Online Book Talk: Nuestra América: Stories of 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Have Shaped the United States

Thursday, October 2, 11:00 a.m., Online

Join us in conversation with Smithsonian professionals Adrián Aldaba and Emily Key as they discuss Nuestra América and highlight inspiring stories of Latinos throughout history.

Featuring beautifully illustrated portraits by Gloria Félix, this is a book that children (and adults) will page through and learn from again and again. Register today!

Special Event: English-Spanish Storytime with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

Saturday, October 4, 10:30 a.m., Downtown Library

Build your child’s communication skills through Shared Reading!

This special storytime is designed for children ages 2 to 9 with minimal speech, and for caregivers who want to learn more about additional communication tools. It's a collaboration of the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences department at Cal State East Bay and Hayward Promise Neighborhood.

Open to children of all abilities! Please note that communicating with AAC Systems is usually very slow, and we will pace the story time with this in mind.

Codeward: Make Your Own Interactive Story

Saturday, October 11, 1:00-2:30 p.m., Downtown Library

Learn how to make games and animations with Scratch! No prior experience required. Bring your creativity to life on screen using simple drag-and-drop blocks. In this fun, beginner-friendly program, kids will turn their ideas into projects while building problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, led by the dynamic team from Codeward.

Register today!

Self-Defense Class for Kids (Ages 7-11)

Saturday, October 11, 3:00 p.m., Downtown Library

Join us for a fun and empowering self-defense class designed specifically for kids ages 7 to 11! Led by Sensei Anthony Thomas, a dedicated martial artist with experience dating back to 1979, this class focuses on realistic self-defense tactics and teaches practical skills to help kids stay safe.

Homework Support Center

Downtown Library: Monday-Thursday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Weekes Branch: Tuesday & Wednesday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

Need help with your homework? Our volunteer tutors are committed to assisting your child in understanding their homework in a safe, supportive environment. All K-12 students are welcome and a free healthy lunch is provided to each student, offered in partnership with HUSD

Storytimes at the Weekes Branch

Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Weekes Branch

The Weekes Branch is back in action and have we got storytimes for you! Learn and Play is for the littlest little ones, up to age 3; Music and Movement and Saturday Storytime are for all young kids; and Preschool Stories is just right for kids age 3-5. Check out the schedule:

Downtown Storytimes 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, Downtown Library

Every Tuesday and Thursday we offer storytimes at the Downtown Library. On Tuesdays, Miss Martha gets your kids' feet moving with Music and Movement, and on Thursdays she hosts a bilingual English/Spanish storytime for kids who come from homes where either or both languages are spoken.

Stay tuned, because sometimes we have special event and seasonal storytimes, too! And Miss Wenny will be back with her Chinese storytime in November.

HPL Recommends: Chapter Books for Kids Who Love Sports

Got a kid who loves sports? We've got books that they will love! Teamwork, rivalry, dedication, the joy of making that perfect goal, the agony of defeat—it's all in there. Check this reading list out!

Teen Time: Bedazzled Books—Banned Books Week Edition

Wednesday, October 8, 4:00-5:30 p.m., Downtown Library

Join us every Wednesday in the Teen Room for a fun activity! This week's activity: Bedazzled Books—Banned Books Week Edition.

Did you know that people attempt to ban thousands of books every year? We believe in the freedom to read, so we’re going to uplift & celebrate these books instead! Join us to bedazzle a book that people have attempted to ban, while we discuss censorship and the freedom to read.

No registration required; teens ages 13 to 17 only.

10 Years of Daring Heists and Lovable Outcasts in YA Fantasy: Online Author Talk with Leigh Bardugo

Thursday, October 9, 4:00 p.m., Online

Since publishing in 2015, Leigh Bardugo’s highly popular Six of Crows has taken the world of YA literature by storm–and it’s not hard to see why. The complex fantasy setting, thoughtfully-structured magic system, and deliciously morally gray characters all collide in a world you won’t want to leave and you don’t have to! Join us as we pick the brain of the New York Times bestselling author herself, celebrating the release of her Six of Crows (The Dregs Edition). 

Register today!

Teen Time: Drop-In Tabletop Gaming

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Weekes Branch

Drop by to make something! The Craft Cart will be available in the Teen Area at the Weekes Branch Library every Tuesday 4PM - 6PM and you can help yourselves to supplies including markers, washi tape, paper, stickers, and more.

Please note that this is a self-directed activity; teens will have access to the library's Craft Cart, but no instruction is provided. It's your chance to be creative and come up with your own projects!

Teen Time: Drop-In Tabletop Gaming

Thursdays, 4:00-6:00 p.m., Weekes Branch

Drop by to play a board game or tabletop game! The Games Cart will be available at the Weekes Branch Library in the Teen Area every Thursday and includes games like Connect Four, Exploding Kittens, Machi Koro, Battleship, Taco vs. Burrito, Azul, and more.

Please note that this is a self-directed activity. The Games Cart will be available for teen use, but there will not be instruction. We encourage you to bring your friends and try out a new game!

HPL Recommends: No Flying, No Tights: Graphic Novels for Teens Who Aren't Into Superheroes

Who doesn't love a good superhero comic? Well, lots of people. Or maybe you love them but you also like a little variety. Here are our most recent graphic novels from silly to scary to literary, realistic and fantasy and science fiction, with not a superpower in sight. Check them out!

The library will be CLOSED on Monday, October 13 for Indigenous Peoples' Day

But you can borrow ebooks and audiobooks, stream movies, learn a new language, and so much more at our "virtual branch," 24/7/365! Check it out:

Got bored kids?

We can help! Use your Hayward Library card and Discover & Go to get free and discount tickets to tons of Bay Area attractions including the California Academy of Sciences, the Bay Area Discovery Museum, and more! Check it out:

What else is going on at the library?

Don't just sit there wondering; visit our online event calendar! Special events, weekly and monthly programs, holiday closures, bookmobile stops... it's all in there. Check it out:

Weekes Branch
27300 Patrick Avenue
Hayward, CA 94544
510-782-2155