Ice Cream Social

Library staff have had a grand old time this Summer Reading Program, encouraging the love of stories and books with readers of all ages. We’re going to celebrate the close of summer and the start of the school year with an event meant to share the magic of the library with families in our community.

Saturday, August 20, stop by between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm for an ice cream social as a reward for all the reading that you did this summer. Sweet treats and sunshine go hand in hand with lazy weekend reads before we have to start setting our kids’ alarm clocks again. 

Construction at Central Library

Santa Barbara Public Library is kicking off a major construction project! On July 11, 2022, construction began on three projects at Central Library: Library Plaza renovation, a new ADA-compliant elevator, and a lower-level staff area renovation. 

These projects will expand programming space, ensure the Library is safe and accessible, and build a more efficient and modern staff work space. During construction, in order to ensure the safety of staff and the public, there will be reduced access and changes to operations at Central Library. 

Montecito Library’s hours remain the same while the Central Library is under construction. 

Santa Barbara Reads 2022

Santa Barbara Public Library is pleased to announce the selection of N.K. Jemisin’s award-winning speculative novel The Fifth Season as the featured title for Santa Barbara Reads 2022. 

The Fifth Season is set in a world called The Stillness where the planet has been ravaged by volcanic, seismic, atmospheric, and geomagnetic forces that bring apocalypses so regularly they are referred to as Seasons. In this world of cataclysmic natural disasters, an equally brutal society offers relative safety to a privileged few, while exploiting and destroying the lives of others. At the center of the story is Essun, a mother harboring a secret, whose personal world is upended when her husband murders her son and kidnaps her daughter, just as a new red rift tears apart the continent. With captivating world-building and a deep emotional core, it’s a stunning work of fiction ripe for discussion.

Programming will begin in late September 2022 and extend through early November. Highlights include book discussions, an exhibition of art inspired by the question “What if?” in the Faulkner Gallery, and more. Learn more about the art exhibit in the call for submissions.

August Montecito Library Events:

Ice Cream Social – Sat, 8/20, 12:30-1:30 pm
Stay and Play (Ages 0-5) – Tuesdays – drop in anytime 9-10:30 am
Poetry Club: Mary Oliver – Thurs, 8/18, 2-3 pm
Montecito Book Club: The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde – Tues, 8/23, 12-1 pm
Knit ‘n’ Needle – Thursdays, 2-3:30 pm

Montecito Library Hours:
Tuesday through Friday, 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday, 10 am – 2 pm

See you at the library!  

Kim is the Branch Lead of the Montecito Library. Questions or comments?
Contact her: kcrail@santabarbaraca.gov