More than a quarter of Santa Clara County residents identify as Hispanic or Latinx, according to the U.S. Census.
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Santa Clara County Library District is marking Hispanic Heritage Month, which celebrates and explores accomplishments and experiences of Americans whose families have ties to Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain.
Many of our libraries have special Hispanic Heritage Month book displays, featuring authors with a variety of titles and genres you can explore. SCCLD also is presenting free events for all ages and interests. Here are some highlights:
Special Storytimes with Paleta Parties: Singer Lucky Diaz has published a children’s book titled “Paletero Man.” All of our community libraries will hold readings of the book, with some held outside. Best of all, kids who attend the reading will receive a paleta, or flavored Mexican ice pop, to enjoy. Muy sabroso. The next event is 11 a.m. Sept. 23 at the Saratoga Library.
Crafts for Teens: Teens 12 to 18 years old are invited to explore their artistic sides at a pair of events. Gilroy Library offers a number of paper crafts (papel picado, flores de papel, barriletes kites, and more) on Sept. 22. Milpitas Library hosts a Mexican Tin Art event, also on Sept. 22. All supplies will be provided.
Cascada de Flores: This popular Bay Area musical duo offers a bilingual Spanish music and storytelling experience. They play a variety of genres from across Latin America, including boleros, rancheras, and mariachi music. Catch their act at Morgan Hill Library on Oct. 11.
Family Lotería Night: Gilroy Library hosts a game night around lotería, which is similar to bingo. Winners will receive books or other small prizes, on Sept. 25.
Inca: Llamas & Looms Adult Craft: On Oct. 14, Saratoga Library explores the process of how woolen clothing is produced, from shearing llamas, dyeing yarn, to weaving. Participants can even weave something to take home.
Dolores Huerta documentary: Recently featured at a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service exhibit at Gilroy Library, the life of labor icon Dolores Huerta is further explored in the award-winning film “Dolores.” Morgan Hill Library has a screening of the documentary on Sept. 27.
These events may fill up quickly, so please register early. Find our full calendar of events at Events | Santa Clara County Library | BiblioCommons.
SCCLD offers other resources that can help you get in touch with Hispanic culture. Our librarians have created a list of storybooks related to Hispanic Heritage Month. Our 24/7 Online Library has an en español section with eResources in Spanish, including the New York Times, movies and TV shows on Kanopy, books and magazines, plus reference books.
Learn about other countries and their traditions through CultureGrams, Cultures of the World eBooks, the EBSCO Reference eBook Collection, and Gale reference eBooks, all available in our arts resources section, at https://sccld.org/art.
Trying to learn Spanish? Check out our Rosetta Stone resource. The library has tens of thousands of items in its collection that are in Spanish, as well as many other languages.
Erik Sanjurjo is an associate communications officer with the Santa Clara County Library District. He promotes library programs, services and resources, with a focus on reaching diverse communities through dedicated sites such as SCCLD’s Spanish Facebook page, Spanish language media and facilitating translation into multiple languages.