Library News
Food for Fines
Food for Fines Returns in 2017
Posted on November 08, 2017
This holiday season the Sonoma County Library is once again partnering with local food banks to offer a Food For Fines program. Local partners include the Redwood Empire Food Bank, Friends in Sonoma Helping, the Sebastopol Inter-Church Food Pantry, and the Healdsburg Food Pantry.
The Food For Fines program encourages library patrons to return overdue library materials and pay off accrued library fines by donating food to those in need. The donation of one unit of food will erase ALL fines from past due items for one account (note: food donations cannot be applied towards lost/damaged library items or collection agency fees – only fines). In 2016, the Food for Fines program collected 5,974 pounds of food for Sonoma County and forgave $6,853 in fines and fees for 574 patrons!
Food For Fines has two primary goals - to remove barriers to library access due to overdue fines, and to help end hunger in our communities. This is even more important in 2017 with the recent disasters affecting some many. Food For Fines Patrons can give to the community and get their library account back in good standing as we close out the 2017 year.
The 2017 Food For Fines program will run for a full 7 weeks beginning on Monday, November 13th and run through Saturday, December 30th . Food donation barrels will be found at all Sonoma County Library Branches. According to our partnering Food Banks, the most needed non-perishable items are:
- Tuna & Canned Meat
- Peanut Butter
- Low-Sodium Canned Soups & Chili
- Rice & Dry Beans
- No-Sugar Added Canned Fruits
- Low-Sodium Canned Vegetables
- Granola Bars
- Cereal
Also, the REFB recommends the following guidelines when donating food:
- No glass, which can break
- Check that items are still within their “use before” date
- All items should be unopened, opened packages will not be accepted
- Home-made or home-canned items are not accepted
Byparticipating in your local library's Food For Fines program, library patrons will be joining thousands of Sonoma County businesses, individuals, and organizations helping to end hunger in our community by donating food.
For more information contact Teen/Adult Services Librarian Jennifer Duran 546-2265 or jduran@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Keep up with all library events at www.sonomalibrary.org and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
About the Redwood Empire Food Bank: The Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB) is the largest hunger-relief organization serving north coastal California from Sonoma County to the Oregon border. Since 1987, the REFB has provided food and nourishment to those facing hunger, currently serving 82,000 children, families and seniors in Sonoma County, while striving to end hunger in our community. The REFB collaborates with local and regional partners to obtain and distribute 15+ million pounds of food annually, the equivalent of more than 34,000 meals every day. Through more than 200 of our own direct service distributions and partnerships with 177 other hunger-relief organizations, we form a network of over 450 weekly and monthly distribution sites serving low-income residents in Sonoma, Lake, Del Norte, Mendocino and Humboldt counties. Visit www.refb.org or call 707-523-7900 to learn more.
Library Celebrates Native American Heritage Month in November
Posted on November 01, 2017
Sonoma County Library celebrates National Native American Heritage Month in November with a series of events to showcase the rich history and traditions of Native Americans in Sonoma County.
The events kick off Thursday, November 2 with a children's Tribal History event presented by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria at the Petaluma Library, and continue throughout the month with lectures, presentations, and crafts at many branches (http://sclib.us/4e).
“We look forward to celebrating National Native American Heritage Month every year at Sonoma County Library,” said Kiyo Okazaki, Sonoma County Library Public Services Division Manager. “Here at the library, we celebrate every culture and welcome all cultures in our community. We like to take this opportunity to highlight the history and heritage of this important part of our Sonoma County community.”
Sonoma County is home to a number of Native American Tribes dating back to over 12,000 years. From the Coast, Miwoks; in the norther near the Mayacamas Mountain Range dwelled Wintuns, Wapo and Miyakmahs; in the lower Valley, Pomos; near the edge of San Pablo Bay, Koskiwok; and in the southeast corner, Patwins; to name a few.
The events are free and open to all. For more information, contact Kris LaVanish, Events Specialist, at (707) 545-0831 x1572 or by email klavanish@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Keep up with all library events at www.sonomalibrary.org and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
Sonoma and Santa Rosa Community Meetings; Re-entering Neighborhoods and Housing Options
Posted on October 19, 2017
Re-entering neighborhoods, the overall community cleanup process including debris and ash removal, and housing options for residents in the coming months will be discussed at two Community Meetings today – Thursday, October 19.
Time: 1-3PM
Location: Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building, 126 First Street West Sonoma, CA 95476
Time: 6-8PM
Location: Santa Rosa High School South Gym, 1235 Mendocino Ave Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Those that aren't able to attend the meetings can watch the meeting live on the the Sonoma County Sheriff's Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/sonoma.sheriff/
No Charges for Destroyed, Damaged or Late Items
Posted on October 11, 2017
When the Library is able to reopen, there will be no charges for library materials destroyed or damaged in the fires, overdue fines will be waived, and we will work hard to extend expiration dates on holds.
Cuando la biblioteca se puede reabrir, no cobrará en absoluto ningunos cargos o multas para materiales destruidos o dañados en los incendios; tampoco para materiales devueltos después de la fecha de vencimiento. Trabajaremos duro para extender las fechas de expiración de los materiales reservados.
Comforting Books for Difficult Times
Posted on October 05, 2017
Healthy Living Grant Concludes
Posted on October 04, 2017
We'd like to give a big shout-out to Jaime, the manager of our Collection Services Division, for all the work she did to plan, coordinate, and execute the $30k Healthy Living at Your Library LSTA grant in 2016-17. The final paperwork for this grant was submitted today, and we look forward to watching the Healthy Living brand carry forward into future. If you're interested in the details ...
Outcomes
Outcomes from the 2016-17 grant included:
- 156 educational classes and events were held at 14 libraries county-wide. Class topics included Meditation, Healing Foods Basics, Gentle Strength and Stretch, Ayurveda, Senior Health Literacy, Rethink Your Drink, Cooking in Season, Transform Your Posture Through Yoga, Cooking Winter Vegetables, Cardio Kickboxing, What's on a label, etc.
- 921 people attended a Healthy Living class
- 40 prizes were given away to patrons who completed a Healthy Living Club Card
- 118 books and DVDs were purchased on health and wellness related topics, primarily cookbooks and workout videos
- 7 local community partnerships were established: Sonoma County YMCA, Santa Rosa Junior College - Community Education Division, Ceres Community Project, Northern California Center for Well Being, St. Joseph Health, Sonoma County Department of Health Services, Jill Nussinow (The Veggie Queen)
- All Branch Managers attended a 2-hour training session on Delivering Consumer Health Information to the Public presented by the National Library of Medicine
Changes in Behavior
Those who attended a healthy living class reported the following:
- 88% of attendees at healthy eating classes reported an increase in their knowledge of nutrition, cooking and healthy eating options as a result of attending
- 92% of attendees at healthy eating classes indicated a commitment to increasing their fruit and vegetable consumption
- 77% of attendees at physical fitness classes committed to doing the exercises at home
- 88% of attendees at any class indicated the class helped them achieve a personal health goal
Patron Responses
Some patron comments that came through on the feedback forms include:
“well organized and a lot of material covered in 1.5 hours”
“fabulous presentation! Yummy food!”
“encourage you to do more cooking or nutrition classes at the library”
Going Forward
The Healthy Living at Your Library branding and logo will continue to be used at SCL. Classes scheduled for Fall 2017 include Cooking Well at any Age, Piyo, Stay Fit, Stress Reduction and more. The scope will be increasing to include more classes specifically targeted for children, such as Kids Can Cook! which teaches kids how to make healthy snacks and Mindful Minis, a yoga/meditation class for kids.
We're looking forward to watching the Healthly Living series continue to offer these classes, services, and resources in our Strategic Plan goals to increase countywide health literacy and to deliver health related services within the library.
Play and Learn moves to Rincon Valley Library
Posted on October 01, 2017
The Play and Learn Island™ is once again on the move!
The Play and Learn Island™ (PAL) just finished a 2-month stay at the Roseland Library, and is now making its home for the next two months in the Rincon Valley Library. The Play and Learn Island™ travels periodically around the County to different library branches to host and share with their communities.
Babies and children learn through play and as part of the Sonoma County Library’s mission to promote the value and joy of reading, we offer opportunities for young children to play while building the skills for learning and literacy in all stages of life. One such opportunity is through our Play and Learn Island™. The hands-on activities provided with the Play and Learn Island™ incorporate problem solving, sorting, sharing, early literacy skills, design and testing, and collaboration. Their colorful design, scale and varied activities appeal to a range of ages, encouraging families to play and explore together, while they imagine, discover, create, and bring learning to life.
Come check out the island--at the Rincon Valley Library for October and November 2017, or check the schedule to see when it's coming to a branch near you -- and play and learn with us!
String Quintet Concerts Kick Off Fall Symphony Collaboration
Posted on September 12, 2017
The Sonoma County Library is proud to continue a strong partnership with the Santa Rosa Symphony for the third year!
On Saturday September 23, the Santa Rosa Symphony String Quintet will be performing at the Guerneville and Sebastopol Libraries. These concerts are part of the 2017 symphony concert series offered through a unique, exciting collaboration between the Sonoma County Library and the Santa Rosa Symphony.
Alan Silow, President and CEO of the Santa Rosa Symphony said “The Santa Rosa Symphony is delighted to renew our partnership with Sonoma County Library to bring performances of our talented musicians beyond the concert stage to library settings throughout Sonoma County that will provide library audiences a free, and up close enriching musical experience.” Interim Library Director, Tracy Gray, says “I am very excited about this partnership with the Santa Rosa Symphony. It is a great opportunity for our community members to be able to experience the symphony in our Libraries.”
STRING QUINTET Family Concert
Enjoy a musical journey to different places around the world during our family program where listeners will discover a wide variety of music from some of the most well-known composers and some not so familiar. Children will adore familiar pieces including music from The Pink Panther, The Elephant from Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, and Eine Kline Nachtmusik; Adults will appreciate memorable pieces composed by Benjamin Britten, Anton Dvorak, Amadeus Mozart.
- Saturday, Sept. 23 at 12:30 p.m.
Guerneville Regional Library
14107 Armstrong Woods Rd.
Guerneville, CA 95446 - Saturday, Sept. 23 at 2:15 p.m.
Sebastopol Regional Library
7140 Bodega Avenue
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Currently in its 90th season, Santa Rosa Symphony, the Resident Orchestra of the Green Music Center, is the third oldest professional orchestra in California, and the largest regional symphony north of Los Angeles. The Symphony is also recognized as having one of the most comprehensive music education programs in California, serving nearly 35,000 youth annually. The String Quintet is led by Andy McCorkle, and include bass musician Claire Marti, Aromi Park on violin, Alex Volonts on viola and Wanda Warkentin on the cello.
These concerts are free and open to all.
For more information, contact Kris LaVanish, Events Specialist, at (707) 545-0831 x1572 or by email klavanish@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Keep up with all library events at www.sonomalibrary.org and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
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Sonoma County Agencies Expand "Do It Yourself Energy & Water Savings Toolkits"
Posted on September 11, 2017
Energy and Water Savings Toolkits are now available at all Sonoma County Libraries!
The partnership between the Sonoma County Library, the Sonoma County Energy and Sustainability Division, the Sonoma County Water Agency and Sonoma Clean Power is expanding the "Do It Yourself" (DIY) Energy and Water Savings Toolkits to be available at all Sonoma County library branches as part of a program promoting energy and water efficiency.
The toolkits will be available for checkout starting September 11, 2017 at the following library branches: Central Santa Rosa, Cloverdale, Guerneville, Healdsburg, Northwest Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rincon Valley, Rohnert Park-Cotati, Roseland, Sebastopol, Sonoma Valley, and Windsor.
The DIY Toolkits are available for Sonoma County Library cardholders to check out for up to three (3) weeks. They provide tools and information enabling cardholders to perform home upgrade projects such as weather-stripping windows and doors, monitoring electrical use, determining water leaks, and switching to LED lightbulbs.
"We hope that after checking out the toolkits, residents will be inspired to do more advanced energy efficiency upgrades," said Nelson Lomeli, Program Specialist with Sonoma Clean Power. "The County of Sonoma’s Energy and Sustainability Division, a partner in this effort, is a great resource available to residents looking to do more home upgrades."
The expansion comes after a successful ten-month pilot in Guerneville, Sebastopol, and Central Santa Rosa library locations that proved to be incredibly popular with patrons.
"I am excited about continuing this partnership and the opportunity our residents have in gaining the knowledge and tools of energy efficiency through the Toolkit Program at their local library," said Sonoma County Library Interim Director, Tracy Gray.
In coordination with the launch of the program expansion, a series of home energy and water savings workshops will be offered at library branches throughout the County. To find out more about the workshop dates visit, http://sonomacountyenergy.org/home-energy-workshops/ or call the Energy and Sustainability Division office at (707) 565-6470.
More information about the DIY Toolkits can be found at www.sonomacleanpower.org/diy-toolkit, or in person by going into a participating library branch.
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Library Hosts Array of Events for Hispanic Heritage Month
Posted on September 08, 2017
We've got a great lineup of events and classes to recognize and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this year -- from children's musical performances like Juan Sanchez, to film series highlighting different cultures and figures, to traditional styles of music from Cascada de Flores.
