Library News

Mock Caldecott 2017

Posted on December 09, 2016

It's time to choose our favorite picture books of the year!

Every year, children’s book illustrators hold their breath as the Caldecott committee members read, examine, and critique the best illustrated children’s books of the year to finally determine which one deserves the highly regarded award.

Below, you will see the 10 books we think are worth considering. These books, selected by Sonoma County Library staff, all fit the criteria of books to be consideredfor the Caldecott Medal. You can find copies of these books at your local branch for review.

Let us know who YOU think will win by voting for your favorites either online or at the library. Voting will be open from December 13 through January 10.

Sonoma County's winners will be announced in your local branch and online Jan. 24!

Are We There Yet? by Dan Santat	Owl Sees Owl by Godwin & Dunlavey
The Night Gardener by Terry & Eric Fan	Maybe Something Beautiful by Campoy, Howell & Lopez
They all saw a Cat by Brendan Wenzel	The Sound of Silence by Goldsaito & Kuo
Giant Squid by Fleming & Rohmann	School's First Day of School by Rex & Robinson
We Found a Hat by Jon Klassen	Thunder Boy Jr. by Alexie & Morales

Library to Offer Free SAT Prep Course at Three Locations

Posted on December 09, 2016

Sonoma County Library will offer a free 5-hour SAT preparation course the first week of January for high school students who will be taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in the winter or spring of 2017. Registration opened on Dec. 3 and students or parents can pick up registration forms at the three libraries where the class will be offered: Central Santa Rosa Library, Healdsburg Regional Library, and Petaluma Regional Library. Priority will be given to high school juniors and seniors to register for these classes.

This new class was developed in response to demand in the community for an affordable SAT prep course. “Several parents of high school students in town called the library asking if we knew of any low-cost classes to help their students prepare for the SAT. Last year we began offering an informational workshop about the SAT and other standardized college entrance exams, but this will be the first time we offer an extended review class where students can pick up the kind of test-taking skills taught in courses costing hundreds of dollars. And our class is free!” said Petaluma Library Teen Services Librarian Diana Spaulding.

The SAT Intensive Prep Class will include study and review of problematic areas of all four sections of the new SAT: reading, writing & language, math, and the optional essay. Students will be provided with an individual copy of the Official SAT Study Guide for use in the class and extended study at home.

The course is offered in two parts of 2½ hours each at the following locations, dates & times:

Central Santa Rosa Library:

Part 1 - Tue. Jan. 3, 2:30-5 PM &
Part 2 - Wed. Jan. 4, 10 AM-12:30 PM;

Healdsburg Regional Library:

Part 1 - Thurs. Jan 5, 10 AM-12:30 PM &
Part 2 - Fri. Jan. 6, 10 AM-12:30 PM;

Petaluma Regional Library:

Part 1 - Thur. Jan. 5, 2:30-5 PM &
Part 2 - Fri. Jan. 6, 2:30-5 PM.

Students are expected to attend both parts 1 and 2, as attendance is limited. The class will be taught by local test preparation consultant Ellen Jakes Kelm, Ph.D.

These classes are part of the Library's Path to College series. For more information, contact Teen & Adult Services Librarian Diana Spaulding at 763-9801 ext. 0731 or dspaulding@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Read more about services and programs offered by the Library at https://events.sonomalibrary.org/events and keep in touch with the library at www.sonomalibrary.org and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.

Digital Magazines Made Available to Sonoma County Library Cardholders

Posted on December 06, 2016

Effective December 6, 2016, Sonoma County Library is pleased to announce the availability of Zinio for Libraries for its cardholders. Zinio for Libraries provides a quick and easy way for users to read digital copies of over 160 magazines on any device with a valid library card.

Set up your Zinio for Libraries account at: https://www.rbdigital.com/northnetca/service/zinio

"We're excited to offer this innovative, convenient service," stated eResources & Discovery Specialist Rauno Saarinen. "The passage of Measure Y has made Zinio possible. We look forward to growing our collection of digital services even more. With Zinio, you can access over 160 magazines that can be easily viewed on any internet-enabled device inside or outside the library," notes Saarinen.

Zinio operates on a number of platforms including iOS, Android, Windows, and Kindle Apps. With an array of magazine offerings, cardholders can browse through titles in a number of genres including magazines for men, women, news-based, science & technology, entertainment, sports, travel, art & photography, to name a few.

Don’t have a library card yet? Library cards may be obtained by visiting any one of Sonoma County Library’s 15 branches with a current identification or you can obtain an eCard online to immediately start using our online resources, like Zinio.

For download links and more information on Zinio.

Food for Fines

Food for Fines December 6 to December 30

Posted on December 06, 2016

This holiday season the Sonoma County Library is partnering with local food banks to offer a Food For Fines program. Local partners include the Redwood Empire Food Bank, Friends in Sonoma Helping and the Healdsburg Food Pantry.

The Food For Fines programs 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). Patrons can give to the community and get their library account back in good standing as we close out the 2016 year.

The Food For Fines program will begin on Tuesday, December 6^th and run through Friday, December 30^th . Food donation barrels will be found at all Sonoma County Library Branches. According to the Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), 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

By stopping by your local library and participating in the 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.

“Do It Yourself” (DIY) Energy and Water Savings Toolkit

Do It Yourself Energy and Water Savings Toolkits Available

Posted on November 01, 2016

Beginning November 8, 2016, “Do It Yourself” (DIY) Energy and Water Savings Toolkits will be available for checkout at the Guerneville, Sebastopol, and Central Santa Rosa branches of the Sonoma County Library.

The Toolkits include the tools and information necessary for customers to perform their own home upgrade projects to weather strip windows and doors, monitor electrical usage, find water leaks and make their homes more efficient with LED lightbulbs. Sonoma County Library cardholders can check out the kits for up to three (3) weeks.

“This is a great beginning for the Library in providing environmental education resources to the residents of Sonoma County,” says Sonoma County Library Director, Brett Lear.

The Toolkits are being offered by the library as part of a pilot program promoting energy and water efficiency in partnership with the Sonoma County Energy and Sustainability Division, the Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) and Sonoma Clean Power (SCP).

More information about the DIY Toolkits can be found at www.sonomacleanpower.org/programs or by attending an upcoming Home Energy and Water Workshop November 15^th, 5:30 – 7pm, 2300 County Center Dr., Ste A212, Santa Rosa or November 16^th, 6-8pm, Guerneville Public Library. For more information, email sceip@sonoma-county.org.

Celebrate 20 Years at Windsor with the PAL

Posted on November 01, 2016

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 Northwest Library and is now on its way to the Windsor Regional Library, just in time to help celebrate Windsor's 20th anniversary! 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 Windsor Regional Library for November and December 2016, or check the schedule to see when it's coming to a branch near you -- and play and learn with us!

The PAL Comes to Northwest!

Posted on September 16, 2016

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 Rincon Valley Library and is now on its way across town to the Northwest Regional Library, by the Coddingtown Mall. The Play and Learn Island™ travels periodically around the County to different library branches to host and share with their communities.

Come check out the island--at the Northwest Regional Library for September and October 2016, or check the schedule to see when it's coming to a branch near you -- and play and learn with us!

Visit the PAL in Rincon Valley

Posted on July 16, 2016

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 Healdsburg Library and is now on its way to Rincon Valley, for the months of July and August 2016. The Play and Learn Island™ travels periodically around the County to different library branches to host and share with their communities.

Come check out the island--at the Rincon Valley Regional Library through August, or check the schedule to see when it's coming to a branch near you -- and play and learn with us!

Caldecott Medal 2016

Posted on January 12, 2016

Well, Sonoma County, our Mock Caldecott is over and we didn't get our picks this year; however, there is still next year!

Here are the official winners of the Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, is the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner. The book was written by Lindsay Mattick and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Four Caldecott Honor Books also were named: Trombone Shorty, illustrated by Bryan Collier, written by Troy Andrews and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS; Waiting, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes, published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer, Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Candlewick Press; and Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson, written by Matt de le Peña and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.