July 12, 2013

Going Coastal II: SLO County July 2013


I'm back from another storytelling trip to San Luis Obispo County! 



I was last in the area in October, with a week-long trip sharing stories all over the place (mostly seasonal, spooky tales, as requested by the libraries). It was so great to be back for a two-day, four-event jaunt, on familiar & friendly territory, renewing acquaintances and bringing a new set of tales--this time a bunch of silliness from the famous Juan Bobo--along for some nice, big Summer Reading audiences. Here it all is, in a nutshell:


Day 1: San Luis Obispo Library

The San Luis Obispo Library sure is a bright, sunshiny place first thing in the morning!
BTW, they've added a gorgeous new mural inside since I last visited.

When I performed in this library back in October, it was after dark, and tucked in the stacks of the Children's Section, AND the library was undergoing a construction project--so this experience was quite a bit different! As soon as the library opened at 10, people were starting to hover for my 10:30 program, which was in a nice, big program room in the front of the building. The large crowd was ready for me and my silliness, and the participation level during my storytelling was high--just the way I love it.

Day 2: Atascadero & Paso Robles

Colony Park Community Center, the Atascadero Library's summer performance venue. 

 
I was back at the Atascadero Library, and yet, I was NOT back at the Atascadero Library! Summer Reading season is a big deal here, and their current facility can't accommodate their huge program audiences, so the library takes over the local community center on performance days. So many grown-ups & kids of all ages, all looking for a good time--and I do think we had one! Adults after the fact were walking up & thanking me for a performance they could love, too.


I left Atascadero & headed directly up 101 to Paso Robles for my final pair of events.

Paso Robles City Library on the left, and the Library Study Center on the right. 





















What an interesting experience I had this time at the Paso Robles City Library! Usually, it's the adults sitting in the back whom I have to drag into the interactive experience of my storytelling, but this time, it was the kids sitting up front on the floor who needed a little waking up! Fortunately for us all, the crowd in back carried the weight to start, and the whole group did get into the spirit of things! Some engines, some days, do take longer to start than others--take MINE, for instance! ;) 


After the performance, a woman came up with her daughter & said, "I think we saw you a long time ago!" I was thinking she must have meant back in October, when I performed at this library last. And then she said, "did you tell stories at the Livermore Library?" Why, yes, I did and DO!


My final performance of this SLO County visit was at the Paso Robles Library Study Center, with mostly older kids & a few grownups, with a lot of the eye-rolling, head-slapping, don't-stop,-tell-us-more-ing I love from this age group! After THIS session, at which the librarian had introduced me as being from San Francisco, one boy had a very important question for me: "do you like the Giants?" I was confused. Being a storyteller, I thought he was talking about, you know, GIANTS!

It was an honest mistake! 

Right after I finished, it was home again to the SF Bay Area, where of course I had to set an early alarm to get back to my regular library duties in Livermore & Menlo Park, plus all of the local school & library storytelling events I've got coming up. 


Well, that was a really fun trip. I enjoyed getting reacquainted with librarian friends in San Luis Obispo, Atascadero & Paso Robles, and sharing stories & silliness with some nice, big summer reading audiences. Will I be back to share more stories? I certainly hope so, and I'll look forward to the opportunity! I'll say what I said last time around: if you know of any places in the area you think should host an appearance--whether schools, libraries, museums, zoos or whatever--please let them know about me, let me know about them, and when it happens, let your friends know there is something slightly ridiculous happening on the Central Coast!



For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!

July 01, 2013

Upcoming Events



Storytimes at the Livermore & Menlo Park Libraries are in brownstorytelling events are in red.  Keep checking in for updates!



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REGULAR LIBRARY STORYTIME EVENTS:

MONDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Civic Center)
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
11:30 Infant Storytime
7pm Family Storytime

THURSDAYS (Menlo Park Library)
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime

FRIDAYS (Livermore Public Library, Rincon)
10:30 School-age Storytime

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Monday, July 1
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
11:30 Infant Storytime
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Friday, July 5
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime



Monday, July 8
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
11:30 Infant Storytime
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Wednesday, July 10
995 Palm St.
Storytelling at 10:30am

Thursday, July 11
5599 Traffic Wy
Storytelling at 11am

Thursday, July 11
1000 Spring Street
Storytelling at 1 & 3pm


Friday, July 12
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime


Monday, July 15
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime

Wednesday, July 17
Fairfield Civic Center Library
1150 Kentucky Street
Storytelling at 3:30pm

Thursday, July 18
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Friday, July 19
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime


Monday, July 22
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime



Thursday, July 25
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Friday, July 26
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime


Saturday, July 27
SPECIAL EVENT: SLEEPOVER STORYTELLING
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Contact park about their special sleepovers, which include puppet shows, rides, and other overnight fun!




Monday, July 29
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
11:30 Infant Storytime
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Wednesday, July 31
10800 Torre Ave.
Storytelling at 3pm



Thursday, August 1
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Friday, August 2
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime


Monday, August 5
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime


Thursday, August 8
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime



Friday, August 9
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime


Monday, August 12
10:30am School-age "Dream Weaver" event
7pm Pajamatime Family Storytime
(FINAL CIVIC CENTER STORYTIMES FOR LIVERMORE SUMMER SESSION)




Thursday, August 15
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Friday, August 16
Livermore Public Library, Rincon
10:30am School-age Storytime
(FINAL STORYTIMES FOR LIVERMORE SUMMER SESSION)


Thursday, August 22
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Thursday, August 29
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Saturday, August 31
Sunday, September 1
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.



Thursday,  September 5
Menlo Park Library
11:15 Toddler Storytime
2:15 Preschool Storytime


Saturday, October 19
Sunday, October 20
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.


Saturday, December 7
Sunday, December 8
Lake Merritt, Oakland
Storytelling at 1:30pm & 2:30pm (different stories each time), weather-dependent.


Other recent or upcoming events include storytelling & education for Walters Junior High, Tutor Time, Blacow Elementary, Acorn Learning Center, Children's Creative Learning Centers, Heads Up, Montevideo Elementary, Fremont Unified School District, Belmont Oaks Academy, Bright Horizons, & La Petite Academy.  Private events (for schools, etc.) do not show up in listings above.  For regular updates, connect with me on Facebook!