Adult book club, preschool storytime, read-for-a-burger among free Barstow Library offerings ahead of 50%-off book sale
The public library in Barstow is rolling out a variety of “fun and free” offerings to vitalize the reader and artist in locals of all ages in advance of a sale that no bookworm will want to miss.
The Barstow Branch Library kicked off the first of various weekly programs in late Februray and will continue hosting for participants young and old until April 9, according to a press release from the San Bernardino County Library System, which counts Barstow as home to one of 32 libraries in its network across the largest U.S. county by square-mile.
April 9 marks day one of a two-week book sale in which the release states that “all items are 50% off!” The sale will be run by Friends of the Barstow Branch Library, one of many volunteer groups that work under county library staff to support and improve each location in its network.
After the sale ends April 23, a new six-week rotation of programs will be similar to the current slate will begin, the library told the Daily Press.
Aside from weekly programs leading up to the sale, the Barstow Library is also inviting kids aged 4-12 to sign up for a “Cover to Cover program” based not on a set schedule but instead on how much reading each participant is able to pump out across the next five weeks. The reward: A free burger.
“Sign up, log your reading and earn a delicious burger from In and Out!” the press release states, though it doesn’t specify how much reading one has to accomplish to earn the burger.
One weekly program that began earlier this week, dubbed Tiny Hoppers, is open to kids aged 1-3 years and will be held at 11:30 a.m. every Tuesday for the next five weeks.
“We will sing, dance and read stories,” the release states. “This course will help little ones develop their motor skills, body awareness, and sense of rhythm.”
For kids aged 6-11, the library says “you are invited to join us as we focus on a specific artist and create wonderful projects” in a program it calls Discover Art. The library will host this program at 4 p.m. every Tuesday.
In between those two events, a book club will be held at 2 p.m. every Tuesday for adults. Three books will each get two weeks of reading and analysis by book club members: “The Lost Apothecary,” by Sarah Penner; “The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle,” by Stuart Turton; and “The Woman in Cabin 10,” by Ruth Ware.
“If you love books you’ll love joining us in our captivating discussion about the books we’ve selected,” the release states.
Every Thursday, parents can bring their preschoolers to the library at 11:30 a.m. for Preschool Storytime. “We share stories, songs and a fun activity at the end,” the release states.
These programs will last until the start of the 50%-off sale April 9. Books, DVDs and magazines will be on sale, and the lucrative discount could lead to high-value scores for avid readers, historians and those just looking for something to look at aside from a digital screen.
The volunteer organization running the sale, the Barstow-focused Friends of the Library, will also be holding its monthly meeting at the library later this month, at 1 p.m. March 14, according to the release.
Information: Barstow Branch Library at (760) 256-4850.
Charlie McGee covers California’s High Desert for the Daily Press, focusing on the city of Barstow and its surrounding communities. He is also a Report for America corps member with the GroundTruth Project, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists in the U.S. and around the world. McGee may be reached at 760-955-5341 or cmcgee@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @bycharliemcgee.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Free Barstow Library offerings
