External Event: allcove Book Club

Join our friends at allcove for AAPI book club featuring American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Explore identity, culture, and storytelling th......More

Join our friends at allcove for AAPI book club featuring American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Explore identity, culture, and storytelling through this powerful graphic novel. This event series is for youth and young adults ages 12-25 years old. May 1, 6, & 15: Read & discuss the graphic novel. May 22 & 29: Watch the adaptation, compare, and discuss. Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome.

Pageturners: The Vulnerables by Sigrid NuĂąez

Palo Alto Pageturners meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month in the Embarcadero Room. We vote on books to read and......More

Palo Alto Pageturners meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month in the Embarcadero Room. We vote on books to read and sometimes invite local authors to discuss their books. You don't have to register, but you will receive a reminder email if you register. Here's our reading list for 2025: Me for You by Lolly Winston - January Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - February Yellowface: A Novel by R. F. Kuang - March James: A Novel by Percival Everett - April The Vulnerables by Sigrid NuĂąez - May The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and the Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei Fei Li - June The Anxious Generation: How the Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt - July All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley - August Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy - September Sapiens: A Graphic History: The Birth of Humankind by Yuval N. Harari - October North Woods by Daniel Mason - November When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro - December Sign up for the library newsletter and never miss another program!

External Event: FOPAL Book Sale

Don't miss this month's Friends of the Palo Alto Library Book Sale! There will be three rooms with over 70,000 books, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, etc., new & gently used, all sorted, very reasonably priced! Proceeds benefit the Palo Alto libraries.  For the safety and comfort......More

Don't miss this month's Friends of the Palo Alto Library Book Sale! There will be three rooms with over 70,000 books, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, etc., new & gently used, all sorted, very reasonably priced! Proceeds benefit the Palo Alto libraries.  For the safety and comfort of all participants, masks are suggested and room occupancy will be lower than usual. Please visit fopal.org for more information. Saturday Hours: Bargain Room 9:30am â 4pm Childrenâs Room 10am â 4pm Main Room 11am â 4pm Sunday Hours: All Rooms 1pm â 4pm

Meditation with Sara

Join us for a guided meditation experience with Sara.  Welcome to all experience levels.  This will be a seated meditation session that lasts about 30 minutes. 

Chair Yoga with Patricia Becker

Join us on the second Saturday of the month established local yoga teacher Patricia Becker! Patricia takes us through exercises to loosen joints, improve flexibility, improve cognition, and increase strength in Rinconada Libr......More

Join us on the second Saturday of the month established local yoga teacher Patricia Becker! Patricia takes us through exercises to loosen joints, improve flexibility, improve cognition, and increase strength in Rinconada Library's Embarcadero Room. Read more about Patricia and her yoga certifications, experience and classes on her website. Chair Yoga with Patricia will continue in the fall and next year on these Saturdays at 11 a.m.: September 6 November 1 January 10 March 7 Sign up for the library newsletter and never miss another program!

Concert: California Youth Symphony

Come and enjoy a FREE musical performance by California Youth Symphony. Maestra Kati Kyme will lead Virtuosi Strings and Intermezzi Strings in this short mid-morning concert. This is a free family event, and all are invited to attend!......More

Come and enjoy a FREE musical performance by California Youth Symphony. Maestra Kati Kyme will lead Virtuosi Strings and Intermezzi Strings in this short mid-morning concert. This is a free family event, and all are invited to attend! Mitchell Park is very busy on Saturdays, so please plan accordingly! There is additional park and street parking around Mitchell Park Library & Community Center. Don't forget--you can always carpool, ride your bike or walk to the Library! 

Genealogy: Digitizing and Documenting Family History

Dive into a realm where physical artifacts meet virtual storytelling. This session immerses you in the art of utilizing artificial intelligence for oral history creation, scanning, photo restoration, photo management, movie making and storytelling. Explore real-life ca......More

Dive into a realm where physical artifacts meet virtual storytelling. This session immerses you in the art of utilizing artificial intelligence for oral history creation, scanning, photo restoration, photo management, movie making and storytelling. Explore real-life case studies illustrating how to intricately weave your familyâs saga using multimedia methodologies. Discover invaluable free resources and best practices to preserve your familyâs legacy. By session end, youâll learn about tools and techniques to create a digital family heritage library, that will be a timeless treasure for generations to come. Utilize AI for oral history, scanning, photo restoration, and management Explore case studies for weaving family sagas with multimedia Discover free resources and best practices for legacy preservation Learn tools for creating a digital family heritage library Ron Chan is a seasoned lecturer on family history documentation principles, captivating audiences worldwide at Genealogy Workshops and libraries. As a published genealogy author, he has a passion for storytelling, teaching innovative methods to breathe life into ancestral tales. Ron is the Founder of the Bay Area Chinese Genealogy Group, dedicated to preserving ancestral stories. Heâs also a co-founder of the Chinese American GI Project, ensuring the legacies of veterans are not lost, forgotten or ignored. Ron shares with you how to capture and share family struggles of the past so future generations embrace, remember and learn from those who came before.

Tai Chi with Nelson Ng

Join us for a weekly Tai Chi session with Nelson Ng! In this weekly class, participants will learn the basic principles and the philosophy behind Tai Chi, gaining flexibility and a better sense of balance, through slow and gentle movement.  Nelson started learning Che......More

Join us for a weekly Tai Chi session with Nelson Ng! In this weekly class, participants will learn the basic principles and the philosophy behind Tai Chi, gaining flexibility and a better sense of balance, through slow and gentle movement.  Nelson started learning Chen's Tai Chi in 1989 from Master Gene Chen, who was a disciple of Grandmaster of Feng ZhiQiang. Nelson has been teaching since 2014. This class is free and open to beginners as well as those who have previous Tai Chi experience. People of all ages are welcome. You must sign in upon arrival.

Family Storytime

Join Librarian Jennifer on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM for Family Storytime at Rinconada Library. Come sing, rhyme, and read stories with us! While this storytime will be geared towards those older than 2 years, all ages are welcome!  BYOS (bring your own scarf)! Some of our......More

Join Librarian Jennifer on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM for Family Storytime at Rinconada Library. Come sing, rhyme, and read stories with us! While this storytime will be geared towards those older than 2 years, all ages are welcome!  BYOS (bring your own scarf)! Some of our songs use scarves as props. Bring something scarf-like (any piece of fabric). Otherwise, you can always pretend! Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more stories, songs and rhymes, including a playlist of all of our favorite songs to sing!

Little Ones Storytime: Celebrate Jewish Heritage Month!

Join Librarian Heidi on Wednesday mornings at 10:30AM for Little Ones Storytime at Rinconada Library. Storytime includes a variety of early literacy activities such as stories, songs, rhymes, and movement activities. Storytime is a fun and interactive experience for......More

Join Librarian Heidi on Wednesday mornings at 10:30AM for Little Ones Storytime at Rinconada Library. Storytime includes a variety of early literacy activities such as stories, songs, rhymes, and movement activities. Storytime is a fun and interactive experience for the whole family that promotes the joys of reading and learning for all ages. This program is targeted to children under the age of two and their caregivers.

External Event: allcove Book Club

Join our friends at allcove for AAPI book club featuring American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Explore identity, culture, and storytelling th......More

Join our friends at allcove for AAPI book club featuring American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. Explore identity, culture, and storytelling through this powerful graphic novel. This event series is for youth and young adults ages 12-25 years old. May 1, 6, & 15: Read & discuss the graphic novel. May 22 & 29: Watch the adaptation, compare, and discuss. Registration is encouraged but drop-ins are welcome.

External Event: 3rd Thursday on California Ave

Experience live music, local eats, and shopping at 3rd Thursdays on California Avenue. Musicians will perform at different spots along the avenue, offering a chance to discover and support local businesses. Enjoy additional attractions such as photo booth and community......More

Experience live music, local eats, and shopping at 3rd Thursdays on California Avenue. Musicians will perform at different spots along the avenue, offering a chance to discover and support local businesses. Enjoy additional attractions such as photo booth and community art. Sponsored by the City of Palo Alto and the Chamber of Commerce, this free monthly music series occurs every third Thursday and all are welcome. Join us on Cal Ave and be part of the festivities! Learn More February 20  â  Let's Grow Together March 20 â Youth Views  April 17  â  Greening Up Cal Ave May 15 â We are Two-gether June 19  â Local Libations July 17 â Summer Fun & Games August 21 â Taste of Cal Ave September 18 â Let's Dance October 16 â Sustainability Fun Fair November 20 â Thankscaring December 18 â Winter Lights

Writers Helping Writers: Tim Flood

California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch members give presentations on the third Thursday of the month for anyone interested in writing. Writers Helping Writers resume for their third year giving excellent advice and pointers on writing, publishing market......More

California Writers Club-San Francisco Peninsula Branch members give presentations on the third Thursday of the month for anyone interested in writing. Writers Helping Writers resume for their third year giving excellent advice and pointers on writing, publishing marketing and more.  Here is our line-up for writers this year: October 17  - Kate Adams November 21 - Darlene Frank January 16 - TBA February 20 - Lisa Meltzer-Penn March 20 -Geri Spieler April 17 - Sarah Sherwood May 15 - Tim Flood Registration is not required, but if you register, you'll receive an email reminder the day before the event. Sign up for the library newsletter and never miss another program!

Meditation with Sara

Join us for a guided meditation experience with Sara.  Welcome to all experience levels.  This will be a seated meditation session that lasts about 30 minutes. 

Musicians in Residence: Nathan's Fearless Five!

DON'T MISS THEIR FINAL PERFORMANCE AT RINCONADA LIBRARY! Rinconada Library bids a fond farewell to our first Musicians in Residence, Nathan's Fearless Five, playing the finest in swing and jazz. Founded in October 2021 at Carlmont High School, Nathan's Fearless Five h......More

DON'T MISS THEIR FINAL PERFORMANCE AT RINCONADA LIBRARY! Rinconada Library bids a fond farewell to our first Musicians in Residence, Nathan's Fearless Five, playing the finest in swing and jazz. Founded in October 2021 at Carlmont High School, Nathan's Fearless Five has played the Embarcadero Room every month during the school year since December 2022. Read more about them in Palo Alto Online and listen to their January 19 performance here. And stay tuned for exciting developments in the fall.

Tai Chi with Nelson Ng

Join us for a weekly Tai Chi session with Nelson Ng! In this weekly class, participants will learn the basic principles and the philosophy behind Tai Chi, gaining flexibility and a better sense of balance, through slow and gentle movement.  Nelson started learning Che......More

Join us for a weekly Tai Chi session with Nelson Ng! In this weekly class, participants will learn the basic principles and the philosophy behind Tai Chi, gaining flexibility and a better sense of balance, through slow and gentle movement.  Nelson started learning Chen's Tai Chi in 1989 from Master Gene Chen, who was a disciple of Grandmaster of Feng ZhiQiang. Nelson has been teaching since 2014. This class is free and open to beginners as well as those who have previous Tai Chi experience. People of all ages are welcome. You must sign in upon arrival.

Sojourners to Joke Sings: Tales of Chinatown and Beyond with Author Ron Lee

Join us for a captivating author reading featuring Ron Lee and his daughters, Meredith and Alison Lee, as they present Sojourners to Joke Sings: Tales of Chinatown and Beyond. This extraordinary work is based on the recently discovered memoir of LK Lennie Lee (1923-202......More

Join us for a captivating author reading featuring Ron Lee and his daughters, Meredith and Alison Lee, as they present Sojourners to Joke Sings: Tales of Chinatown and Beyond. This extraordinary work is based on the recently discovered memoir of LK Lennie Lee (1923-2021), Ron's mother, who left behind remarkable stories originally intended for her grandchildren. The book explores a unique perspective on Chinese American immigration history, from pre-Gold Rush settlement in what would become San Francisco to adventures throughout the American West. Learn about the mystery behind China Beach's name, connections to Robert Louis Stevenson, and a family's journey from hardship to success over generations. Rather than focusing solely on the undeniable challenges of racism and xenophobia, this presentation highlights the courage, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit of early Chinese immigrants whose descendants continue to thrive in San Francisco today. This free event will take place on May 18, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the Mitchell Park Community Center, Adobe Room (3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto).  Registration recommended (for a reminder email) but not required! 

Master Gardeners: Don't Squish That Bug! Recognizing Beneficial Insects in the Garden

Our gardens are home to a host of insects that prey upon or parasitize the insects that attack our plants. Master Gardener Candace Simpson will help you learn how to recognize these ânatural enemies,â distinguish them from common pest insects, and encourage them to mak......More

Our gardens are home to a host of insects that prey upon or parasitize the insects that attack our plants. Master Gardener Candace Simpson will help you learn how to recognize these ânatural enemies,â distinguish them from common pest insects, and encourage them to make your garden their home.  The program is free to attend, no registration is required.