San Diego Central Library

The has officially started and things are heating up at Central. With the San Diego Padres Pad Squad and Friar coming out from Petco Park to join in the celebration and DJ Betty Bangs spinning some fresh beats, teens 12-18 will have a blast!

Come up to the Teen Center at 4 p.m. There will be food and oversized game booths. PLUS, participants who sign up in person may claim their FREE ticket* to the San Diego County Fair just for registering.

Learn about upcoming Summer Reading Program Kick-Offs: sandiego.gov/public-library/kidsandteens/summerreading

A big thanks to the for supporting this event and making it happen 💙

*admission for 1 youth entry on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday during the Fair.

The is right around the corner! Plant a Seed, Read takes place June 1 — Aug. 15 and everyone is welcome to participate: SanDiego.Gov/SummerReading

Sign up online June 1 or grab a reading log from any SDPL location and get started. Any combination of books, time spent reading or themed activities counts towards the 10 needed to finish the challenge.

Get started early—youth who sign up in June will receive a FREE entry to the San Diego County Fair as a registration prize!

Additional SRP details, prize info, bonus challenge rules and special events are on the website. Visit the Summer Reading Program page to sign up and learn more.

Election Day for the 2026 Gubernatorial Primary General Election is right around the corner! San Diego Public Library has County of San Diego - Government ROV Ballot Drop Boxes located outside all 37 library branches. Drop your signed, sealed and dated ballot in these convenient boxes—they are open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 2.

Prefer to vote in-person? SDPL is hosting 9 Vote Centers at select libraries starting Saturday, May 30. Registered SD County voters can place a vote at any ROV Vote Center.

Vote Center Details for SDPL Branches
Open May 30 — June 1: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
June 2 (Election Day) hours: 7 a.m. - 8 p.m

• Mission Valley Library
• Otay Mesa-Nestor Library
• Pacific Beach/Taylor Library
• Point Loma/Hervey Library
• Rancho Bernardo Library
• Rancho Peñasquitos Library
• San Ysidro Library
• Skyline Hills Library
• Valencia Park/Malcolm X Library

Visit the website for details: sdvote.com/content/rov/en/voting-options.html

The baseball bobblehead collection has upgraded to a much larger display case on the 8th floor at Central! On loan from one of the library's own staff.

The City is holding its inaugural Youth Summit next week with a full lineup of speakers, workshops and art opportunities! Come for community, learn about local resources, enjoy live music, lunch and maybe take home some sweet prizes from local attractions.

War Memorial Building, Balboa Park | 325 Park Blvd.
Wednesday, June 3 | 10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Ages 15 - 24

Sign up online: bit.ly/sdyouthsummit

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 Cora Lee of Kensington-Normal Heights Library!

Cora recommends: Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra

“This playful saga explores the mess of life—from teenage lust to young heartbreak to unconventional parenthood. Gonzalo, an aspiring poet, reunites with his high school sweetheart and enthusiastically steps into the role of stepfather to her six-year-old son. Their eventual break-up leaves this familial bond in limbo—what is the role of the ex-stepparent? Zambra's writing is textured and cheeky, embedded with adolescent love sonnets and multiple...”. To read Cora's full review, check out the May 17th 2026 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune.



Reviewed Book



“Chilean Poet,” by Alejandro Zambra



https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S161C1826311



*****



Playlist



“The Savage Detectives,” by Roberto Bolaño



https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S161C1207379



*****



“Brief Encounters with the Enemy,” by Saïd Sayrafiezadeh



https://sandiego.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S161C265838





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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.

It’s official—our SDPL pit stops received double-thumbs ups from visitors for Bike Anywhere Day! 👍🏽 💜 🚲

San Diego Public Library loves taking part in the annual event. This year featured brand-new pit stops locations— and !

Riders of all ages swung by for some refreshments, picked up a commemorative tee, got a warm good morning and some fun photo-ops from our library team.

~~Highlights~~

🦖 The infamous T-Rex of was spotted terrorizing riders of all ages

🐟 The Salmon River Riders of Rancho Peñasquitos Library provided excellent fish-themed snacks to riders

🍎 Folks could not get enough of the fruit photo-op at

🗺️ riders loved discovering North Clairemont Library…it was a Pit Stop Oasis for the neighborhood!

If you stopped by any of our pit stops, let us know and tag us in your photos! ❤️