Upcoming Events and Free Programs at the Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park Branch Libraries

Thousand Oaks (Grant R. Brimhall) Library.

There are two great Thousand Oaks libraries; the Grant R. Brimhall Library at 1401 E. Janss Road in Thousand Oaks (805.449.2660) and the local Newbury Park Branch is at 2331 Borchard Road (805.498.2139).  These libraries provide year-round free events, activities and programs for all ages. Selected events from time to time will be covered here.

Visit the library website at www.toaks.org/library to learn more. 

The following is a list of programs happening at the Thousand Oaks Library during the month of January, with GRB denoting Grant R. Brimhall Library, and NPL denoting Newbury Park Library. All programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. For the latest information on Library events, please visit www.tolibrary.org/calendar.

ALL AGES 

Agents of Discovery: Library Scavenger Hunt

December – January • Grant R. Brimhall Library

Explore, learn, and play with our augmented reality scavenger hunt! Connect to the library Wi-Fi, download the Agents of Discovery app, and start the Thousand Oaks Library Mission. Find eight animal images in the Children’s Area and Teen Space, complete fun challenges, and claim your prize!

Gosh Yarn It

Friday, January 10 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Relax, crochet, and socialize at our crochet club! Beginners and experts alike are welcome to bring your own supplies and hang out with fellow crocheters as we sip tea and work on our projects. For ages 11+.

The Cat Who Lived with Anne Frank with David Lee Miller and Steven Jay Rubin

Saturday, January 11 • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Join us for this engaging presentation from authors of the story of Anne Frank and her cat, Mouschi. For families and children aged 8 and older. Sponsored by the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library.

Author Talk with Stuart Gibbs

Saturday, January 25 • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm • Grant R. Brimhall Library

Join us for a special author event with Stuart Gibbs, the bestselling author of the Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne, Moon Base Alpha, and Once Upon a Tim book series. Mr. Gibbs will give a presentation and answer questions. A book sale and signing will follow this event. Best suited for students in grade 3 and up, teens, and adults. Presented by the Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library.

The Great Puzzle Race

Sunday, January 26 • 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Form a team of up to 4 people and race against other teams and the clock to complete a 500-piece puzzle in 2 hours. Registration required.

LevelUp Lounge 

Fridays • 10:00 am – 5:30 pm • GRB Teen Space

Access all ages gaming with the Library’s Xbox Game Pass! Hang out and relax with games like No Man’s Sky, Powerwash Simulator, Forza, Sea of Stars, and over 250 more options!

Board Games at the Library

Grant R. Brimhall Library

Stop by the Information Desk to borrow board games to play while inside the Library! Games available include Wingspan, Parks, Forbidden Island, and more.

Stay & Switch

Newbury Park Library

Join the fun by exploring our newest addition to the Library of Things. Stop by the Newbury Park Library Information Desk to check out a Nintendo Switch Lite, loaded with exciting digital games! You can borrow it with your library card and enjoy gaming while you’re in the Library.

KIDS 

Homework Help

Mondays • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Tuesdays • 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesdays & Thursdays • 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Struggling with challenging school assignments? Our volunteers are here to help! For students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Runs September 2024 to May 2025; closed on CVUSD holidays and breaks. No Homework Help on January 1, 2, & 20.

PACT Light with First 5 Ventura County

Fridays • January 3 – February 14 • 10:30 am – 11:15 am • NPL Meeting Room

Join First 5 Ventura County for a series of classes that mimic the Parent and Child Together (PACT) classes offered at Neighborhood for Learning sites for children prenatal to 5 years. Classes include books, songs, music and movement, guided play with open-ended materials, and parent education.

Music & Movement 

Saturday, January 11 • 10:15 am – 10:45 am & 11:15 am – 11:45 am • GRB Community Room

Dance, clap, and sing along with Ms. Cheryl and her guitar during this fun, interactive program for ages 0-5 years. Registration required. 

Dog Days

Tuesdays, January 14, 21, & 28 • 3:30 pm – 4:30 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room

Readers of all levels and abilities are invited to come and read to a certified therapy dog! Participants will sign up for a brief 10-minute session with a dog and their owner.

Make & Take: Zines

Wednesday, January 15 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Express yourself and create a Zine! All resources provided. For grades K-5.

Writing Buddies

Thursday, January 16 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Students in grades 2-5 are invited to share their creativity by writing a short story. Registration required.

Mini Masters: Marc Chagall - Stained Glass Windows

Sunday, January 26 • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm • GRB Children’s Program Room

Read the story Dreamer from the Village, learn about the art and make stained glass windows. Led by a Teen Volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.

Reading Buddies

Tuesday, January 28 • 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesday, January 29 • 3:10 pm – 3:40 pm or 3:45 pm – 4:15 pm • GRB Community Room

A weekly program for students grades 1-4 to practice and gain confidence in their reading with the help of an interactive volunteer. Registration required.

Lunar New Year Craft: Year of the Snake

Wednesday, January 29 – Sunday, February 2 • Both Libraries

Visit the library to color a paper snake!

Pathways to Science: Space and Astronomy

Friday, January 31 • 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Create your own solar system model and paper rockets as we look into astronomy, space, and the science of the universe! Led by a Teen Volunteer. For grades 1-5. Registration required.

Winter Storytimes & Playtime

Bilingual Pajama Storytime

Monday, January 13 • 6:15 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Community Room

A bilingual (English/Spanish) storytime & craft for ages 3-5 years. Walk-ins welcome!

Baby Storytime

Tuesdays, January 21 & 28 • 10:15 am – 10:35 am • GRB Community Room

This is a lapsit storytime for babies 0-12 months. Walk-ins welcome!

Toddler Storytime

Wednesdays, January 22 & 29 • 10:15 am – 10:35 am & 11:00 am – 11:20 am • GRB Community Room

This is a toddler storytime for ages 12-36 months. Registration required.

Preschool Storytime

Thursdays, January 23 & 30 • 10:15 am – 11:00 am • GRB Community Room

This is a preschool storytime & craft for ages 3-5 years. Walk-ins welcome!

Newbury Park Toddler Storytime

Thursdays, January 23 & 30 • 10:15 am - 10:35 am • NPL Community Room

This is a toddler storytime for ages 12-36 months. Walk-ins welcome!

Enrichment Playtime

Join us for 30 minutes of unstructured playtime from 10:15 am – 10:50 am.

For babies (0-12 months): Tuesday, January 14 • GRB Community Room

For toddlers (12-36 months): Wednesday, January 15 • GRB Community Room

For preschoolers (3-5 years): Thursday, January 16 • GRB Community Room

For NPL toddlers (12-36 months): Thursday, January 16 • NPL Meeting Room

TWEENS & TEENS

Reading Rocks Book Club

Tuesday, January 14 • GRB Children’s Program Room

Rocks (Grades 4-5): 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm

Boulders (Grades 6-8): 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Join us monthly to discuss books with strong female characters. This month’s books are Wild Rescuers: Guardians of the Taiga by Stacy Plays for Rocks and Wild Bird by Diane Zahler for Boulders. Registration required.

It’s a Cinch – Make a Calendar or Notebook

Friday, January 17 • 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm • GRB Tech Training Room

Wednesday, January 22 • 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm • NPL Tech Space

Start the year off right by making your very own custom calendar, planner, or notebook using the Cinch. For grades 6-12. Registration required.

Mic Check

Monday, February 3 • 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Join us for an interactive program designed to enhance communication skills and explore creative storytelling for tweens ages 10 – 14, registration opens January 20! Registration required.

Comics and Manga Club

Tuesday, January 21 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Dive into any comic, manga, or graphic novel! Share your favorites, chat about epic storylines and awesome artwork, and make new friends every third Thursday of the month. This month’s suggested reading theme is “first book in a great series.” For grades 6-12. Registration required.

Books for Buttons and Boba

Come to the Library and pick-up a “Books for Buttons and Boba” form. Finish a book with more than 200 pages, get a button and enter for a chance for a Boba gift card. For grades 6-12.

Teen Volunteers Needed

Sign up to help with Homework Help, One-Time Events, Thousand Oaks Teen Advisory League, and other programs and activities at the Library. Go to www.tolibrary.org/teens, setup your CERVIS account, and apply to volunteer for various opportunities.

ADULTS

Conversations with Mom 

Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21, & 28 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • GRB Community Room

This free support group is for moms and their newborns to get together, express their joys and concerns, and meet other new moms in the community. On the last Tuesday of the month other caregivers including fathers, grandparents are welcome to attend.

Spanish at Your Library

Wednesdays, January 8 & 22 • 5:30 – 6:30pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Advanced & intermediate learners can practice speaking Spanish under the guidance of a language-learning professional. Registration required.

Open Mic Poetry Nights

Wednesday, January 8 • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Wednesday, January 22 • 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Come listen to local poets and share your own work every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, in collaboration with The Ventura County Poetry Project.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Conversation Group 

Thursday, January 9 • 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Practice speaking English in an informal and friendly group setting. Open to all non-native English language speakers.

Free Movie Matinées

Mondays, January 13 & 27 • 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm • GRB Community Room

Catch free movie matinées at the Library! Explore our online schedule to see what's showing and join us for a fun film outing.

Happily Ever After Book Club

Monday, January 13 • 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm • GRB Technology Training Room

Join us as we chat about our favorite romance novels, where a Happily Ever After (HEA)—or a Happily For Now (HFN)—is always guaranteed. This month’s book is At First Spite by Olivia Dade. Walk-ins welcome.

Virtual Author Talk - The Magic of Found Family: In Conversation with Author TJ Klune

Wednesday, January 15 • 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm • Online

Come have a magical moment with New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune as he chats about his Cerulean Chronicles, with special emphasis on his newest in the series, Somewhere Beyond the Sea.

Crafternoon

Friday, January 17 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Friday, January 24 • 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm • GRB Community Room

Adults are invited to join us at the Library to socialize and make a different craft each month! This month we will be making needle-felted corner bookmarks. Materials provided. Registration required.

Introduction to 3D Printing

Wednesday, January 22 • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Learn the basics of 3D Printing as well as how to use Tinkercad, a free easy-to-use web app for 3D modeling. Registration required.

Virtual Author Talk - Notes on Modern Irrationality with Bestselling Author Amanda Montell

Thursday, January 23 • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm • Online

Join us as we chat with the New York Times bestselling author, Amanda Montell about her newest book, The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality.

Virtual Author Talk - An Inside Look at Working with a Literary Agent: A Conversation with Seth Fishman

Tuesday, January 28 • 10:00 am – 11:00 am • Online

You’re writing a book (or thinking about it), but what happens next? Join us for an inside look into working with an agent and the beginning stages of the publishing process with Seth Fishman, Vice President and Literary Agent at The Gernert Company.

Cybersecurity Basics

Wednesday, January 29 • 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm • NPL Meeting Room

Join us as we explore ways to be safe online and to protect yourself from scams. Registration required.