According to AARP, seniors have lost over $61 billion to scammers in one year alone. And the problem is only getting worse, which is why it’s important for you to learn how to protect your identity and your money, so you don’t become a victim. This valuable information applies to all products: PC, Mac, Android or Apple.
Beryn Hammil, the instructor of the library’s All Things Apple classes for the past decade, will guide you through the fundamental principles of safeguarding your personal information online to prevent you from becoming a victim of scams.
Thanks to the generosity of our collaboration partners at Science Is Elementary, we are once again offering free bilingual (English/Spanish) science kits with all supplies included to have a fun, rewarding learning experience for the whole family. Come on in and take one home during the week of March 16-20 at the Downtown and Northgate branches. Supplies are limited. One kit per child, please.
And to keep the STEM fun going, come and explore various catapult designs, make a catapult, and learn about the physics of energy transfer. Of course, there will be hands-on testing, which is the fun part!
To honor Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage month, we’ll be showing Chinese Couplets a film by local filmmaker Felicia Lowe of Lowdown Productions. Part memoir, part history, part investigation, Chinese Couplets spans two centuries, three countries and four generations of women in this intimate story that reveals the impact of American’s Chinese Exclusion Acts on filmmaker Felicia Lowe’s family. Lowe offers a nuanced, engaging approach to the debate that details the long-term, multi-generational effects of ethnically motivated immigration policies while imparting a cautionary tale of living with cultural pluralism in the 21st century.
Discussion with the filmmaker will follow the screening.
Felicia Lowe is an award-winning media producer, director, and writer with 50 years of production experience. Her documentaries: Chinese Couplets, Carved in Silence, Chinatown and China: Land of My Father reveal the unique experiences of Chinese in America while underscoring our common humanity. All have been broadcast on PBS and used in classrooms across the country. She also led the creative team that produced the videos for Sacramento’s California Museum exhibit, Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories. A past board president of the Angel Island Immigration Foundation and descendant of Angel Island detainees, she is gratified to have played a role in the preservation and restoration of this important National Historic Landmark.
Tweens and teens! Join us for a screening of Ayer Te Vi, a 2025 short film by local filmmaker Miguel Rodriguez.
A young musician struggles to finish a song as grief, memory, and a mysterious presence begin to blur the line between the real and the surreal. Presented by CAFILM Education as part of the Filmmakers Go To School Program (Stories by the Bay).
After the screening, Miguel will discuss the film in a conversation facilitated by Diana Sánchez Maciel from the California Film Institute.
Are you a budding poet? Come bloom with us in a spring break workshop led by librarian and California Poets in the Schools teacher Lea Aschkenas. We’ll engage our creativity as we play with words and poetic techniques to create a one-of-a-kind poem to take home.
For children ages 8-11.
For more information, email Lea at lea.aschkenas@cityofsanrafael.org.
Curious about artificial intelligence but not sure where to start? Join us for a free, beginner-friendly two-part workshop series presented by ESCOM (Emeritus Students of the College of Marin). Learn what AI actually is, how it works, and why it’s suddenly everywhere in the news. No experience necessary. Bring your own device or use one of ours. All adults welcome to drop-in. Questions or want a reminder? Contact Javier Morales at Javier.Morales@cityofsanrafael.org
This workshop covers the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)—what it is, how it works, and how you can use it in your daily life. We’ll explore both generative AI (tools that can write, summarize, and help you brainstorm) and predictive AI (the “behind-the-scenes” AI already used in many apps and services). We will work the more common AI applications with practical examples, learn common terms in plain language, and leave with a clear foundation of some of the forms of AI.
2. Friday, April 3 at 2-3:30 pm – Introduction to AI Part 2:
This workshop continues with a focused overview of AI that includes using AI tools wisely and safely. We will learn how to get more accurate results from generative AI, how to check answers, and how to spot common mistakes (including “confident-sounding” misinformation). We’ll also cover privacy basics—what to share, what not to share—and simple habits that help us stay secure while using AI in daily life.
Curious about artificial intelligence but not sure where to start? Join us for a free, beginner-friendly two-part workshop series presented by ESCOM (Emeritus Students of the College of Marin). Learn what AI actually is, how it works, and why it’s suddenly everywhere in the news. No experience necessary. Bring your own device or use one of ours. All adults welcome to drop-in. Questions or want a reminder? Contact Javier Morales at Javier.Morales@cityofsanrafael.org
1. Friday, March 13 at 2-3:30 pm – Introduction to AI Part 1:
This workshop covers the basics of Artificial Intelligence (AI)—what it is, how it works, and how you can use it in your daily life. We’ll explore both generative AI (tools that can write, summarize, and help you brainstorm) and predictive AI (the “behind-the-scenes” AI already used in many apps and services). We will work the more common AI applications with practical examples, learn common terms in plain language, and leave with a clear foundation of some of the forms of AI.
This workshop continues with a focused overview of AI that includes using AI tools wisely and safely. We will learn how to get more accurate results from generative AI, how to check answers, and how to spot common mistakes (including “confident-sounding” misinformation). We’ll also cover privacy basics—what to share, what not to share—and simple habits that help us stay secure while using AI in daily life.
Learn the art of BOOKAGAMI with award-winning artist Adrienne Biggs! It’s like making origami but with books. No glue, no scissors, no stress. It’s fun and relaxing. Make-and-take your art home with you. Warning: Can be addictive (in a good way) 🙂
Come meet crafty book-loving people and make cool art together. You’ve never seen books like this before! “Bookagami” brings the wow factor: Neuroscientists say the human brain experiences an “a-ha moment” the instant it translates 2-D objects (like books) into 3-D “art”.
Anyone age 14+.
Workshop limited to 12 participants so pre-registration is required. Sorry, no drop-ins. To register, please email Bonnie Groshong: bonnie.groshong@cityofsanrafael.org BYOB: Bring your own 1″spine book to the workshop or we’ll provide one for you. You could use books rescued from local free piles, landfill, or your living room. Newer hardcovers or paperbacks with a minimum 1” spine work best.
BONUS: This workshop coincides with Adrienne’s Bookagami exhibit at this library, “Black and White and READ All Over”, viewable daily during open hours. Check it out upstairs before you come to the workshop.
San Rafael resident Adrienne Biggs is a former book publishing professional, and lifelong violinist. She holds a BA in Humanities and Violin Performance from Pepperdine University and has lived in Marin County since 1995. She has always been in love with books, especially when re-envisioned as literary artwork.
Adrienne has created more than 600 unique “Bookagami” (as she calls them). In 2024, her Atlas, 1963: You Are Here won First Place Blue Ribbon at the Marin County Fair and in 2025 her Bug-a-Gami totem won Third Place. Past two-month public art shows: Marelli Gallery and ArtWorks Downtown in San Rafael (2025); Town Books in San Anselmo (2024); and an on-going ever-evolving installation can be seen at Pint Size Lounge, 1615 Fourth Street (at G Street), in downtown San Rafael’s West End. Her art is her way of rescuing books from landfill by repurposing these common two-dimensional objects into three-dimensional works of art that people of all ages can enjoy, create, and share.
Join Carl Winters, the Kalimba King, for a special Black History Month event. Winters will present and play the kalimba, also known as a thumb piano, as well as talk about the genesis of American jazz from African roots. There will be an opportunity to try out the kalimba and even printed instructions for making one yourself!
According to AARP, seniors have lost over $61 billion to scammers in one year alone. And the problem is only getting worse, which is why it’s important for you to learn how to protect your identity and your money, so you don’t become a victim. This valuable information applies to all products: PC, Mac, Android or Apple.
Felicia Lowe is an award-winning media producer, director, and writer with 50 years of production experience. Her documentaries: Chinese Couplets, Carved in Silence, Chinatown and China: Land of My Father reveal the unique experiences of Chinese in America while underscoring our common humanity. All have been broadcast on PBS and used in classrooms across the country. She also led the creative team that produced the videos for Sacramento’s California Museum exhibit, Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories. A past board president of the Angel Island Immigration Foundation and descendant of Angel Island detainees, she is gratified to have played a role in the preservation and restoration of this important National Historic Landmark.
Learn the art of BOOKAGAMI with award-winning artist Adrienne Biggs! It’s like making origami but with books. No glue, no scissors, no stress. It’s fun and relaxing. Make-and-take your art home with you. Warning: Can be addictive (in a good way) 🙂
Join Carl Winters, the Kalimba King, for a special Black History Month event. Winters will present and play the kalimba, also known as a thumb piano, as well as talk about the genesis of American jazz from African roots. There will be an opportunity to try out the kalimba and even printed instructions for making one yourself!