Yolo County Library eNews: January

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Happy Lunar New Year!

2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon

According to the Chinese Zodiac, people born with the Dragon sign have powerful, endless energy and are full of vitality. They are said to be idealistic, romantic personalities and visionary leaders.

To celebrate this Lunar Year of the Dragon, Yolo County Library is providing two give away crafts at all library branches:

The Five-Element Dragon Plate - This plate illustrates animal astrology that tells your Chinese Zodiac Sign and calculates your element based on the Chinese Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth).

The Lantern - Lanterns symbolize driving out darkness and bringing hope to the new year. People light lanterns to bring joy, celebration, and good fortune. In some traditions, lanterns have a role as protectors from evil.

Pick up a Lunar New Year reading list or download one below. Borrow a book from the display and grab a craft kit, while supplies last.

Visit the Stephens Davis Branch Library on January 27th from 1:30 - 4:00 pm for an afternoon celebration including singing, dancing, and traditional crafts.

Download the Lunar New Year reading list [pdf]

52: A Yearlong Reading Journey 2024

Yolo County Library has a New Year’s resolution for you: Read more in 2024. The Library is once again challenging patrons to read as many books as they can in 2024 with the help of our weekly prompts through the reading program that spans the entire calendar year entitled, 52: a yearlong reading journey.

Pick up a 52 checklist at your local library branch or sign up on Beanstack to join the program digitally. Beanstack is available on mobile devices through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, or can be accessed on the web.

For more information or to sign up, visit YoloCountyLibrary.org/ycl52 or your local Yolo County Library branch.

52: a yearlong reading journey is free and sponsored by the Yolo County Library Foundation and the various Friends of the Library groups.

Earn an Accredited High School Diploma and a Career Certificate for Free!

Yolo County Library’s Career Online High School (COHS) offers you the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online at times that are convenient to you. The program can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, via the internet. Students can transfer credits from previous high school classes and can work at their own pace. COHS is available to all Yolo County residents age 19 and over. This program is funded by the California State Library.

Learn more about Career Online High School

Fulfill Your New Year's Goals
at the Library

Ready to make some changes in 2024? The Library offers an abundance of free resources available to help you achieve your goals. From custom curated kits containing books, equipment, and other educational materials on a variety of topics to accessible online platforms designed to help you learn at your own convenience, we have the tools you need to succeed.

Learn a new language with Mango Languages
Improve your English reading & writing skills with Yolo Reads adult literacy tutoring
Check out a discovery kit and learn a new hobby
Explore the great outdoors with California State Parks passes, parks pass backpacks for all ages, and Nature Explorer Backpacks for kids
Get career-ready with LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, and Learning Express
Visit local museums and cultural institutions with free or low-cost tickets through Discover & Go
Practice self-care with mental health & wellness kits
Borrow a game from our collection of over 200 board games and spend quality time with family and friends

Browse more online resources

Vote for Your Next Book Club Reads

Take the survey

Read Around Yolo (RAY) is the library’s book-club-in-a-bag program. Each year, we add ten new titles to this collection. Titles are chosen through a survey that is open to everyone through the month of January.

We need your help! Please vote for titles to add the RAY collection in 2024. Take our survey here or stop at any branch during the month for the paper version. Download descriptions of each of the titles under consideration [pdf].

To learn more about the RAY program, check out the library’s RAY webpage.

Looking for Reading Recommendations?

This Month's Highlight: Fantasy and Science Fiction

The Future by Naomi Alderman

While a few billionaires lead the world to certain doom, Martha Einkorn, working for a powerful social media mogul hell-bent on controlling everything, and Lai Zhen, an internet-famous survivalist, work together to prevent the cataclysmic end of civilization.

The Lost Cause by Cory Doctorow

It’s thirty years from now. We’re making progress, mitigating climate change slowly but surely. But what about all the angry old people who can’t let go?

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Viv's career with the notorious Rackam's Ravens isn't going as planned. Wounded during the hunt for a powerful necromancer, she is sent to recuperate in the sleepy town of Murk--so far from the action that she worries she'll never be able to return to it. Spending her hours at a troubled bookshop with its foul-mouthed proprietor may be both exactly what she needs and the seed of changes she couldn't possibly imagine.

Browse our Reading Recommendations page for curated lists by genre to discover more titles you may want to read.

You can also sign up to receive monthly emails with recommended reads in your favorite genres, such as New York Times Bestsellers, Biography & Memoir, Mystery, Books for Kids and Tweens, and more.

Learn more