As the new year approaches, many of us gird ourselves for the inevitable exhortations to follow through on our resolutions, remaking or making ourselves better. At the library, though, we like to take a more relaxed approach to personal betterment by making it as easy as possible for you to try something new, relearn something you used to know, or just be entertained.
Are you looking to try something new?
First-time and veteran songsters will love our Songwriting Circle this Sunday, December 3rd from 2-3:30. The group provides support and instruction as well as an ukulele and guitar to help inspire you. Bring your own instrument, notes on a napkin, or just a sense of curiosity and we’ll see what we can create together.
For a more meditative experience, we’re excited to host Big Belly Breathing for Kids’ Mindful Yoga Saturday, December 9th from 11-12. Through interactive movement and play, your kids ages 5 and older will learn valuable techniques to help them stay calm, focused and centered. It’s a wonderful opportunity for parents to introduce their children to the benefits of mindfulness and yoga in a playful and educational environment.
Our Knitting Circle offered 1st & 4th Tuesdays from 1-2:30 and Watercoloring Group 2nd & 4th Fridays from 1:30-5:00 always welcome new members and are excited to teach them the ropes. Please bring your own supplies for knitting, crochet, weaving or fiber-art and any special paints, brushes, or paper if the library’s limited supplies aren’t sufficient for your masterpiece.
What about renewing something old?
Ease your holiday shopping by participating in a Toy Swap Sunday, December 10th from 2-3. Please clean toys in advance using non-toxic soaps and cleaners and bring them in to swap with your neighbors. All leftover items will be donated. And, if you want to wrap your new-to-you toy before giving it away, we’re hosting Make Your Own Wrapping Paper workshops Saturday, December 23rd from 10:30-12:30 for families with those younger than 3, and from 3-4pm for all ages. We’ll provide paper, stamps, water color paint and other supplies.
Or maybe you’d like to try your hand at darning socks in a participatory, skill-sharing workshop, with books for inspiration and examples? On Sunday, December 17th from 2-4 our Repair Group will get together to share best practices and learn from each other. Although we’ll supply basic supplies, you’ll need to bring your own socks, with holes that are less than a nickel in diameter, to mend.
Perhaps you’re looking for a way to just relax this frenetic season?
We can’t wait to welcome back the Glen Park Flute Duo Saturday, December 9th from 2-3. Local performers, Danny Beagle and Steve Shapiro, will fill the library with a variety of classical duets on flute. Catch the hilarious antics of Lily Tomlin as the Incredible Shrinking Woman in the 1981 film Wednesday, December 20th from 6-7.
And we’re trying something new, Sunday, December 24th from 1:15-4:45 where we invite you to drop in for a variety of family-friendly wintertime animated shorts and a movie. Ask for an events pamphlet at the front desk or pick one up on the events board outside our front door to see the full listing of features and time.
If you’d prefer to enjoy the library from home, may I recommend a new resource? Bay Beats is our newest collection of curated local musicians, streaming free from SFPL. It includes full albums, themed playlists, and all the discoverability you’d expect from Spotify, Apple or Google Music.
I’ve said it before, and you’ll hear it again: this is just a small sample of all the community-oriented events we’re overjoyed to host at your local library branch. Please visit our website, look at the right column of this website, or pick up a December events pamphlet to see everything else we have on offer.