(Artwork | Courtesy of Deschutes Public Library)
Wilderness passes, air-conditioned libraries, books and bookmarks for summer reading and more at your library.
Come on In, We’re Happy to See You!
All Deschutes Public Library locations are open — and air conditioned! Beat the heat and find a great book or movie while you’re at it. All six libraries are open for browsing and computer/Wi-Fi use, and there are no time limits on visits. We will also open up the system for tutoring room reservations again on July 5. We’re even hosting in-person outdoor events (weather permitting). Visit our Summer with the Library page for a list of places where you’ll find us, and the online calendar for a look at outdoor programs, such as a river walk and a birding field trip. Thrive Central Oregon also returns to the libraries for one-on-one sessions to connect individuals and families to housing, food, and other resources (see web calendar for dates and locations).
Hit the Trail with the Library Wilderness Pass
In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Deschutes National Forest, Deschutes Public Library now offers a Library Wilderness Pass for hikers looking to use the wilderness areas and trails that now require a reservation. A limited number of these free passes are available to Deschutes Public Library card holders on a first-come, first-served basis. The pass is library specific, meaning you must be physically present at the library to check out a pass, and each pass covers four people for up to seven days. So grab your hiking gear and some companions and hit the trail! Find availability and learn more on our website here.
Free Books and Bookmarks? Yes, Please!
Have you signed up for Summer with the Library yet? It’s quick and easy, and you get a free gift just for signing up: kids and teens can pick out a book, and adults can choose a beautiful handcrafted bookmark made locally by Green Bird Press. You can sign up online and track your reading and activities with the Beanstack app, or you can go analog and pick up a paper reading log at any library (or download one online). Once you’ve signed up, just stop by any library and pick out your reward! Then keep track of your reading and activities for a chance to win some fantastic grand prizes. Learn more about summer with the Library and all the places you will find us this summer by visiting our website. (Note, some outdoor Library on the Go/Biblioteca en Camino visits may be canceled if temperatures rise to dangerous levels or smoke affects air quality; be sure to check our website for up-to-date locations and dates.)
School’s Out for Summer, Let’s Play! Grab-and-go Kits, STEAM Activities, and More
Our youth services team has a summer full of fun planned for Deschutes County kids. Stop by your library every week for a new story time activity kit; they change weekly and are great for preschool-age children (find the pick-up schedule on page 3 of our Events guide and on the web calendar). In July we also have fun camping-themed Grab & Go Kits for kids 6-11 years old: charcoal art on July 11 and wood-slice decorating on July 24. We’re also posting monthly book recommendations just for kids on our YouTube channel.
PROGRAMS IN JULY
Follow the links below to learn how to access these programs.
New story times are posted every week on our website. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for even more, including STEAM programs and scavenger hunts.
KIDS & FAMILIES
Story Time Activity Pick-Up — Pick up a weekly craft kit for kids from your library; visit our web calendar for locations and days
Family STEAM: Camping Science — July 14
Camping Activities Grab-and-Go Kits — July 10, July 24
Your Next Book: Kids Edition — July 28
Tune in each month to find great new kids books, suggested by DPL Librarians. Age ranges of books may vary.
TWEENS/TEENS
Write On! Travel Writing — July 20
Paper Circuits Grab-and-Go Kits — July 24
Learn the basics of circuits while creating interactive artwork.
EN ESPAÑOL
Abogado en la Biblioteca — 7/14, 7/21, 7/28
ADULTS
Corinne Sharlet Original Music — July 2
Finding Grants from Home — July 8
Discovery of a Masterpiece — July 8
Outdoor Hike at South Canyon Loop — July 11
Thrive Central Oregon Walk-in Consultations — various dates and locations; check web calendar
Birding Field Trip at Hatfield Lakes — July 13
Lawyer in the Library — July 14, July 21, July 28
Green Burial: The “Greenest” Way to Go — July 14
Parsing the Second Amendment — July 20
Yoga Nidra — July 21
Social Crises: Homelessness, Addiction and Mental Health in Deschutes County — July 22
Microwave Candle Craft — July 24
WRITE HERE
Pulling In to Branch Out — July 13
Poetry Slam: Express Yourself at The Commons — July 26
BOOK CLUBS
Redmond: My Salinger Year — July 8
Sunriver: The Book of Eels — July 14
East Bend: How Much of These Hills Is Gold — July 20
La Pine: How Much of These Hills Is Gold — July 20
Sisters: Interior Chinatown — July 21
Downtown Bend: Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss — July 23