Tag archives: Santa Barbara Public Library
Santa Barbara Public Library’s Summer Reading Program for all ages is well underway. Young readers equipped with their Reading Adventure Logs have been visiting us at Montecito Library to talk about the books they’re reading. Shiny beads are given for each book they talk about with staff, and some of our readers have amassed quite […]
By Maria McCall The Santa Barbara Public Library Plaza glimmered with royal blue velvet tablecloths and lively energy for the Santa Barbara School of Squash (SBSOS) annual gala. Guests savored delicious fare from SB Courthouse Distillery while the entertaining and fun emcee Geoff Green drove a spirited paddle raise and live auction for over 150 […]
There’s a reason why the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation chose this week’s issue for their opportunity to be the focus on this Giving List column in the Montecito Journal weekly. National Library Week in 2026 takes place April 19-26, and is a seven-day country-wide celebration of libraries, library workers, and the many ways that […]
Jacopo Giacopuzzi’s first visit to Santa Barbara was just shy of 13 years ago. That was when the native of Verona, Italy, studied at the Music Academy of the West as a 2013 solo piano fellow with the legendary Jerome Lowenthal. He basically never left. As soon as he concluded his Masters in piano performance […]
In January 2025, Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) launched a pilot crafting series for adults titled, Hot Off the Press (HOTP). The purpose of the program was to offer library-goers trendy, elevated crafting workshops that would give adults the supplies and cutting-edge machines from the Library’s Maker Space to let their creativity flourish. Past workshops […]
We’re thrilled to say – we’re back! The Library Column is returning, and we couldn’t be more excited to reconnect with you through stories that showcase the heart of our community: your Montecito Public Library. Each month, we’ll bring you a collection of inspiring stories, upcoming programs, and tips to help you get the most […]
MF Chief David Neels has announced the Wildfire Preparedness Meeting with local public safety partners on Thursday, June 26, at 6 pm at Montecito Union School. The MFD with the Montecito Water District, Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, neighboring fire agencies, and local community organizations will discuss how […]
Santa Barbara has always been a city of ideas. From environmental activism to technological innovation, we’ve led conversations that shape the future. However, when public discourse is often divided, and big ideas get lost in the noise, we need spaces where thoughtful dialogue and new perspectives can thrive. That’s where TEDxSantaBarbara comes in. Over the […]
Now that Towbes Plaza has been ceremonially launched with an enormous pair of scissors, here comes the Local Author Book Festival to break the place in! Santa Barbara is unfairly over-blessed by the g*ds of literary talent, and here’s a chance to walk among these leading lights. Poets, novelists, authors all – some 40 of […]
Steel magnate Andrew Carnegie made a lot of money and couldn’t get rid of it fast enough. “The man who dies rich dies disgraced,” he wrote, and lived his credo. His stubbornly stated goal was to give away – in his lifetime – his entire fortune to causes which he felt would raise and edify […]
The Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation supports charter amendment (Measure A2024) featured on the March 5th ballot. In partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library and the City, the Foundation has been working to revitalize the Library Plaza since 2012. After many years of working through the City Hall approval process and completing a successful […]
Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) will be hosting local authors, particularly independent authors, to participate in this year’s Local Author Book Fair, taking place in the Faulkner Gallery at the Santa Barbara Central Library on Saturday, December 2 from 2-4 pm. The public is cordially invited to come, meet the authors, browse a selection of […]
Local authors who have yet to chalk up sales enough to attract Chaucer’s but want to reach area readers might want to get in touch with the Santa Barbara Public Library, which offers a small display area at the Central Library downtown for Santa Barbara County writers to share their work. Get more details or […]
I read in last week’s edition [of MJ] that someone has told the food trucks not to come to Montecito because of complaints. I find this shocking – that someone would complain when the people eating lunch at these trucks are mainly working for them! I am a direct next-door neighbor to the Olive Mill […]
I am glad that “Robert’s Big Questions” are published regularly in the weekly Montecito Journal. The writer is among my most interesting friends (among other things, he’s the widely grinning high-brow guy cavorting about on his unicycle in parades and events around town), and I find it worthwhile to consider how and what he thinks. […]
Each year, Santa Barbara Public Library chooses a social topic of interest or challenge that the community is facing and develops a series of programs to explore potential solutions. Through selected readings, presentations, and community engagement, the library hopes to inspire action in the community to improve lives and invest in a more sustainable future. […]
On Saturday, October 22, the downtown library’s Make SB Celebration brings three out-of-town rock bands – Pancho & the Wizards (San Luis Obispo), Jacklen Ro (Los Angeles), and Outwest (Ventura) – in a concert event that marks the closing of its speculative-inspired art show “Through Many Windows: A World Reimagined”… The Latin rock band Mezcal […]
The Santa Barbara Library Foundation’s director Lauren Trujillo is in a celebratory mood. The foundation’s $5.4 million capital campaign to revitalize the historic plaza at the Santa Barbara Library, a once bustling pedestrian thoroughfare that had fallen into disrepair, has been fully funded. The organization raised nearly 60 percent of the dollars from private contributions […]
Library staff have had a grand old time this Summer Reading Program, encouraging the love of stories and books with readers of all ages. We’re going to celebrate the close of summer and the start of the school year with an event meant to share the magic of the library with families in our community. […]
Summer is fast approaching and Montecito Library is hosting a Summer Reading Program for folks of all ages. See our calendar at SBPLibrary.org for what’s happening! We are delighted to invite everyone to two library programs in June with professional photographer and beekeeper, Branden Aroyan. Bearing the gift of fresh honey from Hope Ranch beehives, he […]
