Friends of the Libraries: It’s book sale time again
The Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries will hold its sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 9, when most prices will range from 50 cents to $1, and from noon to 3 p.m. Nov. 10, when you can get a whole bag of books for $1. The sale will be held at the Costa Mesa/Donald Dungan Library, 1855 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.
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Guest speaker
The next program of the Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries Speaker Series will occur at 6 p.m. Nov. 16, when Laer Pearce will discuss his book “Crazifornia: Tales From the Tarnished State — How California Is Destroying Itself and Why It Matters to America.”
Pearce, a public affairs expert and Orange County author, will discuss the topic with a sense of humor. The lecture, book signing and more will be at the Mesa Verde United Methodist Church at 1701 Baker St., on the corner of Baker and Mesa Verde Drive East. RSVP to Bob Ooten at (714) 545-9613 or bobbyooten@aol.com.
Light refreshments will be served. This free event is open to members and non-members. Donations to the Friends of the Costa Mesa Libraries will be accepted.
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A visit to an Ohio library
I happened to be in Vermilion, Ohio, last week and had the opportunity to visit the Ritter Public Library there. Vermilion is a small town of about 10,000 on the southern edge of Lake Erie. The library was expanded about four years ago and I was very impressed. I don’t yet know the square footage of the building, but it must be about 40,000 square feet.
There is a large teen department, a very large children’s department, a public computer lab, an adult reading room, study rooms, a community room, a conference room and, of course, areas for the collection of books, audiobooks and DVDs. The library has been given a LEED Gold award for its energy and water conservation. Check it out yourself at ritterpubliclibrary.org/about-us. There is a video on the LEED award-winning ideas incorporated into the library.
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At the Mesa Verde Library
Those of you who have a new eBook reader but need to know how to use it, take advantage of the instruction at 9:15 a.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Preschool Storytime is at 11 a.m. Tuesdays. Family Reading Time, where families read, play and learn together, is at 7 p.m. Nov. 14. This activity is for families with at least one child under 5 years old, though big brothers and sisters are welcome.
At each session, adults and children listen to a story, sing songs, play games and make crafts together. Parents receive ideas and resources to help make their home a learning place. For more information, call (714) 546-5274.
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At the Costa Mesa/Donald Dungan Library
Bilingual Storytime, with stories and songs conducted in both English and Spanish, will be held from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Monday. Though children of all ages are welcome, the program is geared for those of preschool age. The program is free. The library is closed, but knock on the door to be admitted. Toddler Storytime is 11 a.m. every Monday. There will be stories, songs and crafts. Stay afterward for a snack and playtime with the library’s toys.
The Costa Mesa Library Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. Mondays in the library’s community room. Contact Samantha for a list of the books that are being discussed.
Tuesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. is Duplo play time. This is a family activity. Another one is Family Game Afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. Nov. 7, when library staff bring out all the library’s board games for children and families to use. There are many old favorites and some new ones you may not know about. This program is free, and signups are not required.
On Nov. 14 from 2 to 3 p.m., children and their parents are invited to Family Storytime. There will be stories, songs and a fun craft at the end. Those who attend may stay afterward to play with library toys and socialize. Family Storytime is free and no registration is required.
All three Costa Mesa libraries will be closed Nov. 11.
MARY ELLEN GODDARD produced this column on behalf of the Friends of Costa Mesa Libraries, the Costa Mesa Library Foundation and the three Costa Mesa branches of the OC Public Libraries.