Upcoming Events and Free Programs at the Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park Branch Libraries
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Thousand Oaks (Grant R. Brimhall) Library.
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 February, 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.
NEW SERVICES
Extended Service Hours at Newbury Park Library
The Thousand Oaks Library is adding 5.5 hours of weekly Self-Service Access at Newbury Park Library. Patrons 18+ with a valid library card can access the lobby, Wi-Fi, wireless printing, and the Honor Books Collection from 9:05 am to 10:00 am, Monday to Saturday. For more info, visit www.tolibrary.org/selfservice.
Thousand Oaks Library App
Our brand-new library app is here to revolutionize your library experience! Browse and borrow books, music, movies, and more—all at your fingertips. Check out items, manage your library card, link family accounts, and even print documents right from your phone! Stay updated on events and access our Virtual Library anytime, anywhere. Download the app now on iOS and Android and take your library with you wherever you go! For more info, visit www.tolibrary.org/libraryapp.
ALL AGES
Fiero Code: The Arctic Adventure Code Challenge
Saturday, February 1 – Monday, March 31 • Online
Create your own maze game with Code Blocks! Open to ages 8–12 and 13–18, this program lets you design, build, and compete in the Fiero Code contest.
Gosh Yarn It
Friday, February 14 • 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+.
Maker Mondays – Button Making
Monday, February 24 • 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Teen Space
Make your own custom buttons at Maker Mondays! 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!
Board Games at the Library
Grant R. Brimhall Library
Stop by the Information Desk to borrow board games to play while inside the Library! Games available include Wingspan, Parks, Forbidden Island, and more.
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
Lunar New Year Craft: Year of the Snake
Wednesday, January 29 – Sunday, February 2 • Both Libraries
Visit the library to color a paper snake!
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 February 13 or 17.
Dog Days
Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18, & 25 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room
Thursday, February 6 • 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.
Reading Buddies
Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18, & 25 • 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Wednesdays, February 5, 12, 19, & 26 • 3:10 pm – 3:40 pm or 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm • GRB Community Room
A weekly program for students grades 1-4 to practice and gain confidence in their reading with the help of an interactive volunteer. Registration required.
PACT Light with First 5 Ventura County
Fridays, February 7 & 14 • 10:30 am – 11:15 am • NPL Meeting Room
Join First 5 Ventura County for a series of classes that mimic the Parent and Child Together (PACT) classes offered at Neighborhood for Learning sites for children prenatal to 5 years. Classes include books, songs, music and movement, guided play with open-ended materials, and parent education.
Music & Movement
Saturday, February 8 • 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.
Valentine’s Day Craft: Shredded Paper Heart
Friday, February 14 • 10:15 am – 11:15 am • GRB Community Room
Join CreATE Studio and create a shredded paper heart for Valentine’s Day. For grades K-5.
Future Einsteins: Magnetism
Sunday, February 16 • 2:00 pm – 2:45 pm • GRB Community Room
Learn about magnetism and more using iron filing field diagrams! Led by a teen volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.
Writing Buddies
Thursday, February 20 • 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.
Mini Masters: Ann Lowe - Fun with Fashion!
Sunday, February 23 • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room
Read the story Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe, and use different textures, colors and patterns to create fashion designs for a paper doll. Led by a teen volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.
Pathways to Science: Engineering
Friday, February 28 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Come build the strongest model bridge! Join us as we learn about the engineering process through hands-on activities! Led by a teen volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.
Winter Storytimes & Playtime
Bilingual Pajama Storytime
Monday, February 10 • 6:15 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room
A bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime & craft for ages 3-5 years. Walk-ins welcome!
Baby Storytime
Tuesdays, February 4, 18, & 25 • 10:15 am – 10:35 am • GRB Community Room
This is a lapsit storytime for babies 0-12 months. Walk-ins welcome!
Toddler Storytime
Wednesdays, February 5, 19, & 26 • 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
Thursdays, February 6, 20, & 27 • 10:15 am – 11:00 am • GRB Community Room
This is a preschool storytime & craft for ages 3-5 years. Walk-ins welcome!
Newbury Park Toddler Storytime
Thursdays, February 6, 20, & 27 • 10:15 am - 10:35 am • NPL Community Room
This is a toddler storytime for ages 12-36 months. 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, February 11 • GRB Community Room
For toddlers (12-36 months): Wednesday, February 12 • GRB Community Room
For preschoolers (3-5 years): Thursday, February 13 • GRB Community Room
For NPL toddlers (12-36 months): Thursday, February 13 • NPL Meeting Room
TWEENS & TEENS
Love Notes
February • Both Libraries
Visit the Library to pick up a Love Notes kit! Each kit includes supplies and prompts to write notes of kindness to yourself or others. Sign in to get yours—one per person, while supplies last. Just for tweens and teens.
Mic Check
Monday, February 3 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Community Room
Join us for an interactive program designed to enhance communication skills and explore creative storytelling for tweens ages 10 – 14. Registration required.
Reading Rocks Book Club
Tuesday, February 11 • 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 It Ain't So Awful Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas for Rocks and Starfish by Lisa Fipps for Boulders. Registration required.
Comics and Manga Club
Tuesday, February 18 • 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 “romance or relationship 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, One-Time Events, 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
Library Lovers Month Crossword
February • Both Libraries
Show off your love for libraries by completing our Library Lovers Month Crossword! Pick up a crossword at either library and submit your completed form by February 28th for a chance to win a prize. For ages 18+.
Intermediate Genealogy
Saturday, February 1 • 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Go further with your Genealogy Resources, including going beyond the basics of Ancestry Library Edition. Registration required.
Music, Movies, and More
Monday, February 3 • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Learn about three free resources you can access from anywhere with your library card and an internet connection: Freegal Music, Kanopy, and Consumer Reports. Registration required.
Conversations with Mom
Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18 & 25 • 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. Other caregivers including fathers and grandparents are welcome to attend the program on the last Tuesday of the month.
Virtual Author Talk - How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs with Smithsonian Curator Sabrina Sholts
Tuesday, February 4 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Online
Join us for this enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves.
Many Voices Book Club
Wednesday, February 5 • 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 Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. Walk-ins welcome.
Introduction to 3D Printing
Thursday, February 6 • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Learn the basics of 3D Printing as well as how to use Tinkercad, a free easy-to-use web app for 3D modeling. Registration required.
Free Movie Matinées
Mondays, February 10 & 24 • 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.
Happily Ever After Book Club
Monday, February 10 • 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 Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins. Walk-ins welcome.
Virtual Author Talk - Dystopian Tropes from an Indigenous Perspective: In Conversation with Waubgeshig Rice
Tuesday, February 11 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • Online
You’re invited to a riveting conversation with bestselling author Waubgeshig Rice to chat about his newest book Moon of the Turning Leaves, the hotly anticipated sequel to the bestselling novel Moon of the Crusted Snow.
Spanish at Your Library
Wednesdays, February 12 & 26 • 5:30 – 6:30pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Advanced & intermediate learners can practice speaking Spanish under the guidance of a language-learning professional. Registration required.
Open Mic Poetry Nights
Wednesday, February 12 & 26 • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Community 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.
Excel Basics 1: Working with Text
Thursday, February 13 • 12:30 pm – 2:15 pm • NPL Tech Space
Tap into the organizational powers of Microsoft Excel and learn about tools that can help you stay organized. Registration required.
Artificial Intelligence: Is it Real?
Thursday, February 13 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Join us for a discussion on ‘Artificial Intelligence’ as speaker Craig Reinhart Ph.D. defines the term, reflects on AI past and present, and talks philosophically about our ability to create an ‘Intelligent’ being.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Conversation Group
Thursday, February 13 • 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.
Fresh and Flavorful: Mastering Mediterranean Herbs
Thursday, February 13 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Discover the vibrant world of Mediterranean herbs that can thrive in Ventura County’s climate. Registration recommended. Walk-ins welcome.
eBooks and More
Tuesday, February 18 • 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Thursday, February 27 • 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Learn how to access eBooks, comics, movies, music, and more using the Library's digital offerings and apps. Registration required.
Virtual Author Talk - I Am Nobody’s Slave: An Author Talk with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Lee Hawkins
Tuesday, February 18 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Online
We welcome you to our conversation with journalist and author Lee Hawkins as he talks to us about the examination of his family’s legacy of post-enslavement trauma and resilience in this riveting memoir, I Am Nobody's Slave: How Uncovering My Family’s History Set Me Free.
Cybersecurity Basics
Thursday, February 20 • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room
Join us as we explore ways to be safe online and to protect yourself from scams. Registration required.
Crafternoon
Friday, February 21 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room
Friday, February 28 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Adults are invited to join us at the Library to socialize and make a different craft each month! This month we will be making a Candy Holder Kissing Booth. Materials provided. Registration required.
From Soil to Sprouts: Vegetable Gardening Fundamentals
Tuesday, February 25 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room
Learn how to enjoy an endless supply of fresh, nutritious vegetables from your own garden. Registration recommended. Walk-ins welcome.
Excel Basics 2: Working with Numbers
Thursday, February 27 • 12:30 pm – 2:15 pm • NPL Tech Space
Tap into the organizational powers of Microsoft Excel and learn about tools that can help you stay organized. Registration required.
