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A NOTE FROM THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR
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Dear community,
June saw national and local protests against injustice, systemic racism, and racial inequities and in support of Black Lives Matter. The work that the Library is undertaking to address racial equity is ongoing and elemental to our service. This letter addresses some of the strides we've made toward making our service and community equitable and anti-racist.
Redwood City Public Library has been actively immersed in racial equity work for our community since the fall of 2019, when we were selected through a competitive application process to be one of the pilot libraries for California State Library's California Libraries Cultivating Race, Equity and Inclusion (CREI) Initiative. CREI was designed specifically for government organizations to infuse a race and equity focus into organizational outcomes and service delivery through evidence-based shifts in operations, processes and policies. Our diverse staff team participating in CREI has given itself the name RCPL CARES - Cultivating and Advancing Racial Equity Systemically. You can read the team statement here: www.redwoodcity.org/RCPLCARES
 You may have seen that we have a Black Lives Matter exhibit in the Downtown Library's Lot A. These murals, painted on the plywood boards covering downtown store windows, were created by local artist Castro Jose and numerous others, and served as a thoughtful and impactful backdrop for the June 2 protest. To provide a show of support and solidarity for the community, and to serve as a catalyst for ongoing dialogue about anti-racist actions we can all take together, City of Redwood City, in a collaboration between Redwood City Public Library and Redwood City Parks, Recreation & Community Services, is displaying these murals at the Downtown Library through August 14, 2020, and exploring additional displays in the future.
A program I am thrilled
to be able to offer to our community is
How to Talk to Kids About Race
on July 16 at 6pm. Writers and activists Leta McCollough Seletzky and Cara Meredith, who are both in interracial marriages and raising mixed-race children, are passionate about teaching parents and caregivers how to enter into conversations of race. Through an interactive presentation that is equal parts informational and invitational, audiences will walk away with the necessary tools to engage with the children in their lives today.
Lastly, we have made a selection of titles concerning race and social justice available without holds through our shared Peninsula Library System OverDrive collection. There are no wait times, so you can take action immediately. To view the collection, go
here.
As our RCPL CARES team continues its work to advance racial equity, I encourage you to follow along and share our news with your neighbors.
Stay well,
Derek Wolfgram
Library Director
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We have some buzzing news!
The
RCPL Bees on the library roof have been busy and we're happy to announce we have jars of honey to sell for $10 each. To order, please fill out this
short form and after you've paid through our
homepage, we'll get your honey package ready for pickup on Saturday, July 11 between 10am-12pm behind the Downtown Library. All revenue from the Friends of the Redwood City Library honey sale goes directly to the Redwood City Public Library.
 In more bee related news, on July 30 at 6:30 pm, we are happy to sponsor the Library's program with Meredith May, beekeeper and author of The Honey Bus. "May delivers a powerful account of growing up in 1970s California . . . May learned that, unlike her mother, she needed to look at what she had-her grandfather and a gift for beekeeping-rather than what was missing. May's chronicle of overcoming obstacles and forging ahead is moving and thoughtful." - Publishers Weekly
Register for the online event
here.
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SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE
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REDWOOD SHORES BRANCH LIBRARY CURBSIDE PICKUP EVENT!
We will have a one day event on Saturday, July 11 from 10am-2pm
in the parking lot
at the Redwood Shores Branch Library to distribute free summer reading books. This will be a touchless distribution, when you drive through the parking lot library staff will put your books in your trunk for you. If you can't make if on that day, you can always come to the Downtown Library, parking lot B for our Summer Learning Curbside Pickup.
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See the full events calendar
here.
CRAFT CAMPS!
 Guess who's back with more crafts and singsong fun-Little Learners! Camp Little Learners is a craft and storytime for ages 3-5 and begins tomorrow, July 8 through August 26.
Have kids a bit older who would like to join in all the craft fun? Craft Camp Remote is here for you too! Craft Camp is for grades K-3 and will also be Wednesdays, July 8 - August 26. For both camps, pick up materials behind the Downtown Library on Wednesdays from 10am. Then tune in for stories, songs, craft instructions and at-home challenges.
Teen Program: Online Craft Club: Teens, tune in for
a different project and activity every week! Pick up your materials every Wednesday at 10am and tune in at 2pm for instructions
UPCOMING EVENTS
THU July 8, 6:30pm
Experience the benefits of Mindfulness Meditation or deepen your practice, in Spanish or English. Help us build community in Redwood City and in Puerto Rico lead by expert teachers at both locations.
Multiple sessions, July 13 and July 27, 12pm and 7pm
Sign-up to join a small group session for practicing networking skills, reviewing resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and getting feedback on that all-important elevator pitch.
TUE, July 14, 4pm and multiple sessions
Get ready to be front and center for this fun and family-friendly mini-concert. You will sing and dance as Nathalia presents bilingual music for the whole family.
THU July 16, 6pm
Writers and activists Leta McCollough Seletzky and Cara Meredith are passionate about teaching parents and caregivers how to enter into conversations of race.
FRI July 17, 12pm
Strengthen mental and emotional resilience wherever you are with tools developed specifically for the unique needs of Veterans AND their family members.
To keep up with all our online programs, go
here.
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Below is a list of services available at this time. For updates, visit our COVID-19 microsite here.
- All Redwood City Public Library locations are currently closed until further notice.
- Downtown Library bookdrops are open to accept returns.
- Curbside Service for picking up holds is now available.
- Library events are cancelled until further notice. Check our calendar here for online events.
- Meeting room reservations are cancelled until further notice.
- Due dates for all library materials, including Wifi hotspots, are extended through July 31.
- No overdue fines will be charged for any items currently checked out.
- Borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks; use streaming TV, movie, and music services; and access digital subscriptions to newspapers and magazines here.
- Our Zip Books service continues. Zip Books is a way for customers to request books that the Library doesn't own. The item is shipped directly to you using Amazon Prime.
- Library customer service is available for general questions. Please call (650) 780-7018, extension 4 or [email protected].
- Online resources are available to current card holders and new cardholders. Don't have a card? Sign up here for an eCard, good for 90 days.
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STAY INFORMED
CONTACT US
Our live phone service team are available 10am to 5pm Monday-Friday.
PH: (650) 780-7018, ex. 4
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SEND TO A FRIEND
Have a friend you think might be interested?
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