Tuesday, June 2, 2026 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Moneyball by Michael Lewis. Our book club meets monthly at the library to discuss books set in Oakland and the Bay Area or by Bay Area authors.

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teens: Engrave Your Own Keychain at Montclair
Try out our new handheld engravers and engrave a keychain that you can take home. All supplies and instructions included, so just bring yourself (and a friend).

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Meet the Author: Anita Gail Jones
Join author Anita Gail Jones in discussion of her debut novel, The Peach Seed.

Thursday, June 4, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Saturday, June 6, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Build. Make. Play.
Join us for an afternoon of fun. Activities will vary from art to STEM play. Visit each week for something new.

Saturday, June 6, 2026 – 2:30–4:30pm
Little Explorers Petting Zoo
Visit the cute and cuddly animals from the Little Explorers Petting Zoo. This is a popular event for the whole family – please be prepared to wait in line!

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 – 2:00–4:00pm
Teens: Metalsmithing – Make Your Own Jewelry at Montclair
Come on by and make your own jewelry with help from artist and teacher Darcy Nicholson. In this workshop you will learn how to make byzantine chainmail to create a bracelet or earrings. All supplies are included and you get to take your piece with you when you’re done! Must be there for full workshop to participate. For teens age 12-18. Limited to 7 participants.

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 – 3:00–3:45pm
Brian Scott- Magician
Expect an interactive show filled with magic and comedy. Brian’s goal is to make you THINK and WONDER, while also making you LAUGH. Come be amazed and find many of the answers you seek in the library.

Thursday, June 11, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Saturday, June 13, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Build. Make. Play.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club with Lellobird: Painting the Sky
The Tuesday Night Art Club is the easiest club to join: Just show up and make art. All materials provided, no experience necessary, and we have an emphasis on process over product.

Wednesday, June 17, 2026 – 3:00–3:45pm
Duncan Playful Circus
Duncan Playful Circus presents of “The True Color of Love,” a blend of juggling, unicycle, clowning and theatrical magic. This is a bilingual program in English and Spanish.

Thursday, June 18, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Friday, June 19, 2026
LIBRARY CLOSED – Juneteenth

Saturday, June 20, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Build. Make. Play.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – 3:00–3:45pm
Drummm!
This rhythm celebration unites communities through the beat of the drum. Expect an interactive show that entertains, educates and inspires.

Thursday, June 25, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Saturday, June 27, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Build. Make. Play.

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce
Come to Montclair Baby Bounce every Tuesday morning. We will sing, dance and read books all designed for participants 0 to 1 years old, followed by playtime with your baby and other caregivers.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz.

Thursday, May 7, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Thursday, May 14, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club with Lellobird: Monoprinting
The Tuesday Night Art Club is the easiest club to join: Just show up and make art. All materials provided, no experience necessary, and we have an emphasis on process over product.

Thursday, May 21, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Saturday, May 23, 2026 – 10:30–11:30am
POSTPONED – SEE NEW DATE BELOW
Spring Craft: Paper Flower & Vase Project
Give a creative new life to old and unused books by making them into a vase and flower centerpiece!

Tuesday, May 26, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Thursday, May 28, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Monday, May 25, 2026
LIBRARY CLOSED – Memorial Day

Saturday, May 03, 2026 – 10:30–11:30am
NEW DATE
Spring Craft: Paper Flower & Vase Project
Give a creative new life to old and unused books by making them into a vase and flower centerpiece!

Wednesday, April 22 at 6pm at the library, join Bay Area writer, journalist and wildfire survivor Dani Burlison in a discussion of her recent book Red Flag Warning: Mutual Aid and Survival in California’s Fire Country (Editors: Dani Burlison and Margaret Elysia Garcia). We’ll discuss how wildfire affects communities, including our own, and what we can learn about living with fire from Indigenous Californians, community organizers, mental health care workers, environmentalists, fire analysts, sustainable loggers, parents and more. This event is sponsored by Friends of the Montclair Library.

The book’s collection of essays and interviews explores the ways these fires take root and impact rural and urban Northern California; it examines our relationships to place and community and to understand the importance of mutual aid, organizing, community care, land stewardship and resilience. Red Flag Warning covers the stories not frequently found in the often disaster-porn obsessed media and exposes what is lost in the news written by parachute journalists.

Readers are invited to examine what fire can and does mean to them, what it means for us to reimagine the world, to prepare for the worst and to examine flames through different lenses. Contributors include Manjula Martin, Hiya Swanhuyser, Zeke Lunder, Lasara Firefox Allen, Margo Robbins, Kailea Loften, Redbird Willie and more.

Dani Burlison (she/her) is the creator/editor of All of Me: Stories of Love, Anger and the Female Body, and the author of Some Places Worth Leaving. She has been a staff writer at a Bay Area alt-weekly and a regular contributor at Yes! Magazine, Chicago Tribune, KQED, and elsewhere. Her journalism, fiction, and personal essays can also be found at Ms. Magazine, Earth Island Journal, The Rumpus, Portland Review, Hip Mama Magazine and in various anthologies and zines. Dani teaches and lives on unceded Southern Pomo land in California.

Saturday, April 18 from 2:00-4:00pm, join us for a live demonstration of a traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony with Chef Senait from Cafe Anbesa. Chef Senait comes with decades of experience owning and running her own restaurant in Asmara, Eritrea. For Senait, cooking has been a part of her life since she was a small child and the feeling of community connecting together around food is the spirit she brings to Café Anbesa.

This program will be presented in Tigrinya, with live English translations.

This program is in partnership with Oakland Bloom. Oakland Bloom’s mission is to advance economic equity in the food industry. It aims to support poor and working-class refugee, immigrant, and BIPOC chefs to launch their own food businesses, and to reenvision and reshape what a healthy and just food service industry could look like. It pursues these aims by enabling pathways for individual & collective ownership and neighborhood resilience with working class migrant/BIPOC chefs and communities.

This program is made possible by the Friends of the Oakland Public Library.

Photo by Zeynep Sümer on Unsplash

Thursday, April 2, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories, and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Saturday, April 4, 2026 – 1:00–2:00pm
Teen Advisory Board @ Montclair
Join the Montclair Branch Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and make your voice heard! Take an active role in creating and planning the programs and services you want to see as a teen at your local library! We meet the First Saturday of the month from 1pm-2pm in the Teen Zone at the Montclair Branch Library.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce
Come to Montclair Baby Bounce every Tuesday morning. We will sing, dance, and read books all designed for participants 0 to 1 years old, followed by playtime with your baby and other caregivers.

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book Club
Join us to discuss Moonglow by Michael Chabon.
https://oaklandlibrary.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S183C2080976

Thursday, April 9, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Today’s Storytime will feature a special performance by Malinky Music in honor of Día de los Niños/Día de los Libros. Join Emilia Lopez-Yanez of Malinky Music for a joyful, bilingual Spanish-English music and movement program for young children (ages 0-5) and their families, promoting language development, motor skills and cultural appreciation.

Tuesday, April 14, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pmView all dates
Baby Bounce

Thursday, April 16, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Saturday, April 18, 2026 – 2:00–4:00pm
Oakland Bloom Presents: Eritrean Coffee Ceremony with Cafe Anbesa
Join us for a live demonstration of a traditional Eritrean coffee ceremony with Chef Senait from Cafe Anbesa.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club with Lellobird
Celebrate Arbor Day this month by learning how to draw trees using simple shapes and then add color with fun mixed media, like paint, collage, colored pencils and pastels. Suitable for all skill levels (beginners…

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Meet the Author: Dani Burlison
Join editor Dani Burlison in discussion of her 2025 book, Red Flag Warning: Mutual Aid and Survival in California’s Fire Country.

Thursday, April 23, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Thursday, April 30, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, March 3, 2026 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Deep Care by Angela Hume.

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 – 2:30–4:00pm
MOCHA At The Library!
Join us for monthly art workshops for children and families led by teachers from the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA). For ages 5-15 and caregivers. MOCHA workshops focus on building creativity, social-emotional and academic skills.

Thursday, March 5, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories, and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Saturday, March 7, 2026 – 1:00–2:00pm
Teen Advisory Board @ Montclair
Join the Montclair Branch Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and make your voice heard! Take an active role in creating and planning the programs and services you want to see as a teen at your local library! We meet the First Saturday of the month from 1pm-2pm in the Teen Zone at the Montclair Branch Library.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Thursday, March 12, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club: Invented Tools
Learn to make your own art tools from natural and found materials like sticks, pine needles and string and use them to create abstract art and textures with ink and paint.

Thursday, March 19, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Thursday, March 26, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, March 31, 2026
LIBRARY CLOSED – Farmworkers Day

Tuesday, February 3, 2026 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Family Style by Thien Pham.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 – 2:30–4:00pm
MOCHA At The Library!
Join us for monthly art workshops for children and families led by teachers from the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA). For ages 5-15 and caregivers. MOCHA workshops focus on building creativity, social-emotional and academic skills.

Thursday, February 5, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories, and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Saturday, February 7, 2026 – 1:00–2:00pm
Teen Advisory Board @ Montclair
Join the Montclair Branch Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and make your voice heard! Take an active role in creating and planning the programs and services you want to see as a teen at your local library! We meet the First Saturday of the month from 1pm-2pm in the Teen Zone at the Montclair Branch Library.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Valentine’s Craft
Celebrate all things love with DIY Valentine’s Day cards and crafts. Open to children and their parents/caregivers.

Thursday, February 12, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Monday, February 16, 2026
LIBRARY CLOSED (Presidents Day)

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club: Insect Art, Charley Harper Style
Using basic geometric shapes and fun colors, we’ll create beetles, butterflies, bees and other insects inspired by the mid-century style of illustrator Charley Harper. Open to all teens/adults, beginners welcome! All materials provided thanks to FOML.

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Piece by Piece: Celebrating African American Contemporary Art
This hands-on visual arts workshop for kids and families introduces participants to influential African American contemporary artists while encouraging creative interpretation through paper mosaic techniques. Participants will observe iconic works by selected artists and reconstruct visual elements using color, texture and pattern — learning how storytelling, identity and culture are embedded in contemporary art practices.

Thursday, February 19, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – 11:45am–12:15pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, February 25, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Thursday, February 26, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Saturday, January 3, 2026 – 1:00–2:00pm
Teen Advisory Board @ Montclair
Join the Montclair Branch Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and make your voice heard! Take an active role in creating and planning the programs and services you want to see as a teen at your local library! We meet the First Saturday of the month from 1pm-2pm in the Teen Zone at the Montclair Branch Library.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce
Come to Montclair Baby Bounce Every Tuesday morning. We will sing, dance, and read books all designed for participants 0 to 1 years old. Come and play with your baby and other caregivers.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 – 6:30–7:00pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Sourdough by Robin Sloan.

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 – 2:30–4:00pm
MOCHA At The Library!
Join us for monthly art workshops for children and families led by teachers from the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA). For ages 5-15 and caregivers. MOCHA workshops focus on building creativity, social-emotional and academic skills.

Thursday, January 8, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories, and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Tuesday, January 13, 2026 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Thursday, January 15, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Monday, January 19, 2026
LIBRARY CLOSED (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, January 20, 2026 – 6:00–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club: Greeting Card Workshop
Come make cards with us! Using simple collage and printing techniques and maybe some playful watercolors, create beautiful greeting cards for any occasion which you can use throughout the year. We’ll also have letter stamps and some hand-lettering tips for those who want to add text. Every participant will come away with at least a handful of cards ready to send and share. Audience: Adults

Thursday, January 22, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, January 27, 2026 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Thursday, January 29, 2026 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

The Friends of Montclair Library will be planning more author events in 2026, and we want to hear from you about the authors you want to see. Complete this short, 2-minute survey to tell us what you’re interested in!

https://forms.gle/38cj3x4ymNR7jyq39

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 – 2:30–4:00pm
MOCHA At The Library!
Join us for monthly art workshops for children and families led by teachers from the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA). For ages 5-15 and caregivers.

Thursday, December 4, 2025 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime
Join us for an interactive morning of songs, rhymes, stories, and socializing designed for toddlers ages 18 months to 3 years! After storytime, stay and play with age-appropriate toys. Siblings are welcome.

Saturday, December 6, 2025 – 1:00–2:00pm
Teen Advisory Board @ Montclair
Join the Montclair Branch Library Teen Advisory Board (TAB) and make your voice heard! Take an active role in creating and planning the programs and services you want to see as a teen at your local library! We meet the First Saturday of the month from 1pm-2pm in the Teen Zone at the Montclair Branch Library.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 – 6:30–7:30pm
One Village, One Book
Join us to discuss Paper is White and Flavors of Oakland, plus share foods from Flavors and choose our 2026 books! Feel free to come at 6 if you want more time to chat, eat and discuss 2026 book options.

Thursday, December 11, 2025 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – 6:00pm–7:30pm
Tuesday Night Art Club: Design Your Own Mini Art Calendar
Use our template and some of the art techniques we’ve explored this year (like collage, printing and drawing) to make an illustrated or abstract personalized 2026 calendar, and learn some ways to copy, share and display it throughout the year.

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 – 2:00–3:00pm
Winter Lights For The Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the perfect time of year to celebrate light. Join us in making a paper lantern to share a little light with others.

Thursday, December 18, 2025 – 10:15–11:15am
Toddler Storytime

Tuesday, December 23, 2025 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, December 24, 2025 – 2:00–3:00pm
Teen Crafting @ Montclair
Come hang out and get crafty every fourth Wednesday at 2:00pm.

Thursday, December 25, 2025
LIBRARY CLOSED (Christmas Day)

Tuesday, December 30, 2025 – 11:45am–12:00pm
Baby Bounce

Wednesday, December 31, 2025
LIBRARY CLOSED (New Year’s Eve Day)