Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries

Spring and National Poetry Month

Inaugural Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Dina Lusztig Noyes, center, with youth poet laureate finalists, from left: Gregory Souza, Simon Ellefson, Madeline Aliah and Sylvi Kayser during a celebration at Kuumbwa Jazz

"Spring will come and so will happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer." – Anita Krizzan

April is a month when we warm ourselves by celebrating poetry and libraries. It is National Poetry Month, and while libraries are assigned only one week in the middle of the month, the Friends celebrate libraries all year. 

Poetry Circles meet every month in our library branches and books of poetry abound on library shelves. The Friends are very pleased to financially support the establishment of the Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate program initiated by Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate, Farnaz Fatemi. Congratulations to the first Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate, Dina Lusztig Noyes. Finalists Madeline Aliah, Simon Ellefson, Sylvi Kayser, and Gregory Souza also amazed the selection committee with their work.

Poetry is not the only reason to gather at the library. Job Searching, Guitar Club, Game Zone, Minecraft, Tai Chi, Mah Jongg, Bridge, and even Learning How to Make Sauerkraut draw people to our busy branches. See the calendars for all branches at santacruzpl.org/branches.

But it is all about the books, right? Book clubs, author talks, literacy training like Tales to Tails and R.E.A.D tutoring offer meaningful library experiences. We can’t forget that the books themselves are at the Library’s heart. As Margaret Atwood reminds us: “A word after a word after a word is power.”

How does so much happen at our libraries? YOUR consistent ongoing support is critical. Monthly and annual donations along with gifts in honor of family and friends make services and collections possible in all our branches. Give the gift of books and programs for every age. Join us in celebrating libraries all year round. 

Please donate today at fscpl.org/donate. Or mail your contribution to FSCPL, P.O. Box 8472, Santa Cruz, CA 95061.

Book Sales

From the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library:

Huge Book Sale!!

The Friends of the Scotts Valley Library will hold a book sale on Saturday, May 4th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Scotts Valley Branch Library in the Fireside Lounge. Gently used books, dvds, cds, audiobooks, puzzles and games will be sold. Find books on gardening, crafts, cooking, travel, history, nature, humor, and poetry. Fiction in all formats! Teachers! Come see our huge selection of children’s books including those for middle schoolers and young adults. Cash, checks, cards, and ApplePay accepted. All proceeds benefit the activities and programs at the Scotts Valley Branch Library.

Branch Events

Aptos Writer's Workshop

Aptos Writer’s Workshop is a place where writer’s meet to discuss, and provide suggestions for fiction and non-fiction work in a positive and supportive small group environment. It is designed to help members with their own work over time from an initial idea, through character/concept development, scene/chapter blocking to the finished piece. We are all at different places on our journey and it is okay. The group will be meeting from 1-3 pm on the 2nd and 4th Monday’s of the month in the Community Room of the new Aptos Library. 

Next meeting:

Monday, April 22, 2024

1:00pm - 3:00pm

The Betty Leonard Community Room, Aptos

Audience: Adults  

Branch Locations, Hours, and Additional Events

Visit www.santacruzpl.org/branches for branch addresses, hours of operation, and complete listings of upcoming events, including talks, workshops, storytimes, crafting, and other activities for all ages.