Know Gardens throughout April
Are you dreaming of a backyard bounty or looking to garden more sustainably? Join us as we sew, dig, and harvest for Know Gardens in April. Learn the fundamentals of water-wise gardening and explore Monet’s innovative landscapes. Deeply connect to the natural world with a forest-bathing experience and indulge in animal therapy with Parsley the bunny. Attend a garden fair to learn more about composting, pollinator habitat, growing vegetables, seed bombs, and more. All programs are free and open to the public. See the full listing of programs on our website.
Celebrate National Poetry Month with Us
April is National Poetry Month, a time when people of all ages are encouraged to engage with poetry, whether by writing, reading, sharing, or discussing it. We have a month full of events, from poetry readings and open mic spoken word events, to classes and workshops for all skill levels. Visit our website for a full list of programs, and be sure to browse this list of new and coming-soon poetry books for some inspiration.
Staff In-Service Days Begin in April
Starting April 11, all libraries will close on the second Thursday of the month to allow for a full day of staff training and education. This in-service day consolidates late-openings that had happened on various days every month at all library locations and provides time for staff training in areas like customer service and library processes. These trainings also provide staff with information and training related to the library remodeling and construction impacts and changes that are critical to day-to-day operations. All digital services (access to eBooks, streaming movies, digital audiobooks, etc.) will still be available on these days. Staff in-service days will run for six months, at which time we will assess the process. We thank you for your patience as we work to build a library system that grows along with Deschutes County.
Día de los niños y libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)
El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book) celebrates children of all cultures and connects them to the world of learning through books, stories, and the library. Join us for this year’s celebration—the whole family is welcome! April 26, 6-8:00 p.m., Hugh Hartman Elementary // El día de los niños/El día de los libros celebra a los niños de todas las culturas y los conecta con el mundo del aprendizaje a través de libros, cuentos y la biblioteca. Únase a nosotros para la celebración de este año. ¡Toda la familia es bienvenida! 26 de abril, 6-8:00 p.m., Hugh Hartman Elementary School.
May is Just Around the Corner, and So Are Some Great Literary Events
In May we kick off the 21st year of the A Novel Idea community read program. Take a look at our website to start planning for all of the free events (starting in late April) that enrich what you’ll find in the books—including visits from the authors. The Reader’s Guide for A Novel Idea 2024 will be available April 19, so be sure to pick up a copy at your local library. And mark your calendar for May 16, when best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer wraps up the 2024 season of the Author! Author! literary series. Author! Author! is a ticketed event that raises funds for library programs and services that are not funded through tax dollars. You can buy tickets to Kimmerer’s presentation on the Deschutes Public Library Foundation’s website.
Sisters Library is Fully Open Again
The children’s area and the community room at the Sisters Library are open to the public once again. These spaces closed in late January following a burst pipe and subsequent water leak. The rest of the library was open while much of the repair work was done, but now the entire library is fully open once again. Be sure to stop in to enjoy the new children’s area, as well a new art, including a large-scale piece by Kristy Kún in the community room.
Stay In-the-Know with the DPL Podcast
There’s a lot happening with remodeling and construction of libraries around Deschutes County! Be sure to check out the DPL Podcast for information about the projects and other things happening with and around your libraries. You’ll find the Deschutes Public Library Podcast on Spotify (dpl.pub/podcast-spotify) and Apple Podcasts (dpl.pub/podcast-apple).
Beyond the Books: Library of Things Kits … for Kids!
Our growing Library of Things offers items you might not know you can check out from your library, such as sewing machines, cake decorating kits, a sous vide kit, a Cricut, a GoPro, and more. We recently adding a wide range of Library of Things kits just for kids! Kid kits include a home planetarium projector, coding kits, magna-tiles, various blocks, and even a small jump house. Visit our website to explore the full Library of Things collection. We always love to see what you make or do with the Library of Things, so tag us on social or send your photos to newsletter@deschuteslibrary.org.
Service Spotlight: Meeting Rooms
Finding a place to have a meeting can be a challenge—and it can be expensive. Your library offers meeting rooms to the public, and they’re available to reserve for free under most circumstances (a small fee is charged for events with food, if an admission fee is charged, or if anything is sold). In several community listening sessions we were told that more meeting space is a priority for the public, so all new and remodeled libraries include more public meeting space than ever. Visit our website for more information and to reserve a meeting space.
Events & Programs in April
Follow the links below to learn how to access these programs
Note: We’ve partnered with a variety of businesses and organizations to ensure that we can continue story times and adult programs during remodeling and construction work, so be sure to note the locations for all programs and events when following the links below.
Kids & Families
Family Story Time, Toddler Story Time, Preschool Story Time, and Baby Story Time – Visit our online calendar for dates, locations, and times. You’ll also find story times on our YouTube channel (as well as STEAM programs, scavenger hunts, and more).
Kid’s Cursive Workshop — April 1 (SCP Hotel Redmond); April 15 (East Bend); April 17 (La Pine); April 23 (Fika Sisters); April 25 (Downtown Bend)
Stories in the Garden — April 5 (The Environmental Center)
Reading Readiness with Music — April 9 (Downtown Bend)
Family Game Night with Modern Games — April 10 (Downtown Bend)
Graphic Novel Book Club: Marshmallow & Jordan — April 16 (Downtown Bend)
Music Together Workshop — April 20 (La Pine)
Bunny Therapy and Coloring with Parsley the Rabbit — April 20 (East Bend)
Wonderful Watersheds with Sunriver Nature Center — April 25 (La Pine)
El día de los niños y libros/Children’s Day and Book Day — April 26 (Hugh Hartman Elementary)
Toddler Jump for Joy — April 30 (Mountain Air)
Sensory Friendly Spring Event — April 30 (Sisters Firehouse Community Hall)
Middle Ground (10-14 Yrs)
3Doodler Creations — April 29 (East Bend)
Teens & Young Adult (16-25 Yrs)
Wednesday Teen Hangout (La Pine) — April 3, April 10, April 17, April 24
A Novel Idea: Painting a Watercolor Shark — April 26 (La Pine)
¡Biblioteca en Español!
Thrive Central Oregon (Downtown Bend, East Bend, Redmond) — ver página 7 aquí
Abogado en la Biblioteca (en línea) — April 3
La Hora del Cuento — April 3, April 17 (East Bend); April 10, April 24 (Downtown Bend)
Ayuda Tecnológica — April 4 (Downtown Bend)
Arte y Manualidades — April 2 (Sisters); April 23 (Redmond)
El día de los niños/El día de los libros — April 26 (Hugh Hartman Elementary)
Book Clubs
Library Book Club at Becky Johnson Community Center: Braiding Sweetgrass — April 4
Nonfiction Library Book Club: The Wise Hours — April 9 (Suttle Tea)
East Bend Library Book Club: Gathering Moss — April 13
Shark Heart Book Discussion with Sunriver Books & Music — April 15 (online); April 22 (Sunriver Books & Music)
Larkspur Library Book Club: Sea of Tranquility — April 17
Fiction Library Book Club: Oh William! — April 24 (online)
Downtown Bend Library Book Club: The Reading List — April 26
Adults
Thrive Central Oregon Walk-in Consultations — see calendar for dates and times and visit Thrive’s website for more sessions and locations throughout the county
Step Out! Walking and Wellness Group — April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22, April 29 (La Pine)
Open Hub Singing Club — April 1 (Downtown Bend); April 10 (Becky Johnson Community Center)
Law Librarian Office Hours — April 2 (Sisters); April 9 (Redmond); April 16 (La Pine Activity Center); April 16 (La Pine Library);
Open Computer Lab — April 2, April 9, April 16, April 23, April 30 (Redmond); April 4, April 18, April 25 (Downtown Bend); April 19 (La Pine)
Bystander Training with KIDS Center — April 2 (Becky Johnson Community Center)
Reading Wind: Carol Barrett Poetry Reading and Book Launch — April 2 (Downtown Bend)
Lawyer in the Library — April 3, April 17 (online)
Notary Public Services — April 4, April 18 (Downtown Bend)
Rob Gregerson Performs — April 5 (Arome)
Tax Aide — April 6, April 13 (Downtown Bend)
Poetry and Nature — April 6 (Drake Park)
Intro to Financial Management Concepts for Small Business Owners — April 8 (Downtown Bend)
Art and Poetry — April 9 (Peterson Contemporary Art Gallery); April 20 (Artists’ Gallery Sunriver)
SCORE Small Business Counseling — April 9, April 23 (Downtown Bend)
Child Abuse: Signs, Symptoms, and Prevention — April 11 (Sisters Park and Rec District)
Music in Public Places: Cascade Chamber Players — April 13 (La Pine)
High Desert Poetry Cell — April 14 (Downtown Bend)
España: A Land of Many Faces — April 16 (Downtown Bend)
SafetyNet Training with KIDS Center — April 16 (Downtown Bend)
Upgrade Your Resume — April 17 (Downtown Bend)
Death Café — April 23 (Downtown Bend)
Let’s Talk About It Training with KIDS Center — April 23 (La Pine)
Talking with Children About Safety from Sexual Abuse — April 30 (online)
Know Gardens
HOPS: Historic Photographs of the Oregon Hopscape — April 10 (Downtown Bend)
Garden Musings: Folded Paper Book Workshop — April 11 (Becky Johnson Community Center)
Color and Light in Monet’s Gardens — April 15 (Downtown Bend); April 20 (Becky Johnson Community Center)
Waterwise Gardening — April 17 (Downtown Bend)
Seed Swap — April 20 (Downtown Bend)
Guided Forest Bath — April 27 (Shevlin Park)
Tea Making with Metolius Artisan Tea — April 27 (La Pine); April 27 (East Bend)
Garden Fair — April 28 (Sisters Firehouse Community Hall)
Game Night with Modern Games — April 30 (High Desert Music Hall)
Write Here
Quiet Writing Time — April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22, April 29 (Downtown Bend)
Characters Who Resonate — April 4 (Downtown Bend)
How to Shout About Your Work — April 9 (Downtown Bend)
Third Thursday Spoken Word Night — April 18 (High Desert Music Hall)
Third Thursday Spoken Word Open Mic — April 18 (The Commons)
Finding Poems Where Your Least Expect Them! — April 22 (Downtown Bend)
All libraries will be closed on Thursday, April 11
