by Mary Olson
The Ventura Friends of the Library Bookstore in E.P. Foster Library 2nd Look Books will be open 7 days a week, beginning in February Monday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.
If you are visiting E.P. Foster Library for storytime on Monday mornings (10:30 am), we invite you to drop in to our bookstore on the first floor and browse our collection of gently used children’s books. Donations arrive every week and the stock in our store is regularly refreshed.
With our extended hours, we could use more volunteers to staff the store. If you would like to help, please stop by the store and speak to a volunteer or email [email protected].
We also invite you to visit our online bookstore for local sales https://venturafol-107753.square.site/s/shop for unique items, including Manga, Vintage, Art and Architecture. Orders are picked up at our bookstore in E.P. Foster Library.
In addition to storytime, E.P. Foster Library offers these activities for children —
On Wednesdays, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm, join Foxy Little Craft Club for self-guided arts, crafts and coloring. A special, structured craft will be provided every 4th Wednesday of the month.
On Fridays, from 2:00 to 4:00, drop in for Lego Play. Bring your imagination and experiment with creative designs. Children of all ages welcome!
Paws for Reading is another program at E.P. Foster Library. Paws for Reading is designed to help improve a child’s reading skills through reading aloud to registered therapy dogs. Arrive at the library early to choose a book and get in line to read to a special pooch. Children of all ages are welcome! Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:30 pm.
Hill Road Library also offers Paws for Reading on Wednesdays, 3:30 to 5:00 pm and Hill Road Library storytime is on Wednesday mornings, 10:30 to 11:30 am.
Hill Road Library Maker Lab is open Thursdays, 3:30 to 4:30 pm. On February 15, create a Chomping Dragon with just a few strips of cardboard and some brass fasteners to chomp your way into the Lunar New Year! On February 22, learn about engineering, electronics, and circuitry concepts by building Snap Circuits. You’ll assemble electronic circuits on a simple “rows-and-columns” base grid. The resulting projects function like the printed circuit board found in most electronic products. A wide range of kits, in differing sizes and complexity, will be made available to work with and are perfect for future engineers ages 8+ On February 29, the lab is open for Lego Play.
For more adventures in science, on Saturday, February 24, 11:00 am to noon, Hill Road Library’s Discover Science team leads an exploration of surface tension and molecular bonds by creating various bubble formulas.
Storytime at Avenue Library is 4:00 to 4:30 pm on Tuesdays. Come enjoy storytelling, nursery rhymes, and finger play presented in English and Spanish, geared for ages 0-5 years. During open branch hours, families are welcome to free coloring pages for all ages. Crayons and colored pencils are provided for in-house use.
