As the first tendrils of spring touch the Island, with the restaurants starting to stay open ’til 8 p.m. and the sun still shining after 6, your Avalon Library continues to offer your programs, activities, and, yes, books for all ages and sensibilities. Stop by and pick up one of our new fiction books–or place a request for anything we don’t have and we’ll get it from one of our associated libraries on the mainland.
Many of the events we host are graciously sponsored by our Friends of Avalon Library group, who will be hosting an exciting book sale at their booth during the Art Fair at the end of the month. To prepare for this, the Friends have asked us to do a call out for book donations. If you have any ole books cluttering up your living room that you feel like donating to a good cause, by all means bring ’em by! Or you can call us, and we’ll put you in contact with the folks at the FOAL who can accept a particularly large and dusty collection.
Indeed, with the gracious support of the Friends of Avalon Library, we’re able to offer some wonderful programs coming up this month. On Thursday, March 28, for instance, we’re excited to welcome back to the island astonishing comic-magician Arty Loon, who will dazzle us with terrific magic tricks and funny jokes. Mr. Loon has visited here before, and his shows are always a stitch and a joy, particularly with younger audiences.
Coming up in April, we have booked a performance by “Shanty Man” Bill Dempsey, a folk singer who will perform a concert of sea shanties for us. And then, in May, we’re excited to present an afternoon of theater with the Storybook Family Theater, presenting a play for all ages and the entire family. The library is very grateful to our Friends group for these programs.
In terms of more locally based programs, Avalon Library’s twice monthly history talks with Avalon Historian Chuck Liddell continue to be a popular and fun event. Chuck starts every meeting with 15 minutes on a topic of Island historical importance – the history of the Casino, for instance, or the story of what life was like before cruise ships and golf carts were all over the city. Coming up on Wednesday, March 27 at 2 p.m., Chuck will be providing his expert abilities as a “fact checker” for local historical rumors and legends. Show up armed with your favorite Catalina story – the Zane Grey-Ada Wrigley feud for instance—or the legend of the Green Door—and Chuck will separate the tall tales from the Gospel truth!
On Tuesday, April 3, at 4 p.m., we’re also pleased to offer another visit from the LA County Library’s MakMo Science Librarian, who will be coming to Avalon to help us create LED-equipped origami greeting cards.
We’ll have other crafts and art projects as well: The library continues to offer Creation Station, a twice weekly event with small art projects, on Tuesdays and Fridays at 4 p.m.
And there’s always Colormania, our adult coloring event on Tuesdays from noon-2 p.m., especially for the cruise ship visitors.
Watch out also for some special pop up art events, as well: We’ll be decorating door hangers for teens on Thursday March 21 at 4 p.m., and creating wicker baskets in April.
And then there are books! We are working on relaunching our Off The Island Book Club, which takes place on the last Tuesday of the month. For March, we’re reading “Michael Cunningham’s Day: A Novel.”
By the end of the month, we hope to have the next three books chosen so we can have a reading Summer!
