April Events at Altadena Library!

E-CONNECT | April 2026 UPDATE FROM THE ALTADENA LIBRARIES

The Bob Lucas Library will be closed on Sunday, April 5. Both locations will reopen Monday at 10 a.m.

Beginning April 1, our Fab Lab opens with new hours

Tuesday: 2 - 5pm / Wednesday: 10am - 1pm / Saturday: 10am - 4pm

(hours can to change due to workshops)

and a new location: the classroom in the

Loma Alta Park Gymnasium, 3330 Sunset Ridge Rd.

Join the One Book, One Coast Book Club

April 1 - May 31

Altadena Library is part of One Book, One Coast, a community reading program that brings together library systems from California, Washington (state), and Oregon. Participating libraries read & discuss They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.

From April 1 - May 31, we invite our patrons to check out a physical or digital copy of this critically acclaimed graphic memoir. You can check out a digital copy through cloudLibrary or hoopla at https://www.altadenalibrary.org/digitalreading or check out a physical copy through our catalog at https://catalog.altadenalibrary.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=208132&query_desc=they%20called%20us%20enemy

Key programs:

Memories of Heart Mountain

Saturday, May 16 • 1-3 p.m.

Altadena Community Center, 730 E Altadena Dr.

Hear Sam Mihara discuss his family’s experience in American concentration camps during World War II.

Furoshiki as Japanese History
Tuesday, May 12 • 6-7:30 p.m.
Loma Alta Park Multipurpose Room, 3330 Sunset Ridge Rd.
Learn cloth wrapping techniques in this hands-on lesson & book discussion. Registration required.

Reserve a Meeting Room at Bob Lucas Library!

Meeting rooms (maximum capacity either 3 or 8 people) are available for use by patrons who have a valid library card and are 13 years or older. Room reservations can be made up to 7 days in advance, and you can reserve for two (2) hours maximum per day.

Sign-ups are taken in-person at the Bob Lucas Information Desk, in our library app, or at any of our self-service kiosks.

Curiosity Connection Passport Challenge

Extended to April 30!

Participate in our passport challenge throughout April. Collect a stamp during each Curiosity Connection Vol. 2 pop-up visit at Grocery Outlet, Fair Oaks Burger, Triangle Park, and Prime Pizza; collect all four to receive a prize (while supplies last).

Curiosity Connection Vol. 2 is out in Altadena

Every Tuesday and Thursday
... And now it will be at Kidspace Every Friday!

We're popping up all over Altadena (and Pasadena)! Starting in April, our mobile library, Curiosity Connection Vol. 2, will be out at FIVE scheduled stops:

Every Tuesday, 10am-12:30pm, Grocery Outlet on Lake
Every Tuesday, 3-5:30pm, at Fair Oaks Burger
Every Thursday, 10am-12:30pm, Triangle Park at Lake and Altadena Dr.
Every Thursday, 2:30-5pm, Prime Pizza
Every Friday, 2-5pm, Kidspace Children’s Museum, 480 N. Arroyo Blvd. in Pasadena’s Brookside Park

At Kidspace, families and children can sign up for a library card, check out or return books, grab library swag and flyers for upcoming events, and enjoy an outdoor reading space near our van. Families will also receive $3 off Kidspace admission for up to 4 guests when they sign up for a library card.

Kidspace opens its doors for free from 2 to 5 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. Advance reservations for Free First Fridays are recommended, and tickets are released approximately 2 weeks prior to the date. Visit kidspacemuseum.org for availability.

Spice Club! • April: Zataar

Bob Lucas Memorial Library, 2659 Lincoln

Join our Monthly Spice Club! From January through May, visit the Bob Lucas Library to pick up a spice kit during regular business hours. Monthly kits consist of a spice sample and 2 recipe cards to try cooking with the featured spice at home. While supplies last.

April spice: Zataar

English Classes (English as a Second Language)
Mon-Wed every week • 10:30am-12pm

Adult Literacy Book Club - Turning Pages Together
Every Thursday • 10:30am-12pm
Bob Lucas Memorial Library, 2659 N Lincoln

Build your English fluency to help work through everyday situations. Our casual, small group sessions are designed for beginning English learners. Classes are free and in person. To sign up, call (626) 798-0833 x 102.

April Storytimes

Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5), Mondays, 9:30-10:15am, Bob Lucas Library

Toddler Storytime (walking-3), Tuedays, 9:30-10:15am, Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park
Baby Storytime (0-walking), Thursdays, 9:30-10:15am, Bob Lucas Library

L.A. County Dept. of Mental Health Workshop on Hoarding
Wednesday, April 1 • 11am-12pm
Bob Lucas Library

In this workshop, presented by Monique Juarez from LA County's DMH, you will learn more about hoarding and its effects on the individual. She will present what hoarding is, the different types, possible causes, effects, who is involved, how to approach, treatments and resources.

Music & Movement

Friday, April 3
9:30-10:30am
Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Children ages 0-5 and their caregivers are invited to join us for Music & Movement!

Through songs, dancing, and free exploration of musical instruments, little ones will develop early literacy skills and have the opportunity to discover rhythm and sound!

Seed Paper Workshop for Kids
Saturday, April 4 • 11am-12pm
Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Celebrate Earth Month by learning how to make Seed Paper! We will learn about native plants while recycling old paper to learn about the paper-making process. Ages 5-12 welcome, registration required.

Saved by a Story: Altadena Wildfire Survivor Writing Group
Wednesday, April 8 • 2-3:30pm
Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr.

Join Saved by a Story's free, prompt-driven community writing group for survivors of the Altadena wildfire.

Come together in community to write about the cherished places we have been, what we have lost (and found), and how we will chart a way forward. Ignite your creativity, share your stories, and find connection in this non-judgmental and creative environment.

Please arrive 5 or 10 minutes early to get settled, as we start the group promptly at 2pm. Bring a notebook (nothing fancy) and a pen.

Saved by a Story is a non-profit that hosts free community writing workshops for under-resourced and under-served populations to empower voices and build connection.

Heartthrob Hangout Book Club
Thursday, April 9 • 4:30-5:30pm
Bob Lucas Library

Check out our newest book club and join us for a monthly discussion of a selected romance novel. This month's romance pick: "Get a Life, Chloe Brown" by Talia Hibbert

Paper Floral Wreath Cricut Workshop
Saturday, April 11
10:30am-12:30pm
Altadena Library Fab Lab

Embrace spring by using the Cricut to craft a wreath made from paper flowers!

For experienced and beginner Cricut users alike, choose from a variety of colors and designs to add your own spin.

Supplies will be provided.

Please note that the Fab Lab will not be available for open studio hours during this time. The Altadena Library Fab Lab is located in the classroom in the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium.

Kids Cook!
DIY Hummus

Saturday, April 11
2-3pm
Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Kids 6-12 are invited to celebrate Arab Heritage Month by learning how to make hummus!

We’ll explore simple ingredients, practice basic kitchen skills, and enjoy our delicious creations together!

Registration is required. Please register each child separately.

Houseplant Propagation
Sunday, April 12 • 1-2pm
Bob Lucas Memorial Library

Come learn from a UC Master Gardener how to propagate house plants!

Open Mic Night at Callisto Tea House!
Monday, April 13
6-7:30pm
Callisto Tea House, 1359 N Altadena Dr, Pasadena

Come share your music, story, or latest spoken word poem! We'll spend the evening cheering on our neighbors' work. All ages and genres welcome.

Huntington Health - Health Screening at Bob
Tuesday, April 14 • 10am-12pm

Bob Lucas Memorial Library

Come and receive free health counseling and screenings by a registered nurse.

No appointment/registration is necessary.
Personal health guidance
Hypertension (high blood pressure) screening
Diabetes (high blood sugar) risk assessment and screening (min. 2 hour fasting)
Medical and social services and referrals
Health promotion literature and resources

Adult Crafternoon: Floral Chandelier
Wednesday, April 15
4-5:30pm
Altadena Library (Social Hall) at Loma Alta Park

Join us for an afternoon craft at Loma Alta Park. This month, we'll be making a floral chandelier.

Teen Leadership Council

Wednesday, April 15 • 4-5:30pm
Bob Lucas Library

Join this year’s Spring cohort (Teens 13-18 years, only)! As a group, we will work together over 3 months to collectively identify social issues Altadena teens and other community members face.

Every month, we will find creative ways to take action through community service as well as plan out our summer programs! Receive volunteer hours if you are a part of the Teen Volunteer Program. Drop in any of these dates or come to all 3:3/18/26, 4/15/26, 5/20/26

Teen Volunteer Orientation
Thursday, April 16, 5-5:30 p.m.,
Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Teens (ages 13-18) are invited to volunteer and can earn service hours. Drop-ins welcome! Learn more at https://www.altadenalibrary.org/teens

Teen Card Games & Cats at Tailtown Cats
Friday, April 17 • 5-6pm
Tailtown Cats, 1780 E Washington Blvd, Pasadena

Cozy up with a cat and try your hand at a cat-themed card game! Join the library in this free event to get to know the free-roaming rescue cats of Tailtown! Release form required. Teens 13-18 only.

Registration required.

Girl Scouts Free Little Art Gallery Ribbon Cutting

Saturday, April 18 • 10-11am

Bob Lucas Library

You’re invited to the Free Little Art Gallery Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, created and installed by our amazing Girl Scouts!

Come celebrate creativity, community, and the power of young artists. Enjoy the unveiling of this new neighborhood art space where everyone can share art, take art, and be inspired. Let’s celebrate the creativity of our Girl Scouts and the launch of a gallery for everyone!

Support the Free Little Library April 1–15, 2026

Support the Free Little Art Gallery (FLAG) - created by Girl Scout Troop 7171 and the South Pasadena Kiwanis Club - by contributing small artwork for its April 18 grand opening. Drop off paintings, drawings, mini sculptures, or crafts (up to 5" × 5") at the Bob Lucas Library front desk from April 1–15, 2026.

Artwork should be suitable for all ages. Approved pieces will be displayed for the community to enjoy or take. Artwork will not be returned.

Make Mini Masterpieces, Sunday, April 26 2-3pm

Join Girl Scouts from Troop 7171 for a fun, hands-on art experience! Kids ages 5–12 will create unique mini masterpieces to share in the Little Free Art Gallery (FLAG) or keep as their own special creation.

Altadena Poets Laureate
World Within a Poem: From Micro to Macro and Back Again Workshop with Jamie Asaye FitzGerald

Saturday, April 18 • 11:00am-1:00pm

Bob Lucas Memorial Library

Join poet Jamie Asaye FitzGerald for a generative workshop that explores the way a poem can make, out of the smallest detail, a world.

We'll look at examples that approach subjects both modest and grand, from brief haiku to flowing free verse.

Hosted by Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon

Supported by Friends of the Altadena Library, the Altadena Library Foundation, Octavia's Bookshelf, and Academy of American Poets.

Hand Sewing Class

Saturday, April 18 • 11am-12:30pm

Altadena Library Fab Lab at Loma Alta Park

Come learn the basics of hand sewing at this hands-on workshop! Registration required! For adults 18+

Please note that the Fab Lab will not be available for open studio hours during this time. The Altadena Library Fab Lab is located in the classroom in the Loma Alta Park Gymnasium.

Catching Fire: Poetry on the Los Angeles Wildfires

Tuesday, April 21 • 6-7:30pm

Loma Alta Park Multipurpose Room (in the Gymnasium)

Please join us for a dynamic evening of community and healing as local authors read works from the poetry anthology Catching Fire: The Los Angeles Wildfires. Registration required.

Catching Fire: The Los Angeles Wildfires is an anthology comprised of works from 58 poets and writers from Altadena, Pasadena, Palisades and greater Los Angeles. Edited by Los Angeles poets S.A. Griffin and Richard Modiano, Catching Fire captures the stories and insights of witnesses and survivors, some who tragically lost everything to the fires of January 2025.

Participants:

Susan Auerbach
Mary Anne Berry
Teresa Mei Chuc
Spencer Griffin
Richard Modiano
Riot Renwick
Maryrose Smyth

Green Thinkers - Earth Day STEAM Fun

Wednesday, April 22 • 5-6pm

Bob Lucas Library

Celebrate Earth Day with a hands-on STEAM program designed to inspire young minds to think creatively about caring for our planet!

Children ages 6–11 will enjoy a fun, DIY STEAM-style activity that encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and earth-conscious thinking. This program will take place at the Bob Lucas Library in the Literacy Center.

Registration is required, as space is limited.

Lego Box Set Builds for Teens
Thursday, April 23 4-5:45 p.m.
Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Each Teen will get a Lego Box Set (variety of choices) & will get to build their box with other Teens! These builds can be taken home. Registration is required! For Teens, 8th-12th graders, only.

Craft & Barrel
Friday, April 24
4-6pm
Altadena Ale House,
2329 Fair Oaks Ave

Bring your own craft project to work on. Gather, socialize, and get your creative juices flowing while supporting a local business.

Ages 21 and over, please.

Altadena Poets Laureate Poetry & Cookies
Closing Event for After the Fire Series

Saturday, April 25 • 3-6pm

Bob Lucas Library

A special afternoon to celebrate 20 years of the Altadena Libraries’ Altadena Poets Laureate Program. Featuring:

Author Viet Thanh Nguye reading from his children’s book Simone about a wildfire in California and floods in Vietnam
Poets published in Altadena Poetry Review 2026, including Jessica Abughattas, Teresa Mei Chuc, Olga Garcia Echeverría, Elline Lipkin, Felita Kealing, Thelma Reyna, Carla Sameth, Jinghuan Liu Tervalon, emerging poet Adhalia Rivera, and open mic for other poets published in the review
Celebration words by former Poet Laureate Hazel Clayton Harrison
Farewell readings by Lester Graves Lennon + Sehba Sarwar
Indie publishers Tia Chuchas Press & Riot of Roses and their poets William Archila & Brenda Vaca
All ages art activities with Altadena Library + Armory Center for the Arts
and announcement of Altadena Poets Laureate for 2026-28!

Event co-sponsored by Tia Chuchas Press, Riot of Roses, Light Bringer Project, and LitFest in the Dena.

Altadena Poet Laureate is supported by Friends of the Altadena Library, the Altadena Library Foundation, Octavia's Bookshelf, and Academy of American Poets.

True Crime All The Time Virtual Book Club

Saturday, April 25, 4-5 p.m.

Zoom

Book: "Trial by Ambush: Murder, Injustice, and the Truth About the Case of Barbara Graham" by Marcia Clark

After the Fire: Honoring Stories From the Community Presented by Poets and Playback Theater

Sunday, April 26 • 10am-12pm

Bob Lucas Library

After the Fire is an interactive poetry reading that invites audience members to share stories about Altadena and watch as People's Playback Theater transforms them into an emotional performance.

People’s Playback is an interactive theatre company that uses music, movement and dialogue to bring stories from the audience to life; creating space for transformation, connection and empathy through a diverse chorus of human experiences. Join them, along with local poets from the Altadena area, in this day of community healing through poetry and shared experiences.

Participants:

Adriohn Richardson
Amaris Baker
Anna Mixtlan
Asha Srikantiah
Hazel Harrison
Jenny Garcia
Kristy Pace
LaTianna Williams
Mary Bleier
Mary Brancaccio
Narmeen Nasseem
Rachel Brousseau
Sehba Sarwar
Tessa Cisneros

Want to find out more about our Board?

Join our Regular Meeting of the Altadena Library Board of Trustees on Monday, April 27 at 5pm in person at Altadena Community Center (730 Altadena Dr.) and virtually at
https://www.youtube.com/AltadenaLibrary

Tween Decoden

Thursday, April 30 • 4-5pm

Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park

Join us to decorate hair clips, compacts, or hand mirrors in the Japanese art of Decoden (while supplies last). For ages 8-12.

Connect with us through our App

Listen to FREE audiobooks,
discover new music,
learn new skills through Linkedin Learning,

get homework help from online tutors,
explore events and more!

Search for "Altadena Library District" in the Apple App Store or on Google Play to download! Or stop by any Info Desk for help!

Altadena Library Foundation strengthens the mission and resources of the libraries through fundraising and advocacy. Learn more at

www.altadenalibraryfoundation.org.

The Friends of the Altadena Library stimulate public interest, assist with funding to purchase materials, and support cultural and educational programs. Become a member at

www.altadenalibrary.org/friends.

Connect with us

www.altadenalibrary.org

Click here to unsubscribe

Main Library

600 E. Mariposa Street Altadena, CA 91001

Phone: (626) 798-0833

Closed for renovation
as of Feb. 1, 2026

Bob Lucas Memorial

Library & Literacy Center

2659 Lincoln Avenue

Altadena, CA 91001

Phone: (626) 798-8338

Monday – Thursday:
10:00am – 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday:
10:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm – 5:00pm

Altadena Library
at Loma Alta Park*
3330 N. Lincoln Avenue
Altadena, California 91001

Phone: (626) 798-0833

Monday – Thursday:
10:00am – 6:00pm
Friday & Saturday:
10:00am – 5:00pm

*Altadena Library at Loma Alta Park is located in the park’s Social Hall. The Social Hall is a unit of the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation System.

Can't see this email? Click here to view this message in browser window.