Contra Costa County is a diverse community with more than 1.1 million people, more than 37% of whom speak a language other than English, according to 2020 U.S. Census data. The county’s library system is committed to serving everyone and invites you to visit the newly updated Community Languages page on its website.
Contra Costa’s library branches have nine collections of physical materials in languages other than English. The materials are in Chinese (traditional and simplified), Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
To browse each collection in your preferred language, select the collection you are interested in at ccclib.org/community-languages and find the globe emblem and drop-down menu in the top left corner above the library logo. The Community Languages collection also includes digital materials in more than 100 languages.
Beyond the collections, the county library system offers free access to the online language learning resources Rosetta Stone and Mango Languages for those who want to learn a new language or brush up on their skills. For more information, please visit the webpage above.
Comic books: Celebrate Free Comic Book Days with Contra Costa’s libraries May 5-10. Visit your local library to pick up free comics and fun take-home activities. Stay a while and enjoy in-person activities as well as register for other workshops and events.
Find out who won the Free Comic Book Days bookmark contest and get your own bookmark in addition to your free comics. Discover more manga and graphic novels through curated book lists. Beginning in May, visit the library system’s home webpage at ccclib.org for more details.
Library foundation: The county’s libraries provide a wealth of services, programming and resources to our diverse community. While Contra Costa provides a base level of funding for operations, generous contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals enable the libraries to expand and innovate to meet our communities’ dynamic needs.
The Library Foundation of Contra Costa (LFCC) was formed as a direct response to the library system’s overall need for more funding and to the resource and opportunity gaps among its 26 branches. Read more about the foundation, donate or get involved at libraryfoundationcontracosta.org.
News online: NewsBank offers an unprecedented combination of global, regional and local news.
The library system’s most popular titles in this resource include daily image editions for the East Bay Times and San Francisco Chronicle. Contra Costa’s branches have recently upgraded this collection with 375 additional image editions, including 23 California image editions like The Mercury News.
The Sacramento Bee Collection includes Today’s Edition, which is specifically designed for screen reading and offers interactive features. Visit the library system’s Digital Resources webpage at ccclib.org/resources to get started.
Visit ccclib.org to sign up for a library card and get connected to books and resources. For questions about Contra Costa library services and programming or account information, contact the library system via email at ask@library.cccounty.us, online chat at tinyurl.com/cccl-chat or text questions to 925-290-7627.
Brooke Converse is the Contra Costa County Library system’s public information officer and can be reached at brooke.converse@library.cccounty.us.
Library calendar
College Admissions Readiness Conversations — UC Applications: 6:30 p.m. May 6 at Walnut Creek’s Ygnacio Valley Library. This workshop for ninth- through 11th-graders applying to UC schools shares what they need to know about academics, activities, essays and the 13 criteria that UC admissions use for evaluating applications.
Musical Performance — Los Cenzontles: 2 p.m. May 17 at the San Pablo Library. Los Cenzontles celebrates and shares Mexican roots music through performances across the country and internationally. The band members also serve as teachers and programming staff at their Cultural Arts Academy in San Pablo, which teaches traditional Mexican music, dance and folk arts and crafts to students of various ages and backgrounds. All ages are welcome.
Building Strong Readers — a Parent Workshop: 6:30 p.m. May 19 at the Brentwood Library and 6 p.m. May 20 at Walnut Creek’s Ygnacio Valley Library. Join literacy instructional leaders from the Contra Costa County Office of Education for a parent-and-caregiver workshop on supporting your young readers. Learn fun, easy strategies to build literacy skills, boost confidence and make reading enjoyable at home. Walk away with practical tips and recommendations for supporting your child.
Edible Landscaping — a UC Master Gardener Webinar: 6 p.m. May 20 via Zoom. Learn about edible landscaping with UC master gardener volunteer Deborah Christman. Registration is required.
Mr. Shap’s Balloon Magic: 2 p.m. May 28 at the Clayton Library. Prepare to be amazed and amused with Mr. Shap’s mesmerizing balloon bending and feats of magic, which have made him one of the most beloved entertainers in the Bay Area.