“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” – African Proverb

We’ve been through a lot of changes lately and through it all the La Jolla Riford Library has been there to help the La Jolla community and the city of San Diego. When the library building was closed to the public, we still helped patrons by answering phones, delivering holds, then delivering the holds to an outside table for “contactless pickup.” We made craft projects for parents to take home, and created online programs for both children and adults like the “Simple Science” series of videos and the ongoing “Adventure & Mystery Book Club” found three times a week on Facebook Live. 

Now, using the city’s guidelines as a measure, we are allowing patrons back inside the library, and based the public’s response, they want to get out of their houses and back at the library. Masks are recommended and we’re keeping the library at a 50% capacity, but programs have started again for all ages, while still maintaining that required safe distance. Sanitization of high-touch areas still happens daily. We’re back, but safely.

Take a moment to look at the programs we have available now as we’ve brought back some old favorites like Lego Builders Club (for kids), Mind Body Fitness and the Pen to Paper Writing Group (for adults). We also have added new programs like Bilingual Storytime featuring rotating weekly storytimes in Spanish, French, Tagalog and Farsi, Pitch Your Passion for teens who want to speak about and find ways to better their community, Seaside Storytime at Scripps Park and the “So You Want to Be a….” series for kids that has already featured Firefighters, Veterinarians and Beekeepers.

 
For over 120 years, the La Jolla Riford Library has been an integral part of the La Jolla community and when life gets rough and people need a safe haven, a place for lifelong learning and fun educational programs and materials, we’re here now and will be here going forward into the future.

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William Mallory,

Librarian / Branch Manager