory Evacuation Order, the Montecito branch of the Santa Barbara Public Library System is closed.

Our 3rd annual Pi Day celebration on March 14th at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu from 4PM - 6PM. Families are also invited to experience the universe of A Wrinkle in Time at the Central Library on Saturday, March 17th from 1PM - 3PM.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System does not supply tax forms, but they can be ordered by using the toll free numbers and websites listed here.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is partnering with the American Red Cross of the Pacific Coast to provide individualized recovery support for Spanish speaking residents impacted by the Montecito debris flows and/or Thomas Fire.

Public Library staff will lead a monthly book club for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to be held at Ridley-Tree Cancer Center’s Resource Library.

The Montecito Branch Library will back to regular days and hours starting on Tuesday (1/30) at 10:00 am.

Santa Barbara Public Library is partnering with the Koegel Autism Center at the University of Santa Barbara to present highly engaging and informative content to the local community in the monthly Autism Seminar & Discussion (ASD) Series, in addition to adding Sensory Story Times and more.

The Santa Barbara Central Library has opened the new year with a slew of new programs and classes aimed at teaching and engaging through technology.

Central, Eastside, Goleta, Buellton, and Solvang Libraries are open regular hours. Carpinteria will re-open on Sat., Jan. 13 regular hours. Montecito Library remains closed until further notice.

Beginning Wednesday, January 10^th the Santa Barbara Central Library will be having a weekly youth Coding Club in the Central Library’s Tech Lab for participants aged 10-17. No previous coding experience is necessary.

All libraries in the Santa Barbara Public Library System will be closed on Monday, January 1, 2018 in observance of New Year's Day.

Week of 12/17: Central Library continues to be a distribution point for N95 masks, offer a Thomas Fire information kiosk, and to provide increased events and activities for children, families, teens, and adults.

Santa Barbara Public Library patrons can continue to pay down overdue fines on their accounts through Tuesday, December 19, by bringing items of food to the library to be donated to the Unity Shoppe of Santa Barbara. The Food for Fines program will be in effect at the Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St., and the Eastside Library, at 1102 E. Montecito St.

With the cancellation of school throughout Santa Barbara, many sites that are usually food collection locations are not available this year.

This weekend the Central Library is offering two special programs, Coding with Robots and Curiosity Club. Both activities are recommended for kids ages 7-12 years (caregivers welcome) and are part of the Library's science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) programming. Coding with Robots will be on Saturday from 2:00 - 4:00 pm and Curiosity Club will be on Sunday from 2:00 - 3:00 pm. This weekend in Curiosity Club participants can make their own magnetic slime!

As the Thomas Fire remains ongoing and is affecting individuals, families, schools, and businesses, the Santa Barbara Public Library remains open and is continuing to provide programming, information, and resources for the community.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System is open for regular business hours at Central Library, and the Eastside, Carpinteria, Goleta, Buellton, and Solvang.

All Libraries will be closed on Sunday and Monday (Dec 24-25). Check out the Downloads & Streaming webpage to access our digital collections--eBooks, audiobooks, magazines, movies, & more--available 24/7 from home or wherever you are.

Information regarding Thomas Fire and January Storm Recovery

December 9, the Eastside Library will be having an all-day Lotería celebration. Teens and adults are invited to the opening Lotería workshop from 9-11:30am. Space is limited and registration is required.

Central Library will open at 12:00 pm. All other Branch Libraries will open at 1:00 pm.

Santa Barbara Public Library members will be able to pay down overdue fines on their accounts between December 1 and December 14, 2017 by bringing items of food to the library to be donated to the Unity Shoppe of Santa Barbara. The Food for Fines program will be in effect at the Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St., and the Eastside Library, at 1102 E. Montecito St.

Upcoming Holiday Closures for the Santa Barbara Public Library System.

On Tuesday, December 5 at 7:00 PM join the greater Santa Barbara community for a short moderated conversation with Mandel, followed by a Q&A with the audience.

On Wednesday, November 15 from noon to 2pm at the Faulkner Gallery of the Central Library, the League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Public Library are hosting a forum to update and inform the community on the current situation of immigration in Santa Barbara. Speakers will address immigration actions and policies currently in place in the county, including: what organizations in the field are seeing happen, available funding to aid immigrants and organizations supporting immigrants, legal rights and advice, and law enforcement policies.

Using the 2017 Santa Barbara Reads book selection, Station Eleven, as just such an inspiration, DramaDogs has created a performance piece, The Three, that will take audiences on a theatrical journey integrating original stories, the words of Shakespeare, music, and movement. All of these elements blend together to express the themes of fate, home, what we value, and the calling of the creative spirit…because survival, truly, is insufficient.

The Santa Barbara Public Library invites the community to attend any of the four upcoming SB Reads special performances. All shows are at 5:00 PM and are free:

Join the Santa Barbara Public Library and UCSB Arts & Lectures on Monday, November 13 at 7:00 PM for an event with Professor John Woolley to explore the history of the Office of the President and its relation to our current day.

Pandemics, board games, comic crafts, and a storytime about a blackout may seem like fairly disparate topics, but this year's Santa Barbara Reads selection, Station Eleven, is the thread that brings these all together at the Santa Barbara Public Library. These topics can be found in the SB Reads programming for kids, families, and teens.

As part of this year's Santa Barbara Reads programming the Santa Barbara Public Library is inviting the community to special screenings of Bard in the Backcountry. The Library welcomes individuals to view the documentary, read the book, and explore how themes of discipline, transformation, and generosity of spirit can transcend time and place.

Three special screenings at three branches of the Santa Barbara Public Library:

- Wednesday, November 8 at 6:00 PM, Central Library

- Saturday, November 11 at 2:00 PM, Eastside Library

- Monday, November 20 at 3:00 PM, Buellton Library

All Santa Barbara Public Libraries will be closed on Thursday and Friday, November 23 & 24, for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Library's Download and Streaming collection is available 24/7. Check it out!

November’s Dyslexia Dialogue, hosted by the Santa Barbara Public Library and Dyslexia Santa Barbara, will focus on creative uses of technology to help struggling readers. The workshop meets Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m., in the Faulkner Gallery at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. in Santa Barbara, and is open to the public.

How do we as a community prepare for disaster scenarios? What should we be doing as individuals to be ready? These questions, spurred by the book Station Eleven, will be discussed and investigated in a set of events being held by the Santa Barbara Public Library System for this year’s Santa Barbara Reads.

As part of this year's Santa Barbara Reads programming the Santa Barbara Public Library is lifting both the sci-fi and Shakespearean themes to the fore through a number of live readings at the Central Library, the Montecito Library, and the Solvang Library.

The third edition of the lecture series, “Fast & Curious: ED Talks from UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School,” will take place on Monday, November 6 at 7 pm at the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Public Library, 40 E. Anapamu St.

To celebrate Santa Barbara Reads, the Santa Barbara Public Library is creating its own Museum of Civilization – a display inspired by the plot of Station Eleven. Our Museum will be filled with items that the Santa Barbara community would collect for such a display.

So, the Library is asking the community: What would you miss?

Each year through Santa Barbara Reads the Santa Barbara Public Library offers one title to the community with the intent that everyone will read the same book at the same time. This year's Santa Barbara Reads selection is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. The 2017 Santa Barbara Reads kicks off on November 1 at 6:00 PM at the Central Library's Faulkner Gallery. The community is invited to pick-up free copies of Station Eleven, engage in a live impromptu play reading, and participate in a Cosplay Competition.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is offering two workshops to support these groups and people in finding the funding they need to continue in their work.

The first workshop, for non-profits only, is an introduction to the Foundation Center’s new Foundation Directory Online. Participants will learn how to use the new Foundation Directory Online interface to research funding opportunities through thousands of grant makers. Registration for the Thursday, October 19, 10-11am event is now open.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is one of the 100 public libraries in California selected to receive an Oculus Rift headset, an Oculus controller, and a computer pre-loaded with educational and informational virtual reality applications produced by Oculus VR, a division of Facebook Inc. Individuals over the age of 13 are invited to put a headset on and experience the VR equipment at one of the library’s upcoming Virtual Reality Open Houses.

California Rural Legal Association and the Santa Barbara Public Library are hosting forum on immigration rights with immigration attorney Marisol Alarcon Wednesday, October 25^th, from 6:30 -8:00 pm. Participants will obtain information on constitutional rights and general information regarding immigration laws.

The Santa Barbara Central Library seeks volunteers for the Youth Services’ Homework Help Program to work with children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. This is an opportunity to make a tangible difference in the success of local students. Adults and teens interested in volunteering will need to attend a training on Saturday, October 14th from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Tech Lab of the Santa Barbara Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St.

This year the Santa Barbara Public Library has been celebrating 100 years of the Central Library. As the revels wind down, be sure to catch the remaining, very popular Historical talks, and the Centennial Gala on Saturday, November 4. The remaining Historic talks cover the spheres of art and architecture at the Central Library over the last 100 years.

Are you a local artist interested in showing your work at the downtown Central Library? The Santa Barbara Art Association will be jurying for one-person art shows on Saturday, November 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Central Library, located at 40 E. Anapamu St.

To help the Santa Barbara community with the upcoming Medicare changes and understanding the process, the Santa Barbara Central Library and the Central Coast Commission for Senior Citizens' Health Insurance Counseling & Advocacy Program are hosting a presentation and Q&A on Tuesday, October 10 from 4:30 - 6:30 PM.

The Santa Barbara Poetry Series will present its first reading of the 2017-18 season on Sunday, October 15, 7-8:30 pm at the Faulkner Gallery, Santa Barbara Public Library.

The evening will welcome two new books: Parable, poems by Peter Karoff, and To Give Life a Shape: Poems Inspired by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, edited by David Starkey and Chryss Yost. The event is free and open to the public.

The Santa Barbara Public Library will offer a free online training course for community members who would like to be able to help adults and children with dyslexia learn to read better. Interested participants must pre-register by Saturday, October 7.

Parents, teachers, and community members are invited to join a discussion about dyslexia and the new state guidelines for schools on Wednesday, October 4, from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Faulkner Gallery, Central Library.

On Saturday, October 21st, 2017, from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, The Santa Barbara Public Central Library will host its second annual Indie Author Day in the Faulkner Gallery at 40 E. Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara. This event is a celebration of independent authors in the greater Santa Barbara community.

On Tuesday, September 26, 2017, the Santa Barbara Public Library System will participate in National Voter Registration Day, a non-partisan voter registration drive. Volunteers will be available to assist individuals with the registration process in an effort to ensure every eligible voter has an opportunity to register and vote in the 2017 election.

Author Jennifer Torres will visiting the Santa Barbara Central and Eastside Libraries on October 6 and October 7, 2017 to help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with two special bilingual storytimes and a children’s writing workshop. This program is supported by a Community Arts Grant from the Santa Barbara Office of Arts and Culture.

The Santa Barbara Public Library will be commemorating the day with celebrations of Mexican culture at the Eastside and Goleta branches on Saturday, September 16^th, 2017.

Workshops for teens and parents to discuss these issues, develop tools for communication, and connect participants to resources will be held at:

Carpinteria Library, 5141 Carpinteria Ave
Wednesday, October 4th 6 pm

This summer several Santa Barbara area community members came together at the Library for a two day workshop with StoryCenter, an organization that supports individuals and organizations in using storytelling and participatory media for reflection, education, and social change.

Join the Central Library for stories and songs every Tuesday at 5:30 pm!

On Wednesday, September 20, between noon and 2:00 p.m., the League of Women Voters will have a panel discussion on voting rights in the Faulkner Gallery at the Central Library.

Are you a lover of words? Want to have a great time and support reading in your community? Join the Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library at the 7^th Scrabble Night for Literacy at the Central Library on Friday, September 22, from 7 to 9 p.m. This special one-night fundraiser welcomes all players, from children to adults, beginners to experts, to enjoy two rounds of the world’s favorite word game.

The Santa Barbara Central Library is now accepting reservation requests for the use of the lobby display cases for the year beginning January 2018.

Central Library will open at 12:00 pm. All other Branch Libraries will open at 1:00 pm.

Each Branch of the Santa Barbara Public Library System is giving away a free registration to the Central Coast Writers Conference, September 28-30, 2017 valued at $250. Deadline to apply is September 1, 2017.

Zinio for Libraries has merged with RBdigital. Starting June 27, the Zinio app will be updated with a new design and user-friendly interface. Look for the new RBdigital app. Stay tuned for more details.

Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Installation Ceremony April 11

All Santa Barbara Public Libraries will be closed on Friday, March 31, in recognition of Cesar Chavez Day.

All Santa Barbara Public Libraries will be closed for the federal holiday honoring Presidents' Day on Monday, February 20, 2017.

All Santa Barbara Public Libraries will be closed for the federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 16, 2017.

Are you a results-oriented librarian who embraces collaboration and innovation? Do you have a record of leveraging technology and teamwork to meet customer needs? If the answer is "yes," then read on.

We've got a new position open! We're looking for Digital Services Librarian. Applications are accepted until October 19th, 2016.

Volunteers will be able to assist voters with registering at all Santa Barbara Public Library System locations...

The Santa Barbara Public Library System is excited to announce the addition of thousands of popular movies, TV shows, music, eBooks, audiobooks, and comics available for mobile and online access to stream or download 24/7 with a valid Santa Barbara Public Library card. Click here to get started.

An informational presentation with a panel of physicians, social workers and chaplains who will discuss the potential implications for the terminally ill in the Santa Barbara community.

Due to a planned system upgrade, patron accounts, some downloadable materials, and the Library Catalog will be unavailable Tuesday, July 12th. You will need your library card to checkout materials. We apologize for the inconvenience.

On Thursday, June 9 and Friday, June 10, Central Library will be closed to the public for some interior renovations. Big things are happening! Come in on Saturday, June 11 to see the changes!

Eastside Library will be closed to the public until noon on Friday, June 10.

All other branches remain open as usual, on both days.

All libraries in the Santa Barbara Public Library System will be closed on Monday, May 30 in observance of Memorial Day.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System has been selected to receive a National Literacy Directory Innovation Grant Award for its innovative approach to equipping children to be family literacy promoters.

State of the Library Presentation from April 26, 2016.

Pat Mora Podcast from April 15, 2016. See link below to listen to the podcast.

Two local institutions long ago grabbed my heart: our public library and CALM (Child Abuse Listening and Mediation). If you’re a reader and book lover, both have upcoming events that would be worthy your attention.

One of my strongest memories as a child was walking under the Central Library’s colorful, artistically carved door, then the main door, on the Anapamu Street side of the building.

The Central & Eastside Libraries will be CLOSED on Friday, March 4 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm for staff training. Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Montecito, and Solvang Libraries will be open as usual.

From December 14 to 21, the Santa Barbara Central and Eastside libraries “Food for Fines” drive will help support the Unity Shoppe of Santa Barbara. Patrons will be allowed to exchange canned goods and other foods for library overdue fines.

Little literati are learning the love of reading and a whole lot more...

Auto Renew

This convenient service will automatically renew your eligible materials on the due date. You won't have to lift a finger. Library items will be automatically renewed two (2) days before the due date as long as no holds have been placed on them by other library customers. Items may be renewed a maximum of three (3) times.

What made this event stand out, however, were the hundreds of kids on hand for the event. Did I say hundreds? By the end of the day, it would be thousands. And their families. Yes, there was free food, face painting, music, jugglers, and a sketch artist who allegedly draws the fastest caricature this side of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Daniel Santos loves books, especially ones about soccer.

So when the new Children’s Library at the downtown Santa Barbara Public Library opened Sunday, it didn’t take the 7-year-old long to find the right aisle and section to settle down and relax.

“It’s big,” Daniel said about the library.

His mother was thrilled.

“This library is going to help him enjoy literacy,” Lupe Santos told Noozhawk. “It’s going to help him become a great reader.”

Come help celebrate the new Children’s Library at the free Grand Opening party on Sunday, September 13 from noon to 4:00 p.m.!

Members of nonprofit Friends of the Montecito Library are fighting to keep the doors open after recent county budget cuts forced the library to decrease its hours by 25 percent.

Central Library elevator will be out of service for up to 8 days, beginning Tuesday, July 28.

Buellton Library changes jurisdictions, leaving the Lompoc Library System and rejoining the Santa Barbara Public Library System. In the early 1960s, Buellton Library became part of the Lompoc Library System. The reason for the change stems from a desire to provide more comprehensive service to the residents of Santa Ynez Valley and use financial resources efficiently by sharing staff and programming with the Solvang Library located 3 miles away.

Freegal will be discontinued June 30, 2015.

From June 9 to July 31, all branches of the Santa Barbara Public Library System will offer a Summer Reading Program for youth. The teen program differs from the children's program, but both programs have reading incentives and fun activities for participants.

Tues. April 28 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM. This training prepares adult volunteers to take a 5 minute pro-reading, pro-library message to K-5th grade students during the Library's May School Outreach efforts. Join library staff as we visit Santa Barbara Unified School District classrooms to promote the Library's 2015 Summer Reading Program, "Every Hero Has a Story."

Eight actors will recite from Shakespeare's works about love and loss on Sat., April 25 at 3:00 in the Faulkner Gallery, followed by Q&A.

Enjoy this free lecture and slide show presented by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art Docent Council, Wed., April 29 at 3:00pm in the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Central Library.

The Real Story Behind Orange is the New Black. Free reading, lecture, and book-signing by Piper Kerman, author of Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.

La biblioteca Central ofrece, en colaboración con el Family Service Agency, una seria de talleres gratis en español acerca del tema del cuidado de los hijos.

Two free workshops for those new to grant writing will be taught on Thursday, April 23 2015 by a training specialist from The Foundation Center. Preregistration is required.

1-2 pm: Introduction to Proposal Writing will cover the key components of a grant proposal to a foundation.

2:15-3:15 pm: Proposal Budgeting Basics is geared to the novice grant-seeker and will focus on how to prepare and present the budget in a grant proposal.

Tuesday, March 24, Santa Barbara native Kristianne Clifford, incarcerated 18 years in a maximum security California prison, will speak at Central Library about her experiences in the criminal justice system, what she found in the Santa Barbara Reads 2015 book, Orange is the New Black, that resonated with her, and the program and concepts that changed her consciousness behind bars and back in society.

Co-sponsored by the Freedom to Choose Foundation.

Work began Monday, February 23 on the long-awaited Children's Library on the lower level of the Santa Barbara Central Library.

Kitty and Dave Peri have been going to the Santa Barbara Public Library’s downtown branch for almost 70 years — as children, with their children, and now, gleefully, with their grandchildren. So when they heard the library was planning to remodel its small children’s section, Kitty and Dave donated before the fundraising campaign even began. “This library holds our childhood memories,” said Kitty, “and it’s an excellent cause.”

The Santa Barbara Public Library System begins construction on a beautiful new space for children this January at the Central Library.

For the past 11 years, Beverly Schwartzberg has been running the adult literacy program out of the downtown library, personally training close to 750 volunteer tutors in that time. Schwartzberg recruits and trains volunteer tutors; currently, there are 180, all of whom have received nine hours of training. The next trick is to pair that tutor with the right student. The objective, she said, is not to have people reading War and Peace, but to achieve the goals they set out for themselves. The key is to create a place they feel safe going to and even safer coming back. “It doesn’t always happen the first time,” Schwartzberg said.

While adult literacy is one of the few genuinely bipartisan issues that warring political factions can agree upon—“It’s the cheapest education investment you can make,” she said—the state legislature pulled the plug on Santa Barbara’s adult literacy program during the depths of the Recession. City Hall helped save the program from elimination, and Schwartzberg quietly worked to educate decision makers about the benefits of her program. “When I started out, I was wanted to change someone else’s life,” she said. “But really it’s been my life that’s gotten changed.”

Every dollar given to the Children's Library Project from today onward will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

This opportunity is made possible by the Cheeryble Foundation, which will match donations up to a total of $100,000.

Every $25 will turn into $50; $1000 will become $2000, and will help reach the campaign's goal sooner!

Donations may be made online through the Friends here or directly to the Children's Library Campaign here. Donations may also be sent to: Friends of the SB Public Library, PO Box 1019, Santa Barbara, CA 93102. Please note on your donation that you are responding to the Children's Library Challenge Grant!

Questions? Call the Children's Library Campaign at (805) 564-5675.

All Santa Barbara Public Libraries will be open on Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

The Santa Barbara Public Library System has received a $249,000 National Leadership Grant to promote reading for low-literacy families. The award is part of the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ $9.2 million grant program that addresses challenges in the library field and evaluates library innovations. The Santa Barbara Public Library was one of 51 grant projects selected out of 212 applicants.

The City Council is hosting public workshops to get your thoughts on the condition of the City’s basic infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks, libraries, community centers, police and fire stations, and park and recreation facilities. We want to learn what’s important to you and get your input on how the City Council should prioritize funding. A Council Committee will take the suggestions from the public to develop a plan to upgrade and modernize public facilities.

El Consejo Municipal de la Ciudad de Santa Bárbara desea enterarse sobre cuales son las cosas importantes para usted. Ayude al Consejo Municipal a que determine las prioridades para los fondos de dinero y a planear para el futuro de las calles de la Ciudad, de los centros comunitarios, de las bibliotecas, de los parques y de las instalaciones de recreación, como así también las estaciones de policías y de bomberos. Asista a un taller para el público y participe en la conversación.

The fundraising campaign for creating a state-of-the-art children's library at the downtown Santa Barbara branch has raised $3.4 million, officials announced Tuesday.

"If there was ever a community that would have a first-class children's library it would be Santa Barbara, and we do not," said Peter MacDougall, the Santa Barbara Children's Library Honorary Committee co-chair. "A first-class children's library is what is needed in Santa Barbara."

Imagine being unable to read your child’s report card, fill out a job application, read a bus schedule, or vote. For most of us, it is almost impossible to picture what it would be like to go through life unable to read or even to tell time. It is a sad fact that many in our community, working and raising families, carefully keep the secret that they cannot read. It could be anyone — perhaps someone you know.

Fortunately, volunteers like Linda Solin are there to help. A Santa Barbara Public Library Adult Literacy Program volunteer tutor, she devotes several hours every week helping adults learn to read.

Solin is used to challenges: She began her volunteer career in her teens in the surgical ward of a children’s hospital, helping to change burned children’s bandages. She enjoyed her hospital work but always dreamed of being a teacher.

After attending UC Santa Barbara, she worked in bilingual education in Bakersfield, later moving back to Santa Barbara, where she taught kindergarten and first grade for the next 30 years. Retirement opened new possibilities. A friend recommended the tutoring program and, before she knew it, she was matched with “José” (not his real name).