Earn badges and prizes for reading and keeping active this summer!
For babies to centenarians
Everyone who finishes receives a book and enters into a drawing for gift cards.
Summer Reading Superstars!

Congratulations to all our Summer Reading participants who have been reading all summer long! The program is wrapping up at the end of the month. We will announce prize redemption procedures for collecting the book you earned at the end of this month. Grand prize drawings will be in early August.

Monterey Public Library's 2020 Summer Reading Program is made possible by a generous gift from Richard Carr and Barbara Schilling .
Sidewalk Service is Open

Eager to have library materials back in your hands? You can now place holds on library materials online, or by calling staff. Once you receive a notice that your hold is ready for pick up, visit us at the front entrance of the Library during Sidewalk Service hours. Follow the physical distancing markers on the sidewalk and wear a mask. Learn more by clicking here. Sidewalk Service hours are Tuesday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Browse the Library Shelves Digitally

We know you miss perusing through the book stacks and browsing the shelves to find your next read. You can digitally browse the shelves using our digital catalog. When you find a book you're interested in reading, look at the call number, click the link 'Browse nearby' and then scroll through the digital book shelf.
Help us Re-open the Library


What Library services are most important to you? What days and times should the Library be open? How is COVID19 impacting you? Help us learn.
Monterey Public Library Year-end Appeal 2017
Upcoming Virtual Programs

Music and Rhymes with MaryLee

Sharing music and song with young children is a powerful bonding experience for families. It teaches pre-literacy skills that will help when beginning to understand letters, words, and reading. Ideal for children ages 3 months to 5 years and their families.

Thursdays, July 23 & 30, 10:00 - 10:30 am
Drop-in Mindfulness Practice

Pause midweek with a gently guided mindfulness meditation practice followed by a brief discussion. All levels of experience welcome.

Wednesdays beginning July 29, 12:15 - 12:45 pm
Get Connected: Zoom Basics

Learn the basics of participating in a Zoom meeting: how to turn your microphone and camera on/off, change between speaker/gallery view, use the text chat, raise your hand, and other features. For beginners.

Tuesday, July 28, 2:30 - 3:15 pm
Wednesday, July 29, 9:15 - 10:00 am
Monday, August 3, 2:30 - 3:15 pm

TED Circles: Designing with Humanity

TED Circles is an open platform of small groups that engage in meaningful conversations about ideas. Each month we explore a different theme by watching a TED talk and then engage in thoughtful conversation in a welcoming, respectful, open and informal environment. July's Circle will feature Poet Ali's TED talk, The Language of Being Human . The same program is offered two times.

Tuesday, July 28, 7:00 - 8:15 pm
Thursday, July 30, 3:00 - 4:15 pm
Next Chapter: Live, Laugh, & Learn

What is improv and how can it benefit your life? Through the use of improvisational theater techniques, you will get the opportunity to experience a "room" full of adults rediscovering the power of play. You will be entertained, informed and engaged in a process that will release your endorphins, lower your blood pressure and leave you with a sense of relaxation. Join Dr. Richard Westbrook for this introductory session.

Tuesday, August 4, 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Virtual programs take place on Zoom, or participants may join by phone. Register in advance online or call (831) 646-3933.

View the online program calendar at the lower right corner of www.monterey.org/library.
Say Goodbye to Hoopla

Starting in August, Hoopla will no longer be available to MPL cardholders. Any items checked out in July will remain available for their full loan period. We made the difficult decision to eliminate Hoopla due to significant reductions to the Library budget and the high cost of the Hoopla service. Northern California Digital Library remains available for eBooks and audiobooks, and we are using donated funds to launch a new eBook option soon. Stay tuned!
The Monterey Public Library joins our community’s commitment in acknowledging that Black Lives Matter, and doing our part to work toward a just, equitable, kind, and respectful society where everyone belongs. We look forward to featuring access to important reading material on these important subjects, today and in the future.
My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies

The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze. My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for Americans to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body. Author Resmaa Menakem introduces an alternative view of what we can do to grow beyond our entrenched racialized divide.

“An exceptionally thought-provoking and important account that looks at race in a radical new way.” - Library Journal

“...an extremely interesting approach and a much-needed paradigm shift in the treatment of racialized trauma . . .” - New York Journal of Books

My Grandmother's Hands is available as an eBook. Click here to access it in Hoopla .

Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
July 17, 2020
 
When will Monterey Public Library and the Bookmobile Reopen?  We will reopen in phases depending upon health orders and funding. Our current phase includes phone and email service Monday - Friday, 10 am – 6 pm and Sidewalk Service, Tuesday - Saturday 11 am – 6 pm. Visit the articles and databases page on our website to access to ebooks and databases 24 hours per day. Bookmobile service continues to be suspended.
 
Sidewalk Service:  Pick up materials at our front door. Just place an item on hold, and stop by once you receive a notice. Learn more  about this service by clicking here.
 
Due Dates:  Items borrowed from Monterey Public Library before closure are due July 31, 2020. Items borrowed from Pacific Grove Public Library before closure are due August 21, 2020. Items borrowed through Sidewalk service are due three weeks from the date you borrowed them.
 
Returns:  You may hold on to materials until they are due or return them now. Our lobby book return at the front entrance is open 24 hours per day for Monterey Public Library and Pacific Grove Public Library returns. Please securely attach a note with all ZIP Book returns.
 
Holds:  If you place a hold on an item, we will send you a notice when it is ready to be picked up. Please wait to visit the Library until you receive notification that your holds are ready.
 
Library Cards:  If you do not have a card, you can   apply online   and we will mail you a card. If you need a replacement card, make sure to check the "replacement" option on the online application. Replacement library cards have new numbers. If you have a card and forgot your PIN, you can reset it by visiting   My Account .
 
Need help navigating virtual services? Have a reference question, or a question about other City services?
Library staff are here to help. Call 831-646-3933 or email  [email protected] , Monday - Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.

Access digital resources from home: