San Diego Central Library

09/09/2026

Stay cool San Diego! Please note that the City is keeping many library community rooms and rec centers open to the public until 8 p.m. Get the details online: sandiego.gov/PlacesToCoolDown

Stay safe in this heat! An extreme heat warning has been issued for today through 8 p.m.

Designated libraries, recreation centers and other public buildings will be available if you need a place to cool down. Visit sandiego.gov/PlacesToCoolDown for a full list.

✔️Avoid open space trails during the heat of the day.
✔️Stay hydrated.
✔️Never leave people or pets in a vehicle.
✔️Check on neighbors at higher risk of heat-related illnesses, including children and older adults.

09/09/2026

Last week, the City of San Diego dove deeper into SDPL's Decode with Odi collection by interviewing Emily Derry, Supervising Librarian of Youth & Family Services. Interested? Swing by Central Library to explore these books in person!

09/04/2026

A horde of toy pianos is making its way to for the 26th annual Toy Piano Festival ❤️ 🎹 🎶

Now in its 26th year, this Toy Piano Festival features fun performances, lively tunes and, yes—plenty of toy pianos for attendees to play on!

The smiles come out at this all-ages event, so don’t miss out. See link in bio for more information: mySDPL.org/concertseries

Saturday, Sept. 5 • Noon
San Diego Central Library | 330 Park Blvd.
Neil Morgan Auditorium

=== Featuring ===
• James Chute
• Kenneth Herman
• Barbara Scheidker
• Samara Rice
• Alex Segal
• Kay Etheridge
• Christian Hertzog
• Annika Klubberud
• Holden Cheng
and special guest Sue Palmer!sue palmer

09/03/2026

For , all San Diego Public Library locations will be closed. Stop by the library to grab some books for the long weekend! sandiego.gov/public-library/locations/holidays

09/01/2026

No matter your tastes, a San Diego Public Library card is your ticket to amazing books, resources, makerspaces, programs and more.

Spread the word—September is ! Sign up, renew and come into our libraries. Jumpstart the process by filling out our online registration form: mysdpl.org/librarycard

08/30/2026

Go Behind the Desk at San Diego Public Library and take a look at our latest Recommended Reads published in The San Diego Union-Tribune.

This week's recommendation comes from Kelly Verheyden, Supervising Librarian, Central Library.

Kelly recommends: We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer -

“Queer couple Charlie and Eve restore historic homes to flip. Their newest project is in a remote northeastern town, where heavy snow is part of life. Eve is home alone when a moving van pulls up and a family of five knocks on the door. Thomas, the father, says he used to live in the house and asks to look around. Eve reluctantly agrees and while he is reminiscing, their youngest, Jennie, hides in the basement and refuses to come out. The weather turns foul, Jennie is stuck in the basement, and the family is stranded in the house. Eve’s thoughts spiral, time bends, and she is convinced something unnatural...”. To read Kelly’s full review, check out the August 23rd, 2026 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune.


Reviewed Book

“We Used to Live Here,” by Marcus Kliewer

https://sdpl.na5.iiivega.com/search/card?id=deb80a1a-cf01-5341-8736-259a209858c6&entityType=FormatGroup



*****



Playlist



“The Crash,” by Freida McFadden



https://sdpl.na5.iiivega.com/search/card?id=e434351c-9012-5c63-9961-103f1bb73f2e&entityType=FormatGroup



*****



“Daisy Darker,” by Alice Feeney



https://sdpl.na5.iiivega.com/search/card?id=5439a166-cf0c-52bb-8ad3-2b61292f7650&entityType=FormatGroup



*****



“You Shouldn’t Have Come Here,” by Jeneva Rose



https://sdpl.na5.iiivega.com/search/card?id=e6253477-1a6a-529c-ba34-040e11b3f658&entityType=FormatGroup



*****

“Middle of the Night,” by Riley Sager



https://sdpl.na5.iiivega.com/search/card?id=e4789b8f-8d61-523e-b60b-f6a4852ec2cb&entityType=FormatGroup


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Recommended Reads is an ongoing partnership with The San Diego Union-Tribune. Every other week, Behind the Desk goes in-depth on the books we recommend. Read the Sunday Paper to see our most recent reviews or view our past archive on the SDPL website: sandiego.gov/sdplreviews.

08/29/2026

Getting into the spooky season, who’s ready for a fun little riddle to keep our brains young? Courtesy of the OliverMcMillan I CAN! Center, be the first to answer correctly to win a free book and a sticker! 🎃👻💀

08/29/2026

is leading the way for San Diego Public Library’s latest collection—decodable books for beginning readers!

Introducing Decode with Odi 🔍 a curated set of resources and books to teach reading, support reading instruction to students and assist their educators and caregivers, too. This browsing collection has a mix of reference items and lots of take-home kits for all steps of the learning-to-read journey!

Decodable books are an important tool for phonics-based instruction with repeating vocabulary, targeted concepts and guidelines on approaching new words that build upon each other as a reader begins to grow in their abilities.

Located at Central Library, this collection has to expand! HUGE thanks to both the San Diego Foundation and Dr. Seuss Foundation for making this collection possible. ❤️