(Photo courtesy of Deschutes Public Library)
Central Library Grand Opening Community Day
Celebrate the grand opening of Central Library with an afternoon of art, culture, creativity, and family fun! Enjoy presentations from 25th U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze, Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterstron, our Indigenous Neighbor Nations, and the artists whose work brings the library to life, along with live performances, MakerSpace activities, face painting, balloon artistry, a kite flying demonstration, food trucks, and more. There’s something for all ages as we celebrate this exciting new chapter together.
U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze at Grand Opening
Join us for readings from his work and a discussion about poetry as Arthur Sze shares insights into a career spanning five decades. Sze is a poet, translator, editor, and the 25th U.S. Poet Laureate. Known for weaving science, philosophy, and the natural world into poetry of striking precision, his 12 poetry collections include the National Book Award-winning Sight Lines and the Pulitzer finalist Compass Rose.
Share Seeds with Fellow Gardeners!
We’re hosting free community seed libraries at three Deschutes Public Library locations to help gardeners get started, share resources, grow local seeds, explore new seeds, and encourage sustainability in the high desert. Seeds may be from local, regional and similarly USDA-zoned seed companies, and from local farmers and gardeners.
Join us every Thursday at Central, every Tuesday at La Pine, and on August 25 at the Sisters Library. Specific dates and times on our calendar.
Know Nothing This August
It’s okay to not know it all. Join the library as we explore “Know Nothing” this August. Dive into the unknown world of black holes and learn about the Antebellum South era in the United States. Refresh your wardrobe at a clothing swap and explore William Shakespeare’s Macbeth in a two-part series. Learn simple ways to reduce wildfire risk to your home and get survival-savvy with a wilderness safety course before your next adventure.
Fire and Smoke Season
When air quality reaches unsafe levels, some outdoor library programs may be cancelled. Before heading out, be sure to check our online events calendar to confirm your upcoming event’s status. Any affected programs will be marked as “Cancelled.” During extreme heat and smoke, Deschutes Public Library locations and other areas around the county may serve as cool places to go with better indoor air quality; visit the county’s Extreme Weather Operations website for more information.
Stream Thousands of Movies
Enjoy movie night on us. Your library card gives you access to thousands of streaming films, documentaries, and TV shows on Kanopy.
Library Book Clubs
Whether you prefer fiction or non-fiction, book club discussion groups are held monthly throughout the county, and all are welcome to attend.
Read a Romance in August
Love a good love story? August is Read a Romance month, and we have romantic reads you’ll love in this curated list.
Want to discuss your favorite romance novels? Join our monthly Romance Book Club. This month’s theme is: Heat Wave (think firefighters, devils, slow-burns, etc.).
Events and Programs in August
Kids & Family
All Story Times: Visit our calendar for dates, locations, and times. You’ll also find story times on our YouTube channel, plus STEAM programs, scavenger hunts, and more.
Library Adventures Outdoors – August 3 (La Pine Elementary School)
Kids’ Silent Book Club – August 3, August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31 (Central)
Bilingual Camp Kinder! – August 4, August 11 (Central)
Infant Music Together Workshop – August 4 (Central)
Pokémon Club – August 4, August 25 (Redmond); August 6, August 20, August 27 (Central)
Story Time Craft – August 5, August 12 (Sisters)
Splints, Stings, and Survival Things – August 8 (Central)
Professor Universe; A Comedic Science Show – August 10 (Redmond); August 10 (Central)
Scales & Tales Pop-Up – August 10, August 25 (Redmond); August 13 (Central)
Graphic Novel Book Club: The Happy Shop – August 11 (Redmond)
Culture Curious Kids – August 17 (Central)
Graphic Novel Book Club: Oasis – August 18 (Central)
Pop-Up Exhibits with the Children’s Museum of Central Oregon – August 20 (Sunriver)
I’m Going to Kindergarten! – August 26 (Sisters)
Kids’ Math Assessments and Games with Mathnasium – August 28 (Central)
Adults
Live Drop-in Consultations: see calendar for dates and times and visit Thrive’s website for more drop-in sessions and locations throughout the county.
Screen American Troubles: A Tale of Two Democracies August 2 (Central)
Step Into Community – August 3, August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31 (Central)
Changing Patterns: Re-Entry Weeklies – August 3, August 10, August 17, August 24, August 31 (Central)
Seed Library – August 4, August 4, August 11, August 11, August 18, August 18, August 25, August 25 (La Pine); August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27 (Central); August 25 (Sisters)
Library @ Alfalfa Community Hall – August 4 (Alfalfa Community Hall)
Law Librarian Office Hours – August 4 (La Pine); August 11 (Redmond)
Technology Troubleshooting – August 4, August 11, August 18, August 25 (Redmond); August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27 (Central)
Around the World in 30 Instruments with Four Shillings Short – August 5 (Sunriver); August 6 (Redmond); August 7 (Central)
Lawyer in the Library – August 5, August 19 (Online)
Using Facebook Marketplace – August 6, August 27 (Larkspur Community Center)
Notary Public in the Library – August 6, August 11, August 18 (Central)
Puzzle Swap – August 8 (Central)
The Uncharted Project – August 8 (Redmond)
D&D for Beginners – August 10, August 24 (Redmond)
Library @ Rockridge Community Park – August 11 (Rockridge Community Park)
Medicare Made Simple – August 11, August 24 (Central)
Getting to Know Your iPhone Workshop– August 12 (Central)
Intro to Sewing Clothes: Pajama Shorts – August 12, August 19, August 26 (Central)
Seed Library Pop-Up: Seed Harvesting Info – August 13 (Central)
Friendship Friday: Pokémon GO Walk – August 14 (Central)
Grand Opening Community Day – August 15 (Central)
U.S. Poet Laureate Arthur Sze – August 15 (Central)
Free Screening: The Librarians – August 16 (Central)
Bella Acapella Choir – August 16 (Central)
Litterature Club – August 17 (Central)
Business/Nonprofit Librarian Office Hours – August 17, (Central); August 18 (Redmond); August 21 (La Pine)
SCORE Small Business Counseling – August 18 (Redmond)
Pathways for Affordable Homeownership with RootedHomes – August 18 (Redmond)
World Class Oregon Cheese – August 21 (Sisters)
Central Oregon Mastersingers Summer Choir Concert – August 22 (Central)
Central Oregon Spinners & Weavers Guild Demonstration – August 25 (Redmond)
Summer Tea and Book Pairing – August 27 (Suttle Tea)
Middle & High School
Summer Dungeons & Dragons Club – August 4, August 11, August 18, August 25 (La Pine); August 5, August 12, August 19, August 26 (Sisters); August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27 (Central)
Get Ready for College – August 4 (La Pine); August 5 (Redmond); August 12 (Sisters); August 20 (Central)
Da Vinci’s Workshop – August 5 (Central)
Why COCC? – August 6 (La Pine)
GSA at the Library – August 6, August 13, August 20, August 27 (Central)
Escape Room in the Library – August 6 (Central); August 17 (Redmond); August 19 (Sisters); August 25 (La Pine)
Monthly Maker Meetup – August 8 (Central)
Sunday Skate Sessions with Board House – August 9 (Redmond)
Teen Open Mic Night – August 20 (The Open Arts Center)
Español
Tardes en Familia – August 4, August 11 (Central); August 6, August 13 (Redmond)
Bilingual Camp Kinder! – August 5, August 11 (Central)
Cuantacuentos – August 5, August 12 (Central)
Grand Opening Community Day – August 15 (Central)
Tintes y Patrones – August 23 (Redmond)
Repair Café in English y Español – August 26 (Central)
Book Clubs
Nonfiction Book Club: There’s Always This Year: on Basketball and Ascension – August 4 (Central)
Book Club: Memory Piece – August 6 (Redmond)
Book Club: Real Americans – August 8 (Central)
Romance Book Club – August 8 (Central)
Nonfiction Book Club: Raising Hare – August 11 (Suttle Tea)
Book Club: Book and Dagger – August 19 (Larkspur Community Center)
Book Club: The Lioness of Boston – August 26 (Online)
Library Book Club: Where the Wildflowers Grow – August 28 (Central)
Write Here
Quiet Writing Time – August 4, August 11, August 18, August 25 (Central); August 5, August 12, August 19, August 26 (Redmond); August 6, August 20, August 27 (Sisters)
Details = Credibility – August 6 (Central)
Metaphors to Enrich Your Writing – August 11 (Central)
Poetry in Nature – August 15 (Shevlin Park)
At a Loss for Words – August 16 (Central)
Third Thursday Spoken Word Night – August 20 (SCP Redmond Hotel)
Know Nothing
Buddhism, Nature, and Meditation – August 1 (Sunriver); August 4 (Central)
America for the Americans: The Know Nothing Party – August 3 (Central); August 4 (Sisters)
Own Your Zone – August 5 (Central)
Carve Away to Nothing: Relief Print-Making – August 6 (Redmond); August 31 (Central)
Guided Forest Bath – August 11 (Shevlin Park)
“Something Wicked” Part 1: Introduction to Macbeth – August 11 (Redmond)
“Something Wicked” Part 2: Famous Scenes from Macbeth – August 19 (Central)
Beaded Embroidery Pins – August 20 (La Pine)
Black Holes: Making Sense of a Mystery – August 24 (Redmond); August 30 (Central)
Repair Café in English y Español – August 26 (Central)