“It was important for FAL to drive greater public awareness to our amazing bookshop which is conveniently located inside the Main Library, but in a tucked-away location. We’d love it if every library patron visited BFF every time they visit the library. Not only can patrons find a great
Friends
Serving on the FAL board marries her love of books with community service. Although she has lived in Alameda for three decades, she never went to the semi-annual “Used Book Sale,” thinking that she didn’t need yet another book. That will change this fall when she chairs our traditional
News
The Books for Friends grand opening and our third Pop-Up Used Book Sale were very successful this past weekend! We sold record amounts of books, introduced the community to our outstanding new used bookstore in the Alameda Free Library, and offered great reading material for all ages at bargain prices.
Community Events
On June 15th, the Friends were joined by bestselling crime fiction author Vaseem Khan who discussed his Malabar House Novels, which take readers on an exhilarating journey from the last days of the Raj to the heart of modern India. Click on the video below to watch this great talk!
News
In the May newsletter I reported on attempts to ban or censor books in public and school libraries – a total of 729 books were banned in 2021. Most of these efforts are focused on books read by teens, so I was delighted to read about a teen-led initiative at the
Community Events
On May 16th, the Friends were joined by national bestselling author Gail Tsukiyama who discussed The Color of Air, her gorgeous and evocative historical novel about a Japanese-American family set against the backdrop of Hawai’i’s sugar plantations. Click on the video below to watch this talk!
Art Docent
On May 11th, the Friends were joined by art docent Avril Angevine for a presentation on some of California’s most interesting clay crafters, from studios in Berkeley, on Catalina Island, and in Southern California — from familiar names like Arequipa, California Faience, Bauer, Metlox, and fascinating individuals like Marguerite Wildenhain,
We hope you will consider a generous gift to the Spring Annual Fund Campaign. This fund provides ongoing support for the many programs and services of the Alameda Free Library, including the annual Summer Reading Program for all ages. Make a gift to the Spring Annual Fund Campaign today by
We are witnessing censorship in many parts of the country. In Llano County, Texas, elected officials removed books because they disagreed with the ideas, closed library board meetings to the public, dissolved the library board, replacing them with political appointees, and fired the librarian. I am grateful that our community
On April 20th, the Friends were joined by author Sarah Penner who discussed her novel, The Lost Apothecary. In her addictive and spectacularly imagined debut, Penner tells us of an eighteenth century female apothecary who secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them—setting three
Book Sale
More pop-up sales are coming and will be held at the main library in the Stafford room: Saturday, May 7, 12 - 4 p.m. -- In honor of Mother's Day, you will find children's books, crafts/hobbies, gardening, cookbooks, and more. Saturday, June 25, 12