Reimagine a Space for Community Connection
We need your support to renovate the former Main Library Central Courtyard into a self-service café, literary lounge, learning kitchen and community event space.
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Santa Monica Public Library Youth Services Librarian Ingha Chopra and Teen Services Librarian Gia Ruiz-Forsyth have been selected for roles on the American Library Association, or ALA’s, award selection committees. Chopra is one of 15 members on the 2025 John Newbery Award Selection Committee, while Ruiz-Forsyth is one of nine members on the 2025 Michael L. Printz Award Selection Committee.
“Being part of the committee is such an honor – it is an opportunity to make a lasting impression on the standards of children’s books nationwide.” – Ingha Chopra
“The library has always been a place of inclusion, and so it was my honor to serve on a committee that selected the highest literary achievement in young adult literature that elevates the voices of Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ authors, illustrators, and stories.”
-Gia Ruiz-Forsyth
Love Letters to the Library:
During our latest author talk, podcast hosts and authors Yue Xu and Julie Krafchick showed us how to escape from the traps of modern dating and change your approach to love. They also discussed their new book and actionable guide, ‘How to be Dateable.’ They shared expert knowledge to help you recognize your dating strengths in order to find the relationship you deserve.
Friends of the Santa Monica Public Library in collaboration with the Friends of the Palisades Library came together for an unforgettable evening with bestselling author Pico Iyer as he discussed his latest book, “AFLAME: Learning from Silence.” Published one week after the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of structures, including the Palisades Library, “AFLAME” shares what Iyer learned in the aftermath of losing his family home in a Santa Barbara wildfire and through his numerous stays at a Benedictine monastery in Big Sur.
Movie critic Kirk Honeycutt and wine journalist Mira Honeycutt gave us the inside scoop on the making of the hit movie Sideways and the huge impact it had on the wine industry with their 2024 release ‘‘Sideways, Uncorked.” They shared the behind-the-scenes stories and top recommendations for the best regions and vineyards to visit.
