Thanks to a grant from the California State Library, we now have Starling wearable devices available for check out from both the Downtown and Pickleweed Libraries. Borrow a Starling for up to nine weeks and receive two picture books for your family to keep!
What the heck is a Starling you ask? Think of it as a pedometer for early literacy. The Starling clips to a young child’s clothing and counts the number of words they hear throughout the day. It calibrates to the environments the child is most frequently in and accurately counts the number of words in any language the child hears during interactions with parents and caregivers. The device syncs with an app on your phone or tablet and displays a daily word count along with tips and strategies to increase interaction with your child. After a few days, the app will also give you a daily word goal.
We are excited to provide technology that gives parents and caregivers more information to support both the quality and quantity of interactive time with their children. Stop by the Downtown Library Children’s Room or the Pickleweed Library to find out more and to check out a Starling.
We are partnering with the National Park Service to bring you Trilogies to Trails, bringing public libraries to public lands.
On Thursday June 14th at 4pm, kick off your summer vacation with a very special park ranger-led storytime! Participants will receive a Reading Ranger badge. No registration needed, and families with children of all ages are welcome!
We still have space on our Crissy Field Trip this Saturday, June 16th, leaving the library at 10am. A park ranger will lead participants on a hike to the Golden Gate Bridge, or you can just enjoy the beach at Crissy Field with your family. All ages are welcome on the trip, and all youth ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian. Lunch and transportation are all provided. Register by calling us at 415-485-3322, or email library@cityofsanrafael.org.
And don’t forget to sign-up for Summer Reading and visit the San Rafael Public Libraries to pick up your prizes and all the books you need for a great summer!
The City of San Rafael is examining options for building new and improved library facilities. This is stage one of three stages of community meetings. We need YOUR input!
Tuesday, June 26—6-7pm—Terra Linda Community Center
Overview of project & discussion of the possibility of a new branch in Terra Linda.
Thursday, June 28—6-7pm—City Council Chambers
Overview of project & discussion of the possibility of a new Downtown Library.
Saturday, June 30—2-3pm—Albert J. Boro Community Center
Overview of project & discussion of the possibility of a Pickleweed branch expansion.
Are you interested in learning more about managing your personal finances or navigating confusing tax laws? Or perhaps you’re interested in learning more about a particular legal topic- whether it’s fighting a ticket or communicating with a landlord:
If these topics interest you, we have an excellent database available to San Rafael Public Library card holders called the Legal Information Reference Center (LIRC):
LIRC is full of self-help legal eBooks and guides and you can access them in the library or remotely using your library card number. Most importantly, the materials in this database are full-text and written in plain language!
To browse the Legal Information Reference Center, please visit the library or, from home, have your library card handy and visit our eBooks page here:
The San Rafael Public Library is looking for middle school and high school volunteers to help out with our Summer Reading Challenge this summer! If you’re a teen or tween who will have completed 6th grade by June, loves working with kids, and wants to give back to your community, we’d love to hear from you!
The Library is proud to launch a new video streaming service, Kanopy! Log in with your library card & stream classic cinema, independent films, & top documentaries. Watch films like I Am Not Your Negro, Donnie Darko, Happy Valley, Anita, and a good portion of the Criterion Collection.
P.S. Their collection is bigger than Netflix. Yes, really!
One Book One Marin (OBOM) continues this month with two great activities at the San Rafael Public Library.
First, join us for an in-depth book discussion of “Strangers in Their Own Land” on Thursday, March 22 from 6:30-7:45. Ethan Annis, librarian at Dominican University of California will lead a discussion, focusing mainly on Chapter 9, The Deep Story (p.135-152) and Chapter 15, Strangers No Longer: The Power of Promise (p.221-230).
Then, in a workshop led by Marissa Wertheimer take part in interactive exercises designed to help us cross “empathy walls,” and have compassion and understanding in our conversation with others. As author Arlie Russell Hochschild encouraged us in the OBOM kick-off, practice turning your alarm system off and really listening to people. Wednesday, March 28 from 6:30-7:45.
Need help with your taxes? Through the Bay Area United Way and Marin County AARP you can get free income tax assistance. Check out the links below for more information.
Make sure to bring all the necessary documents with you (as listed in the links above) and to keep your eye on the last day that tax help will be available.
The San Rafael Public Library gives cardholders access to Hoopla! You can log into Hoopla with your San Rafael Public Library Card and get access to thousands of streaming movies, television shows, music, and audiobooks! No holds, no waiting!
Paying for Netflix, Spotify, or Audible? Check this service out because it could provide you with what you need–courtesy of your local public library! Just make sure you have a library card! Don’t have one? Sign up online and we’ll mail you your card.
You can also moves seamlessly between different devices – you can listen to or watch something at home and then pick it up later on your smartphone. You can also broadcast Hoopla’s content to Chromecast and Apple TV.
The collection in Hoopla changes from time to time, but here’s a sampling of what’s available to give you a taste of the awesomeness:
Disney movies
Substantial collections from BBC and PBS
Ken Burns specials
Comics from Dark Horse, Vertigo, Marvel, and more
Award-winning albums
Digital box sets of music
If you have any questions about using Hoopla, just pop us a chat (using the little chat widget in the lower right of your screen) or email us at library@cityofsanrafael.org.
Wondering what to do with the kids that doesn’t break the bank? Go to museums and other cultural institutions, with free and discounted passes thanks to your library card!
Really? Yes!
The libraries in Marin provide all library cardholders with access to an amazing service — Discover & Go, which offers free and discounted passes to local museums, aquariums, science centers, and other cultural institutions. Just pick one of the many museums and other cultural institutions, log in with your library card and PIN (password), and print your pass at home (or access it on your smartphone)! You must be 16 or older to reserve a pass and reside in Marin County.
Get passes to the California Academy of Sciences, Asian Art Museum, Exploratorium, Bay Area Discovery Museum, Madame Tussaud’s San Francisco, and many more! Log in now and start saving!
Thanks to a grant from the California State Library, we now have Starling wearable devices available for check out from both the Downtown and Pickleweed Libraries. Borrow a Starling for up to nine weeks and receive two picture books for your family to keep!
Wondering what to do with the kids that doesn’t break the bank? Go to museums and other cultural institutions, with free and discounted passes thanks to your library card!
