There are two great Thousand Oaks libraries; the Grant R. Brimhall Library at 1401 E. Janss Road in Thousand Oaks (805.449.2660) and the local Newbury Park Branch is at 2331 Borchard Road (805.498.2139). These libraries provide year-round free events, activities and programs for all ages. Selected events from time to time will be covered here.
Visit the library website at www.toaks.org/library to learn more.
The following is a list of programs happening at the Thousand Oaks Library during the month of December, with GRB denoting Grant R. Brimhall Library, and NPL denoting Newbury Park Library. All programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. For the latest information on Library events, please visit www.tolibrary.org/calendar.
ALL AGES
Holiday Classics with Silver Strings
Tuesday December 10 • 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Local chamber music group Silver Strings will present a special holiday concert at the Thousand Oaks Library.
Gosh Yarn It
Friday, December 13 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Community Room
Relax, crochet, and socialize at our crochet club! Beginners and experts alike are welcome to bring your own supplies and hang out with fellow crocheters as we sip tea and work on our projects. For ages 11+.
LevelUp Lounge
Fridays • 10:00 am – 5:30 pm • GRB Teen Space
Access all ages gaming with the Library’s Xbox Game Pass! Hang out and relax with games like No Man’s Sky, Powerwash Simulator, Forza, Sea of Stars, and over 250 more options!
Stay & Switch
Newbury Park Library
Join the fun by exploring our newest addition to the Library of Things. Stop by the Newbury Park Library Information Desk to check out a Nintendo Switch Lite, loaded with exciting digital games! You can borrow it with your library card and enjoy gaming while you’re in the Library.
KIDS
Homework Help
Mondays • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Tuesdays • 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Wednesdays & Thursdays • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Struggling with challenging school assignments? Our volunteers are here to help! For students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Runs September 2024 to May 2025; closed on CVUSD holidays and breaks. No Homework Help on December 23 through December 31.
Fall Storytimes & Playtime
Baby Storytime
Tuesday, December 3 • 10:15 am – 10:35 am • GRB Community Room
This is a lapsit storytime for babies 0-12 months. Walk-ins welcome!
Toddler Storytime
Wednesday, December 4 • 10:15 am – 10:35 am & 11:00 am – 11:20 am • GRB Community Room
This is a toddler storytime for ages 12-36 months. Registration required.
Preschool Storytime
Thursday, December 5 • 10:15 am – 11:00 am • GRB Community Room
This is a preschool storytime & craft for ages 3-5 years. Walk-ins welcome!
Enrichment Playtime
Join us for 30 minutes of unstructured playtime from 10:15 am – 10:50 am.
For babies (0-12 months): Tuesday, December 10 • GRB Community Room
For toddlers (12-36 months): Wednesday, December 11 • GRB Community Room
For preschoolers (3-5 years): Thursday, December 12 • GRB Community Room
For NPL toddlers (12-36 months): Thursday, December 12 • NPL Meeting Room
Dog Days
Tuesdays, December 3 & 10 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room
Thursday, December 5 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Readers of all levels and abilities are invited to come and read to a certified therapy dog! Participants will sign up for a brief 10-minute session with a dog and their owner.
Music Time with Mr. Michael
Thursday, December 5 • 10:15 am – 11:00 am • NPL Meeting Room
A fun-filled, interactive concert where children sing, clap, and play along to a lively mix of classic and kid-friendly tunes. With acoustic guitar and percussion instruments, Mr. Michael creates a joyful atmosphere for kids and parents alike. Registration required.
Mini Masters: Frank Lloyd Wright - Designing Homes
Sunday, December 8 • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room
Read the story Shape of the World: A Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright, learn about architecture, and craft home designs. Led by a Teen Volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.
Writing Buddies
Thursday, December 12 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Community Room
Students in grades 2-5 are invited to share their creativity by writing a short story. Registration required.
Music & Movement
Saturday, December 14 • 10:15 am – 10:45 am & 11:15 am – 11:45 am • GRB Community Room
Dance, clap, and sing along with Ms. Cheryl and her guitar during this fun, interactive program for ages 0-5 years. Registration required.
Future Einsteins: Density and More
Sunday December 15 • 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm • GRB Community Room
Learn about density and more using a cartesian diver. Led by a Teen Volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.
Let’s Chill
Wednesday December 18 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Join Art Trek for a wintery art experience at the Library! For grades K-5. Registration required.
Winter Mitten Craft Table
Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3 • Both Libraries
Visit the Library to color a pair of paper mittens. For grades K-5.
Winter Scavenger Hunt
Monday, December 23 – Friday, January 3 • Both Libraries
Visit the Library and participate in a scavenger hunt! Locate all the correct items and enter to win a Mo Willems Gift Bag filled with goodies featuring beloved characters from Mo Willem’s books. One submission per person.
TWEENS & TEENS
Holiday Cards and Gifts
December • Both Libraries
Visit the Library to create your own custom holiday cards and craft gifts for friends. For grades 6-12. While supplies last.
Coding Lab
Mondays, December 2 & 9 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Wednesdays, December 4 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Learn how to code by exploring your own interests at your own pace through Fiero Code. Register for sessions you can attend. Bring your own laptop and headphones. For grades 6-12. Led by Teen Volunteers. Registration required.
Craft Gifts with CReATE STUDIO
Tuesday, December 3 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Teen Space
Make some craft gifts for the holidays like a pompom bookmark and picture holders. For grades 6-12. Registration required.
Reading Rocks Book Club
Tuesday, December 10 • GRB Children’s Program Room
Rocks (Grades 4-5): 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Boulders (Grades 6-8): 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Join us monthly to discuss books with strong female characters. This month’s books are The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages for the Rocks and The Pear Affair by Judith Eagle for the Boulders. Registration required.
Comics and Manga Club
Tuesday, December 17 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Dive into any comic, manga, or graphic novel! Share your favorites, chat about epic storylines and awesome artwork, and make new friends every third Thursday of the month. This month’s suggested reading theme is “fantasy books.” For grades 6-12. Registration required.
Books for Buttons and Boba
Come to the Library and pick-up a “Books for Buttons and Boba” form. Finish a book with more than 200 pages, get a button and enter for a chance for a Boba gift card. For grades 6-12.
Teen Volunteers Needed
Sign up to help with Homework Help, Thousand Oaks Teen Advisory League, and other programs and activities at the Library. Go to www.tolibrary.org/teens, setup your CERVIS account, and apply to volunteer for various opportunities.
ADULTS
Conversations with Mom
Tuesdays, December 3, 10, & 17 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • GRB Community Room
This free support group is for moms and their newborns to get together, express their joys and concerns, and meet other new moms in the community.
Virtual Author Talk - Unearthed: Exploring the Smithsonian National Gem Collection with Dr. Jeffrey Post
Wednesday, December 4 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Virtual
Join us for an absolutely dazzling presentation with the emeritus curator of the Smithsonian's National Gem Collection, Dr. Jeffrey E. Post as he talks about The Smithsonian National Gem Collection Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Jewels.
Many Voices Book Club
Wednesday, December 4 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Join us in reading and discussing books in a wide variety of genres by authors from a wide variety of cultures. This month’s book is Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons by John Paul Brammer. Walk-ins welcome.
Free Movie Matinées
Friday, December 6 • 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Mondays, December 9 & 23 • 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm • GRB Community Room
Catch free movie matinées at the Library! Explore our online schedule to see what's showing and join us for a fun film outing.
Exploring Family Oral Histories with Dr. Mary Gordon
Saturday December 7 • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Dr. Mary Contini Gordon will share examples from worldwide interviews she conducted for Family Oral History Across the World (FOH, Routledge 2024).
Spanish at Your Library
Beginner: Monday, December 9 • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Advanced: Wednesday, December 11 • 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Enhance your Spanish fluency through guided conversations led by facilitators. Registration required.
Happily Ever After Book Club
Monday, December 9 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Join us as we chat about our favorite romance novels, where a Happily Ever After (HEA)—or a Happily For Now (HFN)—is always guaranteed. This month’s book is We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian. Walk-ins welcome.
Board Game Club
Tuesday, December 10 • 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Community Room
Adults are invited to join us monthly to play strategy board games like Forbidden Island, Dungeon Mayhem, and Wingspan. Walk-ins welcome.
Virtual Author Talk - On Pulse-Pounding, Family Driven Mysteries: A Conversation with Laura Dave
Wednesday, December 11 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Virtual
Join us for a captivating conversation with #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave, as she chats with us online about her newest book The Night We Lost Him.
Open Mic Poetry Nights
Wednesday, December 11 • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Come listen to local poets and share your own work every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, in collaboration with The Ventura County Poetry Project. No Open Mic Poetry Night on December 25.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Conversation Group
Thursday, December 12 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Practice speaking English in an informal and friendly group setting. Open to all non-native English language speakers.
Crafternoon
Friday, December 13 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Friday, December 20 • 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Adults are invited to join us at the Library to socialize and make a different craft each month! Materials provided. Registration required.
