Santa Monica Public Library presents a 125th Anniversary Celebration Festival
December 18, 2015 12:00 AM
Santa Monica, California – It’s hard to believe, but the Santa Monica Public Library has been officially serving the Santa Monica and broader Los Angeles communities for over 125 years. The Library officially marked its anniversary in early December, but postponed its celebration to January 9, 2016 to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of the current Main Library building. Residents and visitors to Santa Monica are invited to the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., on Saturday, January 9, 2016 for a festive day of activities marking both anniversaries. The schedule begins at 10:30 a.m. and concludes at 5:00 p.m., and offers a variety of drop-in activities for all age levels.
The fun begins at 10:30 a.m. with a children’s music and movement concert by Moo Moo Musica. This program is appropriate for babies and young toddlers. Also at 10:30 a.m., those interested in learning a bit of history about the library are invited to join our Stanton Macdonald-Wright Mural Lecture and Tour. Created by Santa Monica-based artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright in the 1930s for the library, under the auspices of the Public Works Art Project, the library murals are a shining star in Santa Monica’s and California’s artistic history. The tour will be led by longtime Library Docent Sally Ashear, who will lead a second tour at 1:30 p.m., for those unable to attend the first tour.
At 11:00 a.m., families with children ages 7 and up, as well as crafty adults, are invited to Make a Fan-Style Memory Book. This DIY activity is led by local artist Debra Disman, who guides attendees through the creation of a beautiful handmade book, in which they can store photographs and other happy mementos.
Everyone is invited to the noon concert, Music! Music! Music! featuring the Samohi Strings. This all-ages musical program features Santa Monica High School’s talented youth musicians playing Ragtime and other popular period songs.
At 1:00 p.m., attendees are invited to Get in the Game!, a scavenger hunt-style, team-based game hosted by Wise Guys Events. Appropriate for adults, teens and middle-grade students, the game encourages teams to fan out through the library finding clues, solving puzzles, and completing activities. The team with the most points at the end will be awarded a fun prize.
As the game wraps up and we tally the results, everyone is invited to join us at 2:30 p.m. for a Cake Celebration. In addition a sweet snack and drink, we’ll announce the game winners, as well as showcase the winners of the Library’s recent Design Our Library Card contest. Three winners in various age groups were selected and library cardholders will be able to get one of the new cards for their wallet if they so choose.
Finally, the day wraps up with an Author Talk with Robert Crais at 3:00 p.m. The #1 New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestselling author is a longtime friend of the Santa Monica Public Library and joins us to celebrate our big day, as well as discuss his latest mystery/thriller novel, The Promise. A book sale and signing follows.
All of the activities for this special celebration are free and open to everyone. Seating for some of the activities is limited and on a first arrival basis. The Santa Monica Public Library is wheelchair accessible. For special disabled services, call Library Administration at (310) 458-8606 at least one week prior to event. The Main Library is served by Big Blue Bus routes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Ride your bike. Bicycle parking racks are available at the library.
Media Contact
Robert Graves
Librarian III Branch Manager
Robert.Graves@SMGOV.NET