THANK YOU to the hundreds of library supporters who filled the City Council chambers on July 16 to support the 21st Century Library & Community Learning Center for Hayward!! And thank you to the Mayor and City Council for voicing your support as well!!

It was amazing to hear so many community members speaking so passionately about what the library means to you. The 21st Century Library project is taking some important next steps, but there is much more work to be done, and we need your help!

City Council welcomes your comments about this exciting project -- we want to hear from you. To contact your Mayor and City Council Members, you can find their public information on the City website.    

MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL:   www.bit.ly/hayward-city-council 

Saturday, August 17, 2:00 p.m.

Hayward City Hall, Council Chambers, 777 B Street

The Language of Flowers, Vanessa Diffenbaugh's moving and elegantly written debut novel, creates a vivid portrait of a young woman whose gift for flowers helps her change the lives of others even as she struggles to overcome her own troubled past as a foster care child. Don't miss this special opportunity to talk with the author of this well-loved book. The Language of Flowers was Hayward's 2013 World Book Night selection distributed by volunteer book givers locally to 340 readers on April 23. 

Welcome Vanessa back to the Bay Area and hear from representatives of organizations that support youth transitioning from foster care, including the Camellia Network, a group that she cofounded. In The Language of Flowers, Camellia means "My Destiny is in Your Hands."

Born in San Francisco and raised in Chico, Vanessa Diffenbaugh studied creative writing and education at Stanford. She went on to teach art and writing to youth in low-income communities. She and her husband have three children, including a former foster child currently attending New York University on a Gates Millennium Scholarship.

Get feedback on your original writing in a peer-supported writers' group facilitated by local writer Leticia Garcia Bradford. Get the support you need to help you stay on track with your writing, whether it's fiction, non-fiction, or poetry. Bring 5-10 copies of the piece you wish to share with the group.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Hayward Public Library.

Saturday, August 24

2:00-3:30 p.m.

Weekes Branch Library

Have coupons that you don't need?  Want to trade those coupons for ones that you can use?  Bring your coupons to the swap.  Participants should bring coupons that are trimmed and have at least one month before expiration.  Bring a coupon, take a coupon.

Do you need free legal advice? Don't know where to begin? Get 15 minutes of free legal advice at the Hayward Public Library with a licensed attorney. Registration in person is required. Registration begins 30 minutes before the first session. Space is limited. Consultation is assigned by lottery. Lawyer in the Library is sponsored by the Alameda County Bar Association. Call 510-881-7980 for more information.