Tulare County Library Branches Celebrate January Holidays

While January 20 is Martin Luther King Day, the civil rights leader will be honored all month long by children and adults at the Tulare County Library branches.  Participants can make hand prints on which to write "kind words," and the hand shapes will be joined in a banner in Dr. King's memory.  The banners will decorate the branches and the branch with the longest banner will receive a prize to share with their "kind" patrons.

The branches are also extending the holiday celebrations by offering Chinese lantern and New Year's hat crafts for the Chinese New Year on January 31, 2014.

A non-holiday themed, but fun, Mustache Charm Bracelet craft will also be featured for kids who like bling with zing.

For more information on days and times of the crafts at each individual branch, please go to: http://tularecountylibrary.org, and choose the locations tab.

Indepedent Film Series Movement Resumes, January 16th

The independent film for January is titled Broken. The film will be shown on January 16 at 6pm at the Visalia Library in the blue meeting room.

For more information, visit the Independent Film Movement Series page.

Libraries Closing Early, December 31st

All libraries in the Tulare County Library System will close at 4pm on December 31st.

Libraries Closed Janurary 1st

All libraries in the Tulare County Library System will close at 4pm on December 31st and will be closed all day on January 1st. Regular hours resume on January 2nd.

TULARE COUNTY BRANCH LIBRARIES TO SHOW HOLIDAY FILMS DURING SCHOOL WINTER BREAK

During the school vacation, Tulare County Library branches that are equipped to show movies will feature children's holiday films during the hours they are open.

The branches that will have movies available are Alpaugh, Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Orosi, Strathmore and Tipton.

For more information on the branch hours and films, call the main library at 713-2700 or the branches:

Alpaugh               (559) 949-8355

Earlimart              (661) 849-2525

Exeter                   (559) 592-5361

Ivanhoe                 (559) 798-1264

Lindsay                 (559) 562-3021

Orosi                     (559) 591-5830

Strathmore            (559) 568-1087

Tipton                   (559) 752-4236

Because the libraries have been designated as "Heating Centers" for the county, the films can make these winter days warmer as well as brighter - for the children.

Our "Getting to Know...." Series Kicks Off in January With Senator Jean Fuller

The first program in the Tulare County Library’s “Getting to Know…” series will be held January 23rd, 2014 at 6:30 pm at the Visalia Branch of the Tulare County Library. Senator Jean Fuller will be speaking. Senator Fuller represents the 18th Senate District which includes Visalia and the eastern part of Tulare County, part of San Bernardino County and Kern County and all of Inyo County.

Jean Fuller was born and raised in Kern County. She served as an educator in the Central Valley for more than 30 years, including time as Superintendent of the Bakersfield City School District.

The first in her family to graduate from college, Jean attended Bakersfield College, California State University Fresno and California State University Los Angeles, and then continued her formal education at the University of California, Santa Barbara where she received her PhD.

Jean Fuller was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District in 2006, and the 18th Senate District in 2010. Jean and her husband, Russell, a retired engineer, live in Bakersfield.

The “Getting to Know…” program at the Tulare County Library is designed to give the people of Visalia and surrounding areas an opportunity to get to know the people and issues affecting them. Future programs may include city council members, high school principals, charter school representatives, the Chamber of Commerce, the College of Sequoias president, and other "movers and shakers” in our community.

This event will be held in the Visalia Branch Library’s Blue Room. It is free to the public and all are welcome. For more information, please call (559) 713-2703 or go to: www.tularecountylibrary.org.

Tulare County Libraries Are Decking the Halls!

Look at some of the creative ways Tulare County Libraries have been decorated for the holidays! (Click a thumbnail image for a larger view.)

Dinuba Library

Alpaugh Library

Alpaugh Library

Santa is Coming to Tulare County Library Branches!

The Tulare County Library branches will have visits from the North Pole Senior Citizen during the week of December 17 through 22.  In preparation for his visit, children will be able to write letters, on holiday stationary, to give him.  Santa will talk with the children and hand out candy canes. He'll collect the letters the children have written earlier, and take them to Macy's as part of the Make A Wish program.

In addition, the branches will offer holiday crafts for children to make for gifts or decorations.  The kids may choose from Christmas Tree, Jingle Bell Necklace, Snowman Ornament, Personalized Ornament or Gingerbread House Photo Ornament crafts.  For the Gingerbread House craft, library staff members will take the child's picture, which can be inserted in the frame.  Seasonal themed paper will be available for children who wish to wrap their crafts as gifts for parents or teachers.

These holiday activities will take place at different times during the week at the Alpaugh, Dinuba, Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Orosi, Pixley, Springville, Strathmore, Three Rivers, Tipton and Woodlake branch libraries.

The Visalia main library will also take part in the Macy's Make a Wish letter writing campaign.  Instead of children's crafts, the Tween Ductivities program on Thursday, December 19, will feature a seasonally themed project.  To wrap up the holiday activities, Christmas films will be shown all day, Saturday, December 21, in the Visalia library.

For further information about dates and times for these holiday happenings, please go to: http://www.tularecountylibrary.org/ , choose "Locations" and the branch.