Mystery Readers Book Group, April 20

 Mystery Readers Book Group

Sponsored by The Friends of the Library 

(559) 713-2709

For April: Dig for clues! Read any gardening mystery.

Next Meeting
April 20 at 6:30pm

Come and bring a friend!!

Monthly Friends Meeting, April 14

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will meet on Thursday, April 14 at 7:00pm in the library's upstairs (blue) meeting room. Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend, including and especially current Friends, prospective Friends, and anyone who is interested in learning more!

Please contact the Visalia Reference Desk at 559-713-2703 for more information.

First Tuesday Book Club, May 3

For May, we're reading The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig.

Summary: Tom Harry has a streak of frost in his black pompadour and a venerable bar called The Medicine Lodge, the chief watering hole and last refuge of the town of Gros Ventre, in northern Montana. Tom also has a son named Rusty, an “accident between the sheets” whose mother deserted them both years ago.The pair make an odd kind of family, with the bar their true home, but they manage just fine. 

Until the summer of 1960, that is, when Rusty  turns twelve. Change arrives with gale force, in the person of Proxy, a taxi dancer Tom knew back when, and her beatnik daughter, Francine. Is Francine, as Proxy claims, the unsuspected legacy of her and Tom’s past? Without a doubt she is an unsettling gust of the future, upending every certainty in Rusty’s life and generating a mist of passion and pretense that seems to obscure everyone’s vision but his own. As Rusty struggles to decipher the oddities of adult behavior and the mysteries build toward a reckoning, Ivan Doig wonderfully captures how the world becomes bigger and the past becomes more complex in the last moments of childhood.

We are meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on May 3 from 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm.

Friends of the Library Present Wild Child Adventures, April 23

Click to view full size

The Friends of the Library presents Wild Child Adventures, a Free family program, Saturday April 23 at 7:00 pm at the Visalia Library.

Children of all ages have always been fascinated with bubbles!  So what is it about bubbles that makes them so intriguing? Take a journey with Wild Child Adventures, as we explore the fun and science that are bubbles!

For more information, contact Tulare County Library's Visalia Branch at 713-2703, visit us online at www.tularecountylibrary.org, or drop by in person at 200 W. Oak Avenue in Visalia. 

Spring Break Movies at the Visalia Branch Library

Are you looking for something fun to do with your children while they're out of school for Spring Break? 

We're showing some fun flicks at the Visalia Library all Spring Break! 

Below is the full list of films. Be sure to check out some books while you're here!

Click to view full size

Popular Adult Coloring Returns to Tulare County Library, March 15

So many grownups enjoyed great kid fun in January at the Visalia Branch Library's first Adult Coloring activity that additional fun is planned for this month and in April.

Join us Tuesday evening, March 15, at 6 pm, for another Adult Coloring program and again on Tuesday, April 19, also at 6 pm.

In addition to the play factor, adult coloring is known to provide stress relief, relaxation, a creative experience, and a way to make new friends in a cheerful atmosphere. A niche activity for a couple of years, the benefits make it a current favorite adult hobby, with adult coloring books accounting for nearly half of Amazon's top sellers.

The Library provides crayons, colored pencils and a variety of coloring pages for the activity, or participants can bring their own works in progress! Coloring enthusiasts recommend colored pencils to blend or shade colors, and add highlights and lowlights. For the true experience of childhood, crayons provide a nostalgic reminder.

For more information about the Adult Coloring activity, please visit the Visalia Branch Library at 200 W. Oak Street, or call (559) 713-2703.

The Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in fifteen communities, four book machines, and online at www.tularecountylibrary.org.  Like the Library on Facebook www.facebook.com/tularecountylibrary or follow us on Twitter twitter.com/TulareCountyLib.

Independent Film Series, March 22

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, March 22 at 6:00pm to watch 2 Autumns, 3 Winters!

Synopsis: Arman is 33 and ready to make a change, starting with a run in the park. When he literally bumps into Amélie - slightly cynical but nevertheless lovely - on the jogging path, he's dead-set on making a connection with her. As a bit of contrived fate brings them together, Arman's best friend Benjamin suffers an unexpected stroke, relegating him to the hospital for weeks where he falls for his doting young physical therapist. Over the course of two autumns and three winters, Arman, Amélie and Benjamin share the incidental moments, unexpected accidents, unconventional love stories and unforgettable memories that will define who they are.

Directed by Sébastien Betbeder | France | 2013 | French with English subtitles | 93 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

First Tuesday Book Club, April 5

For April, we're reading On the Beach by Nevil Shute.

Summary: After a nuclear World War III has destroyed most of the globe, the few remaining survivors in southern Australia await the radioactive cloud that is heading their way and bringing certain death to everyone in its path. Among them is an American submarine captain struggling to resist the knowledge that his wife and children in the United States must be dead. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from somewhere near Seattle, and Captain Towers must lead his submarine crew on a bleak tour of the ruined world in a desperate search for signs of life. Both terrifying and intensely moving, On the Beach is a remarkably convincing portrait of how ordinary people might face the most unimaginable nightmare.

We are meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on April 5 from 6:30 pm - 7:45 pm.

Dr. Seuss Festivities at Visalia Branch Library, March 1 - 5

Celebrate Dr. Seuss all week long - March 1st to March 5th, 2016 - at the Visalia Branch Library!

The Dr. Seuss Photo Booth will have props for a Dr. Seuss-themed photo op! (Photo booth is open all week, but unavailable during programs and closes 30 minutes before the library closes!)

Click to view full size

The Library Talks With Marissa Meyer at Visalia Library, March 1

Tulare County Library's Visalia Branch is proud to welcome New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer for a live streaming visit on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 6:30 PM. Marissa will join us via live video chat for a conversation about her bestselling YA fantasy series, The Lunar Chronicles. There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A from the audience. 

Marissa Meyer is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Fairest, a Lunar Chronicles Tale. Winter is the latest book in these science fantasy retellings. At fourteen she discovered fanfiction, writing over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Creative Writing and Children's Literature from Pacific Lutheran University. Knowing she wanted a career in books, she went on to receive a Master's degree in Publishing from Pace University. She lives in Tacoma, Washington with her family.

The Visalia Branch is located at 200 W. Oak Street in Visalia. The Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in fifteen communities, four book machines, and an online presence at www.tularecountylibrary.org.

The Library Talks is a grant funded project open to all California libraries, with funding provided by the Pacific Library Partnership and proudly sponsored by the Santa Clara City Library.  

Monthly Friends Meeting, February 11

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will meet on Thursday, February 11 at 7:00pm in the library's upstairs (blue) meeting room. Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend, including and especially current Friends, prospective Friends, and anyone who is interested in learning more!

Please contact the Visalia Reference Desk at 559-713-2703 for more information.

Visalia Branch Calendar, February 2016

Take a look at all of the fun programs and activities our Visalia Library has planned for February. 

The Visalia Branch Library is located at 200 W. Oak Ave in Visalia. For more information, please contact 559-713-2703.

Click to view full size

The Library Talks With Jill Shalvis at Visalia Library, February 9

Tulare County Library's Visalia Branch Library is hosting a live streaming visit by New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 6:30 PM. Jill will join us via live video chat for a conversation about her bestselling romance novels just in time for Valentine’s Day! There will also be an opportunity for a Q&A from the audience. 

Jill Shalvis is the bestselling author of over fifty contemporary romance novels, including her award-winning Lucky Harbor series. She lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Visit jillshalvis.com for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures. 

For more information, call the Visalia Reference Desk at 559-713-2703.

First Tuesday Book Club, March 1

For March, we're reading The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

Summary: Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life...as only a dog could tell it.

We are meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on March 1 from 6:30pm - 7:45pm.

Pamper Yourself at the Tulare County Library TOMORROW!

Relax, release, and decompress with the Tulare County Library at our "Do-It-Yourself Spa Day" adult program event on Wednesday, February 3, 2016, at 3:00 pm at the Visalia Branch Library.

Learn how to make Fizzy Peppermint Bath Salts and Orange and Coconut Whipped Body Butter from ingredients you can find at home. Delight in laughs and smiles from others just like you who could use some quality self time or me time. The event is open to adults; however families are more than welcome to attend.

For more information contact the Visalia Branch Library at (559) 713-2703, view us online at www.tularecountylibrary.org, or check us out on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tularecountylibrary.

The Tulare County Library serves all the citizens of Tulare County with locations in fifteen communities, four book machines, and online.

Click to view full size

Independent Film Series, February 23

Join us at the Visalia Library on Tuesday, February 23 at 6:00pm to watch Secrets of War!

Synopsis: Tuur and Lambert are best friends in a Nazi-occupied Dutch village who pass their days playing soldiers and exploring local caves, mimicking a war that seems far removed from their everyday life. When Maartje joins their class, the young girl immediately stands out as different from her classmates. Yet the boys embrace their new friend, forming a unique bond based on shared adventures, secrets and mischief. Ultimately, the realities of war find even them - Lambert's father, a Nazi sympathizer, is named mayor of their town and Tuur discovers his own father and brother have joined the resistance, instantly putting the two boys at odds. Meanwhile, Maartje is hiding a secret of her own, one that not only threatens to tear the new friends apart, but could lead to devastating consequences for anyone involved in keeping it. Secrets Of War puts both the danger and the humanity of wartime friendships squarely on the shoulders of three children who must face extraordinary circumstances with a maturity far beyond their years.

Directed by Dennis Bots | Netherlands | 2014 | Dutch with English subtitles | 95 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. This event is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723. You can also join the event on Facebook.

First Tuesday Book Club, February 2

For February, we're reading In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.

Summary: Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestsellerA Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide.

We are meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on February 2 from 6:30pm - 7:45pm.

Urban Art Show to Tour Tulare County Libraries

The 5th annual Step Up Urban Art Tour begins with a reception at the Visalia Branch Library on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at 6 pm. The four-month tour stops at 10 Tulare County Library locations, as well as the Tulare Public Library, Porterville Public Library, and Tulare County Government Plaza.

The display features spray paint art pieces inspired by the Tulare County Office of Education's CHOICES program, an afterschool activity designed to help children succeed. Artists from Bakersfield, Fresno and Hollister have created three different one-of-a-kind works featured on the tour.

The Urban Art works are on exhibit as follows:

In addition to the kickoff event at the Visalia Library, another reception will be held at the Tulare Public Library in Tulare city on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 PM.

Live Author Talk with Tess Gerritsen, January 20

The Visalia Branch Library is participating in a live virtual discussion with the creator of Rizzoli & Isles about murder, romance, and dark secrets. Join the conversation!

Please contact the Visalia Reference Desk at 559-713-2703 for more information.

Click to view full size

Adult Coloring at Visalia Branch Library, Tuesday January 19

Join us for some stress relief after the holidays. What could be better than coloring?

Click to view full size

Please contact the Visalia Reference Desk at 559-713-2703 for more information. We're also on Facebook!