# Kern County Library

To build community and cultivate opportunities for Kern County residents

- Site: https://kerncountylibrary.org/

## 2025 One Book Project Read: Whiskey Tender

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/2025-one-book-project-read/
- Published: 2025-09-10T12:17:28-07:00
- Author: Courtney Park

**The One Book Project is a countywide reading and discussion project that fosters
empathy, promotes awareness, and strengthens the fabric of our community by exploring
the themes in this year’s One Book selection, _Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson
Taffa_. **

## About the Fall 2025 Primary Title

![Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/
uploads/2025/09/81SPPaDBpgL.jpg)

**Whiskey Tender**
by Deborah Jackson Taffa

Deborah Jackson Taffa’s _Whiskey Tender,_ is a memoir of family and survival,
coming-
of-age on and off the reservation, and of the frictions between mainstreamAmerican
culture and Native inheritance; assimilation and reverence for tradition.

 

A 2024 National Book Award Finalist, _Whiskey Tender_ was a 2025 Carnegie Medal

for Excellence in Nonfiction longlisted title. A winner of the Southwest Book Awardand
named one of 2024’s Top 10 books by _The Atlantic_, _Audible_, and_Time Magazine_.
_Whiskey Tender_ was also included on best and notablelists at _The New Yorker_,
_Elle_, _Esquire_, _NPR_,_The Washington Post_, _Oprah Daily_, and _Publisher’s 
Weekly_.Its debut was an Amazon Editor’s Best Choice Book for the year.

 

Deborah Taffa is a citizen of the Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo. She earned

her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Prior to her
jobat IAIA, she taught Creative Nonfiction at Webster University and Washington 
Universityin Saint Louis. She also served as an Executive Board Member with the 
Missouri HumanitiesCouncil where she was instrumental in creating a Native American
Heritage Program in thestate. With awards and grants from the National Endowment
for the Arts, PEN America,MacDowell, Hedgebrook, the Ellen Meloy Foundation, Tin
House, A Public Space, the KranzbergArts, and the NY Summer Writers Institute, Deborah
is currently working on her secondstory collection.

   Checkout

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results/?ln
=en_US&q=all%20you%20can%20ever%20know” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#
92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]Book[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://kern.overdrive.com/
media/9868405″ target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” 
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]eAudiobook[/
su_button] [su_button url=”https://kern.overdrive.com/media/9885697″ target=”blank”
style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color
=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]eBook[/su_button]

   Purchase

[su_button url=”https://russosbooks.com/search?q=whiskey%2Btender” target=”blank”
style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color
=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]Russo’s[/su_button] [su_button url=”
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/whiskey%20tender” target=”blank” style=”flat” background
=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]B&N[/su_button]

# ⏎ Companion Titles

 

_**FOR ALL GENRES & AGES**_

**Whiskey Tender & One Book companion titles are available for checkout in print,
eBook, eAudiobook, & book on CD from the Kern County Library. **

## Adult Fiction

**The Seed Keeper**
_by Diane Wilson_

**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
the+seed+keeper&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color
=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px#
92a1af”]Book[/su_button]

## Young Adult Fiction

**Warrior Girl Unearthed **
_by Angeline Boulley_

**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
warrior+girl+unearthed&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af”
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #92a1af”]Book[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://kern.overdrive.com/media/9157847″
target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius
=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #92a1af”]eAudiobook[/su_button]

## Teen Graphic Novel

**Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collections **
_Edited by Hope Nicholson_

**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
moonshot&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #92a1af”]Book[/
su_button]

## Middle Grade Fiction

**EaglesDrums**
_by Nasugraq Rainey Hopson _

**Checkout**

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
eagle+drums&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#
ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #92a1af”]
Book[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://kern.overdrive.com/search?query=eagle+drums”
target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius
=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #92a1af”]eBook[/su_button]

## Picture Book

**Remember**
_by Joy Harjo_

**Checkout**

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
remember+joy+harjo&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af”
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #92a1af”]Book[/su_button]

## Picture Book

**Buffalo Fluffalo**
_by Bess Kalb_**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
buffalo+fluffalo&te=&dt=list” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color
=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px#
92a1af”]Book[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://kern.overdrive.com/search?query
=buffalo+fluffalo” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #92a1af”]eBook[/
su_button]

###   Our Partners

_The One Book Project is presented by Kern County Library and California State University,
Bakersfield, Office of the Provost._

A special thanks to our community partners for participating in our One Book Project
effort.

**Arts Council of Kern **

_Common Ground _

**Bakersfield College****_ _**

_Native American Student_

_Support & Success Program_

**Bakersfield American Indian Health Project **

**California State University of Bakersfield **

_Department of English_

_Indigenous Faculty & Staff   Association _

_Kegley Institute of Ethics _

_Office of the Provost_

_Sigma Tau Delta_

_Walter W. Stiern Library_

**Kern Council Teachers of English**

**Kern High School District **

**Kern Learn**

**Kern River Yokuts Tribe**

**Native & Indigenous Coalition**

**North of the River Recreation & Parks District**

**Tejon Indian Tribe **

 

![](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/OB-2025-Carousel-SM-
Post-2-02.png)

### Sign up for the One Book Project Reading Challenge through Beanstack.

Record reading sessions and manage family accounts to earn digital badges and prizes!

The challenge starts **October 1, 2025 **and ends **November 30, 2025**.

 [  JOIN CHALLENGE ONLINE NOW  ](https://kernlibrary.beanstack.org/profiles/3041956/current_programs)

[[ [](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beanstack-tracker/id1360324277)

###   One Book Premiere Events

 [     Printable Events Brochure  ](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/OB-Brochure2025_11X8.5_v5-1_compressed.pdf)

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### One Book Project Kickoff Event

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]**Wednesday, October 1 | 11am-
1pm**[/su_highlight]

**Levan Center, Bakersfield College Campus**
Hosted by: Bakersfield College, Native
American Student Support Services program (NASSSP), The First Renegades Student 
Organization

**Kickoff Event Agenda:**

**11:00   Opening Blessing & Welcome –** Two-Crows BAIHP Singers/Drum. Elder opening,
Land Acknowledgment by NASSSP Student– Welcome Remarks by NASSSP Lead, Lynne Kemmer–
Kern County One Book Project Coordinator, Wendy Cordova – BC Office of Student Life.

| **11:20 ** | **Keynote Reading & Reflection Circle** –  | 
|   |

Read-aloud passage from _Whiskey Tender_ – Student voices from NASSSP respond with personal reflections on the theme of memory, identity, and intergenerational stories.

 | 
|

**11:30**

 |

**Cultural Expression Tables & Activities**

 | 
|   |

**Student Art Installation**: Visuals from Native students responding to the book’s themes.

**“What’s Your Story?” Wall**: Interactive wall for attendees to write a 3-sentence memoir_. _

**Craft Station**: We have supplies based on staff and students who participate. 

 | 
|

**12:00 **

 |

**Drum Group and Lunch** – Two-Crows BAIHP Singers/Drum

 | 
|

**12:30 **

 |

**Community Resource Fair & Author Spotlight Booth** – KCL One Book Project along with Info tables from: CSUB English Dept, NASSSP, Native American Club, BC Programs, BAIHP, Tejon Tribe, Kern Learn, and Tribal orgs – OVCDC, Tubatulabal Tribe, Chalon Tribe.

 | 
|

**1:00**

 |

**Closing Remarks & Refreshments** – Encourage continued participation in One Book Project

 |

[/su_note]

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### NOR Film Screening of History and Resilience 

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]**Wednesday, October 1 | 1pm**[/
su_highlight]

**Rasmussen Senior Center, North of the River Recreation and Parks District**
**
115 E. Roberts Lane, Bakersfield, CA****661.868.0701**

 

This historical Western film tells the story of the conflict between Indigenous 
people of the American Southwest and the expansion of settlers and the U.S. military
during the late 19th century. It explores themes of cultural survival, resistance,
and the struggle to maintain traditions in the face of overwhelming change. The 
narrative follows the clash between two very different worlds, portraying the hardships,
resilience, and moral complexities faced by both sides during this turbulent period
in history. 

[/su_note]

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### [su_highlight background=”#FAEBD1″ color=”#2f2f2f”]**History of the Tejon Tribe**

### ** w/Octavio Escobedo III, Chairman of Tejon Indian Tribe  **[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]**Saturday, October 4 | 11am**[/
su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library Auditorium, 701 Truxtun Avenue. 661.868.0701**

Partnered with: Tejon Indian Tribe 

Chairman Octavio Escobedo, III of the Tejon Indian Tribe will present on the tribe’s
historical background, cultural significance, and impact in Kern County and California.
He will also discuss their current endeavors as it relates to economic development,
education, housing and healthcare along with a brief update on the tribe’s project,
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tejon.

For further information on the tribe please visit, [www.tejonindiantribe.com](http://www.tejonindiantribe.com/)

4941 David Rd PO Box 640.

Bakersfield, CA 93307.

PH: 661-834-8566.

**ABOUT THE GUEST SPEAKER**

Octavio’s involvement in Tribal Government began in 2013. He has served as an Executive
Committee member-at-large, Vice Chairman, and is now in his ninth year as Chairman
of the Tejon Indian Tribe. During this time, he has developed a deep understanding
of the challenges that Indian Country faces daily and has been instrumental in moving
the Tribe forward to economic development and social initiatives. Octavio’s vision
along with the perseverance of the Tejon Tribe has forged an exciting partnership
with Hard Rock International. Come join is to learn more about the tribe, its history,
and its future.

[/su_note]

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### **Kegley Institute’s  KIE Campus Conversation presents:**

### **From Policy to Practice: The Impact of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) at CSUB and Across CSUs**

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]**Thursday, October 9 | 12:00–
1:30pm**[/su_highlight]

**_Walter W. Stiern Library, Dezember Reading Room, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield,
CA 93311 _**

**_ZOOM and IN-PERSON. _**

**_Zoom Link: _**[**_https://csub.zoom.us/j/85838273482_**](https://csub.zoom.us/j/85838273482)

Part of the Kegley Institute of Ethics’ _Community Conversations_ series, this panel
discussion will bring together voices from across the CSU system and within CSUB
to reflect on the impact and implementation of the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Topics under discussion will include ongoing efforts
to implement this important legislation as well as future directions for action 
in our wider communities and within CSUB. Free and open to the public.

[/su_note]

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### [su_highlight background=”#FAEBD1″ color=”#92a1af”]**Author Meet & Greet w/Deborah Jackson Taffa**** **[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]**Thursday, October 21 | 7pm**[/
su_highlight]

**Icardo Center, CSUB, 9001 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93311. 661.654.3172 **

###### _⏎ (Free parking in Lot I after 6pm)

Don’t miss the chance to meet the author in person at the exclusive book signing
event! Grab your copy, get it signed, and enjoy a unique opportunity to connect.
Join us be part of this special moment!

 

CSUB One Book Project [web page](https://libraryaware.com/2VCWDB).

 

**Partners:** CSUB – Office of the Provost, English Department, Walter Stiern Library,
General Education Program, Kegley Institute of Ethics, and Sigma Tau Delta English
Honor Society. Additionally, Kern Council Teachers of English, and Kern High School
District’s Kern Learn

[/su_note]

_**[su\_note note\_color=”#D8A836″ text\_color=”#2f2f2f”]**_

### **Native Cultural Showcase** with the Arts Council of Kern’s Common Ground

_**[su\_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]Saturday, October 25 |11am–
2pm[/su\_highlight]**_

**Beale Memorial Library Auditorium**
**701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA****661.868.0701**

Join us from 11 am to 2 pm and experience the work of a wide variety of native artisans,
as well as tribal representatives from many cultural and service organizations in
Kern County! Meet Artist Lori Myers, teacher of the Tlingit Indian from Sitka, Alaska
and a jewelry and bead artist and many more! At Noon, Guest Speaker, Gene Albitre,
whose tribal affiliation is Diegueno, will present on the significant role animals
played in the survival of Native American culture. He will share his rawhide, leather
tooling materials, and handmade drums and demonstrate how he creates the items. 
His emphasis on the importance of preserving the legacy of Native American peoples
and educating others on the history and significance of Native American culture 
in modern times.

**About Our Arts Council of Kern Partner, Common Ground**

The “Common Ground” Initiative allows the Arts Council of Kern to connect the community
with Indigenous roots and arts. Common Ground artists visit local museums, schools,
pow wows, community events, festivals, and county libraries throughout Kern County.
They share their stories and show their art forms, as well as demonstrate and teach
their cultural skills.

_**[/su\_note]**

[su_note note_color=”#FAEBD1″ text_color=”#333333″]

### **Kern River Yokuts Women w/Dee Dominguez **

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]Saturday, November 15 | 11am [/
su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library Auditorium**
**701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA****661.868.0701**

Women from four Kern River Yokuts Tribes who were master basket weavers stood up
and strong to submit legal court depositions seeking the return of part of their
ancestral lands where their families could live safely and call home  including 
a brother-in-law who was said to have submitted the strongest deposition. Two of
them had relatives who were signers of Treaty D which encompassed the Kern River
from the East side of the valley to the west end of the valley establishing their
reservation. They also provided lifelong documentation of where villages stood, 
and described our food supply, relationships with neighboring Tribes, and cultural
activities.

**Dee Dominguez BIOGRAPHY**

Delia ‘Dee’ Dominguez is a member of the Yowlumne Yokuts, Ventureno Chumash, and
Kitanemuk 

Dee is a traditional basketweaver, traditional and contemporary storyteller, tribal
history researcher, family genealogist, current and past board member of the California
Indian Basketweavers Association. She currently works supporting environmental issues
like Bring Back the Kern, human rights groups like United Liberation Front, Dolores
Huerta Foundation, United Farm Workers Union-Cesar Chavez. She has also received
training from the National Lawyers Guild as a Legal Observer to assist in protecting
rights to legally protest, and organized classes for ‘Know Your Rights’ with the
National Lawyers Guild. Currently, she is concentrating on Kern River Yokuts history
and feels fortunate to do public educational presentations at the Kern River Parkway
Foundation’s Hart Park Peacock Adobe. 

Dee was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, and continues to live in the
Eastside in the same house her grandparents lived in. She also has a home in the
Los Angeles area in the town of Covina. Her adult working life was in the Los Angeles
area where she retired after almost 37 years working with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture,
Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Treasury.

[/su_note]

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### **Bridging Traditional Healing & Modern Medicine** **Panel Discussion**

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]Saturday, November 22 | 11am–
1pm[/su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library**
**701 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301****661.868.0701**

Join us for an educational panel discussion exploring how cultural wisdom and modern
healthcare can work together to support well-being in all aspects of your life: 
Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, Mental. This event features insights from a clinical
psychologist, a cultural coordinator, and a registered dietician, each bringing 
unique perspectives on integrated care. Panelists will discuss the value of traditional
healing practices and how they can complement evidence-based medical approaches.
Attendees will gain practical strategies for fostering culturally respectful and
collaborative healthcare environments.

**PANELISTS INCLUDE:**

**Dr. Carson Chambers, Ph.D. – Director of Behavioral Health, Bakersfield American
Indian Health Project**
Clinical psychologist with nearly a decade of experience
serving tribal communities. Formerly worked with the Tule River Tribe before joining
BAIHP. Committed to culturally rooted mental health care in Indian Country.

Dr. Carson Chambers is a Clinical Psychologist at BAIHP with nearly a decade’s experience
of working with tribal communities. He formerly worked with the Tule River Tribe
before joining BAIHP, catering his focus from Native Americans from the reservations
to those living in urban settings. He is committed to culturally rooted mental health
care in Indian Country.

**Juan “Jesse” Behill – Cultural Coordinator, Bakersfield American Indian Health
Project**
A member of the Chalon and Chumash and based in Kern County, Juna leads
Talking Circles and Wellbriety support programs, as well as shares traditional songs,
stories, and prayer. Dedicated to preserving and passing on Native cultural practices.

Jesse Behill is the Cultural Coordinator at BAIHP and proud member of the Chalon
and Chumash tribes of California. At BAIHP, he leads some Talking Circles and Wellbriety
support programs which give participants moments of reflection and collectively 
shared wisdom. Jesse is also a keeper of various traditional songs, stories, and
prayers. He’s dedicated to preserving and passing on Native cultural practices.

**Cheryl M. Garone, MS, RDN, CCS, CLE, DPPLC – Registered Dietitian, Bakersfield
American Indian Health Project**
Registered Dietitian with 25 years of experience
in clinical and outpatient nutrition care. Teaches Faculty, Family and Consumer 
Education Bakersfield College. Believes in food as medicine and empowering wellness
through nutrition.

Cheryl is a Registered Dietician with BAIHP with over 25 years’ experience with 
clinical and outpatient Medical Nutrition Therapy. She teaches at Bakersfield College
and California State University, Bakersfield. Cheryl believes in food as medicine
and empowering wellness through nutrition. She’s a firm believer in the phrase, “
We are what we eat.”

#### Partners

 * Bakersfield American Indian Health Project (BAIHP)

[/su_note]

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### **Journey To Progress:**

### ** The Fall 2025 One Book Project Art Exhibit**

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]October 15 to November 15 [/su_highlight]

**Walter Stiern Library, 2^(nd) Floor, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, CA 93311**

CSUB’s Third Annual One Book Project Art Exhibit will feature works that illustrate
the artists’ unique and personal journeys to progress. All members of the CSUB community
participate, and their work will be on display at the Walter Stiern Library, 2^(
nd) Floor, from October 15 to November 15, 2025. Free and Open to the Public!

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#D8A836″ text_color=”#333333″]

### **Native Literary Mentorship Program **

[su_highlight background=”#92a1af” color=”#ffffff”]October – November[/su_highlight]

Kern County Library, CSU Bakersfield and Bakersfield College are excited to launch
the first Native Literary Mentorship Program in conjunction with the 2025 One Book
Project. 
Currently enrolled CSUB and BC student writers, poets, graphic novelists,
and illustrators with a tribal affiliation are encouraged to apply to be paired 
with a published Native American author for a 1-hour one-on-one Zoom session scheduled
in November to receive personal feedback on your creative work and discuss your 
publishing goals. Additionally, ALL applicants will be invited to the initial 1-
hour Introductory Q&A Zoom session with EACH founding member!Interested students
must submit an application form by clicking the [**NATIVE LITERARY MENTORSHIP APPLICATION FORM**](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScvLbsLWefXTjmhxzi-c76jgaupCDog-ksisV3-jBnIN_yF1g/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=110804896752096784105)

** **Partners:  CSUB-Walter Stiern Library, [Indigenous Faculty and Staff Association](https://www.csub.edu/people-and-culture/culture-and-belonging/indigenous-faculty-and-staff-association.shtml)

Native & Indigenous Student Coalition, and Bakersfield College-Renegades (Student
Government Association), and Native American Student Success Program (NASSSP).

**PROGRAM SCHEDULE**

**October 10**: Deadline for students to submit applications.

**October 17**: Decision committee meets on Zoom or Teams to select students and
form mentor-matches.

**October 18-20** : Winning students are notified, and participation is confirmed.

**October 21**: Taffa’s visit to CSUB—students and mentors are invited to afternoon
reception in library,

November 1: Zoom dates are scheduled for each Mentor’s 1^(st) Personal Journey and
Q & A Zoom Session Session #1 before November 10^(th) [based on Mentor availability]
and Invites are Sent to ALL applicants for each Mentor’s Session #1 = Total (3) 
Mentor Sessions.

Mentors will schedule their Session #2 one-on-one session directly with their student.

**November 10-29**: Authors schedule Zoom meetings with their students one-on-one.
Additional help or session is up to the Mentors’ discretion.

**FOUNDING MENTORS**

[Deobrah Taffa Jackson](https://deborahtaffa.com/awards/) – -Published Non-Fiction/
Memoir Author, Freelance & Staff Writer.

A citizen of the Quechan (Yuma) Nation and Laguna Pueblo, Deborah earned her MFA
in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Prior to her job at 
IAIA, she taught Creative Nonfiction at Webster University and Washington University
in Saint Louis. She also served as an Executive Board Member with the Missouri Humanities
Council where she was instrumental in creating a Native American Heritage Program
in the state. 

Author of the 2025 One Book Project book title selection, _Whiskey Tender, _a 2024
National Book Award Finalist and also a 2025 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
longlisted title. Named one of 2024’s Top 10 books by _The Atlantic_, _Audible_,
and _Time Magazine_, it was also included on best and notable lists at _The New 
Yorker_, _Elle_, _Esquire_, _NPR_, _The Washington Post_, _Oprah Daily_, and _Publisher’s
Weekl_y. At the time of its debut, it was Amazon Editor’s Best Choice Book for the
year.

Editor Emeritus at the literary magazine, _River Styx_, her writing can be found
at _The Rumpus_, _Boston Review_, _Los Angeles Review of Books_, _A Public Space_,
_Salon_, _Huff Post_, _Prairie Schooner_, _The Best Travel Writing_, _The Best of
Brevity: Twenty Groundbreaking Years of Flash Nonfiction_, _The Best American Nonrequired
Reading_, and elsewhere. With awards and grants from the National Endowment for 
the Arts, PEN America, MacDowell, Hedgebrook, the Ellen Meloy Foundation, Tin House,
A Public Space, the Kranzberg Arts, and the NY Summer Writers Institute, Deborah
is currently working on her second story collection.

[Leslie Stall Widener](https://www.lesliestallwidener.com/traditional/) – Published
Children’s Book Author, Illustrator, Book Designer, Story Contributor, and Editor.

Leslie is a Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma tribal member and a registered Choctaw artist.
Leslie serves as Native Fund Chair for We Need Diverse Books and is a member of 
the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She has illustrated six
Choctaw related picture books: Chukfi Rabbit’s Big, Bad Bellyache, told by Greg 
Rodgers; The Turkey Who Liked to Show Off; Why the Turtle Has Cracks on His Back;
The Story of Tanchi; Why the ‘Possum Has No Hair on His Tail; Why Rabbit Has a Short
Tail, all published by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in English and Choctaw; and
Imagine the Moon – A Primer of Full Moon Names by Gerald Fierst. Plum Street Publishers,
2017.

Her nonfiction debut as a picture book author, _Kindred Spirits: Shilombish Ittibachʋffa_
was released in the summer of 2024 from Charlesbridge Publishing. She’s written 
for several educational houses, including Benchmark Educational Publishing, Gibbs-
Smith, and Core Knowledge Foundation (as Author/Illustrator.)

Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas has been her home since 1980.

Illustrated, Authored, Co-Authored, Designed and Edited [Books by Leslie Stall Widener](https://www.lesliestallwidener.com/books/).
Her illustrations can be seen [here.](https://www.lesliestallwidener.com/traditional/)

[Andrea Page](http://www.WriterAndreaPage.com) – – Published Young Adult, Juvenile
and Children’s Author, Educator, and Speaker.

Andrea is Hunkpapa Lakota. The Húŋkpapȟa are one of the seven bands of the Lakota
people. They are also known as the [Teton Sioux](https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&sca_esv=05e0918adac9b639&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS1161US1161&q=Teton+Sioux&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwintI2W4Y2PAxX9OUQIHaVbKHUQxccNegQIIRAB&mstk=AUtExfArdziybIXcC_6KIph1F7z9z7zYW3O2Cv2AZU5eZR6CIHReHWKDa-HWrd_w1zCkmL0NJMKl2QVqq5vQ29XYnBm5RbsHlK-zB1YtXQlUn8TJN87qEy_hgg5I3UYFTeDhMsqEicJgFgQ8w2yiLpfkUz9DxKBXZKKNfR_S94y_RWTLxvw&csui=3).
Andrea is a children’s author, educator, and speaker. She has two published books
titled, [_Sioux Code Talkers of World War II_](https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781455628285?srsltid=AfmBOoo-wvNgMdVfHR8rFTBfy9hEv5acjMMXJoknWuV3wSRtBG4Y8jgF)(
2017, Pelican/Arcadia Publishing) and [_Who Was Wilma Mankiller?_ ](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/767737/who-was-wilma-mankiller-by-andrea-page-illustrated-by-stephen-marchesi/)(
September 2025, Penguin Workshop) with a new book coming out in 2026 titled, [Gabriel’s Winter Count](https://writerandreapage.com/books/gabriels-winter-count/).
She also writes educator guides, compiles Native-created book lists, and enjoys 
her role as an instructor at the Highlights Foundation. Andrea is a longtime member
of Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Rochester Area
Children’s Writers and Illustrators (RACWI), and a member of the Children’s Literature
Assembly (CLA) of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). Andrea lives
in Rochester, NY with her husband and loves connecting with other authors and young
readers.

**Andrea Page Published Books**

[_Sioux Code Talkers of World War II_](https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/products/9781455628285?srsltid=AfmBOoo-wvNgMdVfHR8rFTBfy9hEv5acjMMXJoknWuV3wSRtBG4Y8jgF)(
2017, Pelican/Arcadia Publishing)

[_Who Was Wilma Mankiller?_ ](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/767737/who-was-wilma-mankiller-by-andrea-page-illustrated-by-stephen-marchesi/)(
September 2025, Penguin Workshop)

[Gabriel’s Winter Count](https://writerandreapage.com/books/gabriels-winter-count/)(
_Charlesbridge Publishing_, _Available 2026)_

[/su_note]

## One Book Project Additional Activities

###   Storytimes

 Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, & fun for the whole family.


**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Nov. 1 | 12pm




**Preschool Storytime**

Thurs. | Oct. 2 | 11pm


**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Oct. 4 | 1pm

Sat. | Nov 1 | 1pm


**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Oct. 11 | 2pm

Sat. | Nov 8 | 2pm

Sat. | Nov 11 | 2pm


**Toddler Time **

Tues. | Oct. 7 | 10:30am



**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Oct. 11 | 12pm

Sat. | Nov 1 | 12pm






**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Oct. 11 | 10:30am

Sat. | Nov 15 | 10:30am




###   Arts & Crafts

 Get inspired and crafty at select library branches for One Book Project related
craft events.


##### All Ages are Welcomed!

**Beale Memorial Library**
Weds. | Oct. 8 | 4pm

**Buttonwillow Branch Library**
Sat. |Oct. 4 | 12pm

Sat. |Nov. 1 | 10am

Tues. |Nov. 25 | 5pm

**Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library**
Weds. | Oct. 1 | 10am

Weds. | Oct. 22| 4pm

Sat. | Nov. 1 | 10am

**Lamont Branch Library**
Tues. | Oct. 9 | 3:30pm

Fri. | Nov. 14 | 3:30pm

**Rathbun Branch Library**

Tues. | Oct. 23 | 4pm

**Southwest Branch Library**
Weds. | Oct. 1 | 10am

**Wilson Branch Library**
Fri. | Oct. 17 | 4pm

Fri. | Nov. 21 | 4pm

 

###   Book Discussions

 Get inspired and crafty at select library branches for One Book Project related
craft events.


##### Read the Book Join the Conversation 

**Lamont Branch Library**
Tues. | Nov. 18 | 4:30pm

**Rathbun Branch Library**
Fri. |Nov. 21 | 4pm

###   Coloring Stations

 ​Stop by our coloring station and make new friends while expressing yourself through
color. Take a coloring sheet or an activity sheet and have some fun! From October
to November, we'll have One Book Project related sheets ready for you, so come on
by!

## History of the One Book Project

The program began in 2001 through the grassroots efforts of Jillian Fritch, an elementary
school teacher who had read a story in the _Los Angeles Times_ regarding One Book,
One Community initiatives; at the time Seattle Reads and One Book Chicago were pioneers,
and Los Angeles had decided to do a One Book project. Jillian was inspired to begin
a project in Bakersfield. The first book was “To Kill a Mockingbird.” An array of
community partners jumped on board, including education, nonprofits, local government,
businesses, and media outlets. The Kern County Library became the lead organization
in 2003. Now, the One Book Project continues to reach out to our diverse Kern County
community both in book choice and related programming. In 2010, the One Book Project
began a partnership with California State University, Bakersfield’s “Runner Reader
Program” (or First-Year Experience Program), which involves students reading a common
book. Through this partnership, the community has benefited extended programming,
including author visits and talks at CSUB at the culmination of the read. In November
2011, more than 1,400 people turned out to hear author Wes Moore speak about his
book, “The Other Wes Moore.” One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern remains a grassroots
project that relies on community partners and donations to provide related programming
and copies of the book throughout the county.

[⌊book cover "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck⌉⌊book cover "The Grapes of 
Wrath" by John Steinbeck⌉[

##### 󠀁[2002 Read – The Grapes of Wrath](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-grapes-of-wrath/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2002 Read – To Kill a Mockingbird](https://kerncountylibrary.org/to-kill-a-mockingbird/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe⌉⌊book cover " The Right Stuff" by Tom
Wolfe⌉[

##### 󠀁[2002-03 Read – The Right Stuff](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-right-stuff/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The Tortilla Curtain"⌉⌊book cover "The Tortilla Curtain"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2003-04 Read – Tortilla Curtain](https://kerncountylibrary.org/tortilla-curtain/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by Lance Armstrong⌉⌊
book cover "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by Lance Armstrong⌉[

##### 󠀁[2004 Read – It’s Not About the Bike](https://kerncountylibrary.org/its-not-about-the-bike/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury⌉⌊book cover "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray
Bradbury⌉[

##### 󠀁[2005 Read – Fahrenheit 451](https://kerncountylibrary.org/fahrenheit-451/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Epitaph For a Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm" by David Mas 
Masumoto⌉⌊book cover "Epitaph For a Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm" by David
Mas Masumoto⌉[

##### 󠀁[2006 Read – Epitaph For a Peach](https://kerncountylibrary.org/epitaph-for-a-peach/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren⌉⌊book cover "All the King's
Men" by Robert Penn Warren⌉[

##### 󠀁[2007 Read – All the King’s Men](https://kerncountylibrary.org/all-the-kings-men/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schosser⌉⌊book cover " Fast Food Nation"
by Eric Schosser⌉[

##### 󠀁[2008 Read – Fast Food Nation](https://kerncountylibrary.org/fast-food-nation/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Their Eyes Were Watching God"by Zora Neale Hurston⌉⌊book cover "Their
Eyes Were Watching God"by Zora Neale Hurston⌉[

##### 󠀁[2009 Big Read – Their Eyes Were Watching God](https://kerncountylibrary.org/their-eyes-were-watching-god/)󠁿

[⌊advertisement for the community-wide read of "Burro Genius" by Victor Villasenor⌉⌊
advertisement for the community-wide read of "Burro Genius" by Victor Villasenor⌉[

##### 󠀁[2010 Read – Burro Genius](https://kerncountylibrary.org/burro-genius/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore⌉⌊book cover "The Other Wes Moore"
by Wes Moore⌉[

##### 󠀁[2011 Read – The Other Wes Moore](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-other-wes-moore/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros⌉⌊book cover "The House
on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros⌉[

##### 󠀁[2012 Read – The House on Mango Street](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-house-on-mango-street/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston⌉⌊
book cover "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston⌉[

##### 󠀁[2013 Read – Farewell to Manzanar](https://kerncountylibrary.org/farewell-to-manzanar/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"⌉⌊book cover " The Immortal 
Life of Henrietta Lacks"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2013 Read – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario⌉⌊book cover "Enrique's Journey"
by Sonia Nazario⌉[

##### 󠀁[2014 Read – Enrique’s Journey](https://kerncountylibrary.org/enriques-journey/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Big Thirst" by Charles Fishman⌉⌊book cover "Big Thirst" by Charles
Fishman⌉[

##### 󠀁[2016 Read – The Big Thirst](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-big-thirst/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America"⌉⌊book cover "$2.00
a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2017 Read – $2.00 A Day](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2-00-a-day/)󠁿

[⌊logo for The One Book Project Founded 2002⌉⌊logo for The One Book Project Founded
2002⌉[

##### 󠀁[2018 Read – Incarceration Nations](https://kerncountylibrary.org/incarceration-nations/)󠁿

[⌊Logo - The One Book Project founded 2002⌉⌊Logo - The One Book Project founded 
2002⌉[

##### 󠀁[2019 Read – The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-boy-who-harnessed-the-wind/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2020 Read – Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet](https://kerncountylibrary.org/broad-band-2020-obobok/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2021 Read – A Dream Called Home](https://kerncountylibrary.org/a-dream-called-home/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2022 Read – A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2022-read-a-mighty-long-way-my-journey-to-justice-at-little-rock-central-high-school/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2023 Read: Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2023-read-sitting-pretty-the-view-from-my-ordinary-resilient-disabled-body/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2024 One Book Project Read: All You Can Ever Know](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2024-one-book-project-read/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2025 One Book Project Read: Whiskey Tender](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2025-one-book-project-read/)󠁿

## Tutor.com

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/tutor-com/
- Published: 2025-08-01T11:00:18-07:00
- Author: Courtney Park

**Tutor.com offers live, one-on-one academic tutoring, homework help, and test prep
in over 100 subjects for learners of all ages—from elementary to adult learners.**

Whether you need help with math, writing, science, or preparing for the SAT, ACT,
or GED, expert tutors are available online every day to support your success. Accessible
on computers, tablets, and mobile devices, you can connect from anywhere with internet
access.

### Key Features of Tutor.com

 

✔ **Live Tutoring –** Connect with a real, vetted tutor in minutes for personalized
help in core academic subjects.
✔ **Drop-Off Review –** Upload essays, resumes, 
or math questions and get detailed feedback within 12 hours.✔ **Test Prep Resources–**
Practice for standardized tests like the SAT, ACT, GRE, HiSET, ASVAB, and more.✔**
Career Services –** Get help with job searching, resume writing, interview preparation,
and career planning.✔ **Study Tools –** Access practice quizzes, video lessons, 
and flashcards to reinforce learning anytime.

**Requires a Library Card & PIN to access. **

 [  Access Resource  ](https://ke.ezproxy.sjvls.org/login?url=https://leo.tutor.com/?ProgramGuid=4bbdd54e-76bb-416e-8f9d-9d76cd813ad5)

## Udemy

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/udemy/
- Published: 2025-05-19T13:33:47-07:00
- Author: Courtney Park

Udemy offers flexible online learning with thousands of courses in business, technology,
personal finance, creative arts, wellness, marketing, leadership, and more—designed
to fit any schedule. Available on computers, tablets, and mobile devices, courses
can even be downloaded for offline viewing through the Udemy app. 

** **

**Key Features of Gale Presents: Udemy**

✔ Expert Instruction – Learn from industry leaders, bestselling authors, and award-
winning professors.
✔ Smart Recommendations – Personalized course suggestions based
on your learning interests.✔ Multilingual Options – Over 15,000 courses in languages
including Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi, and more.✔ Interactive Learning – Many
courses include quizzes, practice tests, and assignments to reinforce skills.✔ Always
Up-to-Date – Courses are continuously updated to reflect the latest trends and skills.

**Requires Library Card & PIN to access **

 [  Access Resource  ](https://ke.ezproxy.sjvls.org/login?url=https://link.gale.com/apps/UDEMY?u=bake18841)

## Our Collection, Your Community

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/collectiondevelopment/
- Published: 2025-04-25T17:32:41-07:00
- Author: Q

Learn the principles behind what we add – and why.

The Collection Development policy of the Library supports the mission of the Kern
County Library. The Library functions as a major information source for County residents
by providing a broad and relevant collection of materials to engage and inform people
from differing communities, backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles. Our diverse collection
of materials in English and other languages, in standard and emerging formats, builds
community and cultivates opportunities for Kern County residents.

**[Download Collection Development Policy](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/KC_Library_Collection_Development_Policy_2025.pdf)**

[_Submit Request for Reconsideration or Reclassification_](http://forms.office.com/r/0KehWTWER6)

## Bookmobile

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/bookmobile/
- Published: 2025-02-27T16:10:13-08:00
- Author: Courtney Park

![](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_4098-1-1024x768.
jpeg)

**A Legacy of Mobile Library Services in Kern County**

Kern County Library Bookmobile has a long history of bringing essential library 
services to communities with limited access to physical branches. Since its early
days, the Bookmobile has served as a lifeline for rural and underserved areas, allowing
residents to borrow books, participate in educational programs, and stay connected
to the library system. The return of the Bookmobile marks a new chapter in this 
tradition, ensuring that literacy, learning, and library services remain accessible
to all.

**Expanding Library Services with Measure K**

Thanks to funding from Measure K, Kern County’s Unincorporated Public Safety, Vital
Services, and Local Control Measure, the Library Department is able to provide additional
materials, programs, technology, and staff reinforcing the library’s commitment 
to prioritizing literacy and creative learning opportunities for all ages.

The Bookmobile will carry a variety of books for all ages, provide free Wi-Fi, and
allow patrons to check out and return materials. Visitors can also sign up for a
library card on-site.

Join us as we hit the road and bring the library to you!

[su_heading style=”default” size=”13″ align=”center” margin=”20″ id=”” class=””]

#### **BOOKMOBILE STOPS**

[/su_heading]

**Tuesdays** – _Lost Hills _

 * **9:30am-11:30am** – Wonderful Prep. Academy

14848 Lamberson Ave. Lost Hills, CA 93249

 * **12:30pm-2:30pm** – Lost Hills Elementary

20979 Lobos Ct. Lost Hills, CA 93249

**Wednesdays** – _Edison/Rosedale_

 * **9am-10:30am** – Greenacres Park

2014 Calloway Dr. Bakersfield. CA 93312

 * **11:30am-:1pm** – Edison Middle School

721 Edison Rd. Bakersfield, CA  93307

 * **2:30pm-3:30pm** – Orangewood Elementary

9600 Eucalyptus Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93306

**Thursdays **– _Twin Oaks/Greenfield_

 * **9am-10am** – Piute Mountain School

12400 Caliente Creek Rd. Caliente, CA 93518

 * **10:30am-:11:30am** – Schoolhouse Grill

15782 Caliente Creek Rd. Caliente, CA 93518

 * **2pm-3:30pm** – Greenfield Park

325 Audrey Ave. Bakersfield, CA 93307

**Fridays** – _Glennville/Woody_

 * **9:30am-10:30am** – Linns Valley Elementary

158 White River Rd. Glennville, CA 93226

 * **11am-:12pm** – Mt. Carmel Church

10 Dunlap Rd. Glennville, CA 93226

 * **12:30pm-2:00pm** – Blake Elementary

9165 Main St. Woody, CA 93287

**Saturdays** – _Bakersfield Parks_

 * **9am-10:30am** – Panorama Park

300 Panorama Dr. Bakersfield, CA 93305

 * **11:00am-12:30pm** – Hart Park

Alfred Harrell Highway at Canal Rd. Bakersfield, CA 93308

 * **2:30pm-:4pm** – Polo Park

11801 Noriega Rd. Bakersfield, CA 93312

_ _

[su_heading style=”default” size=”13″ align=”center” margin=”20″ id=”” class=””]

#### **FOLLOW THE BOOKMOBILE ON FACEBOOK**

[/su_heading]

[https://www.facebook.com/kclbookmobile](https://www.facebook.com/kclbookmobile)

## 2024 One Book Project Read: All You Can Ever Know

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/2024-one-book-project-read/
- Published: 2024-10-24T14:53:22-07:00
- Author: Courtney Park

**The One Book Project is a countywide reading and discussion project that fosters
empathy, promotes awareness, and strengthens the fabric of our community by exploring
the themes in this year’s One Book selection, _All You Can Ever Know_ by Nicole 
Chung. **

## About the Fall 2024 Primary Title

![](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/71OdfBXn6VL._AC_UF10001000_QL80_-
200x300.jpg)

**All You Can Ever Know **

by Nicole Chung

A heartfelt memoir about the author’s experience as a Korean American adoptee raised
by white parents in a predominantly white town. Chung shares her journey of grappling
with questions of identity, belonging, and race, as well as her search for her birth
family. As she becomes a mother herself, she seeks to understand the complexities
of her adoption, family, and cultural heritage, exploring what it truly means to
be connected to others. It’s a poignant exploration of family, identity, and self-
discovery.

   Checkout

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results/?ln
=en_US&q=all%20you%20can%20ever%20know%20″ target=”blank” style=”flat” background
=”#89be6d” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]Book[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://www.overdrive.com/
media/5019557/sitting-pretty” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color
=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px#
dddddd”]eBook[/su_button] [su_button url=”https://www.overdrive.com/media/5057372/
sitting-pretty” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]eAudiobook[/
su_button]

   Purchase

[su_button url=”https://www.russosbooks.com/search/site/sitting%20pretty%20rebekah%
20taussig” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff” size
=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #dddddd”]Russo’s[/
su_button] [su_button url=”https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sitting-pretty-rebekah-
taussig/1133866240?ean=9780062936806″ target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b”
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#89be6b” text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #dddddd”]B&N[/su_button]

# 󠀁[Companion Titles ](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2022-read-a-mighty-long-way-my-journey-to-justice-at-little-rock-central-high-school/#Recommended-Titles)󠁿

_**FOR ALL GENRES & AGES**_

**All You Can Ever Know & One Book companion titles are available for checkout in
print, eBook, eAudiobook, & book on CD from the Kern County Library. **

## Adult Fiction

**Inconvenient Daughter**
_by Lauren J. Sharkey_

**Checkout **

[su_button url=https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=inconvenient
+daughter+sharkey&te= target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]Book[/
su_button] [su_button url=”https://market.thepalaceproject.org/item/4078110″ target
=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round”
icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]eBook[/su_button] [su_button

 url=”https://www.hoopladigital.com/audiobook/inconvenient-daughter-lauren-j-sharkey/
13967694″ 

target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius
=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]eAudiobook[/su_button]

## Young Adult Fiction

**The All- American **
_by Joe Milan Jr. _

**Checkout **

[su_button url=https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=the
+all+American&te=key&te= target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#
ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]
Book[/su_button] [su_button url=https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/
results?qu=the+all+American&te=target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” 
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #89be6b”]eBook[/su_button] [su_button

 url=https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=the+all+American&
te=

target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius
=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]eAudiobook[/su_button]

## Teen Graphic Novel

**Monstorus **
_by Sarah Myer_

**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
Monstorus%C2%A0Sarah&te=key&te=” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b”
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #89be6b”]Book[/su_button]

## Picture Book

**My Tree**
_by Hope Lim _**Checkout **

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
my+tree&te=key&te=” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]Book[/
su_button]

## Picture Book

**Eyes that Weave the World’s Wonders**
_by Joanna Ho and Liz Kleinrock_

**Checkout**

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
eyes+that+weave&te=” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]Book[/
su_button]

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
eyes+that+weave&te=” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b” color=”#ffffff”
size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px 2px #89be6b”]eAudiobook[/
su_button]

## Middle Grade Graphic Novel

**A Sky of Paper Stars**
_by Susie Yi_

**Checkout**

[su_button url=”https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/kehq/search/results?qu=
inconvenient+daughter+sharkey&te=” target=”blank” style=”flat” background=”#89be6b”
color=”#ffffff” size=”1″ radius=”round” icon_color=”#000000″ text_shadow=”0px 0px
2px #89be6b”]Book[/su_button]

###   Our Partners

_The One Book Project is presented by Kern County Library and California State University,
Bakersfield, Office of the Provost._

A special thanks to our community partners for participating in our One Book Project
effort.

**Bakersfield College****_ _**

_ Student Activities Office_

**California State University of Bakersfield **

  _Office of the Provost_

_  Department of English_

_  General Education Program_

_  Sigma Tau Delta_

_  Walter W. Stiern Library_

Forever Young K-POP Events

Jamison Children’s Center

Kern Bridges Youth Homes

Kern Council Teachers of English

Kern Genealogical Society

Kern County Human Services

Kern County Network for Children Services

Koinonia Family Services

North of the River Recreation & Parks District

POVMU Films

 

![](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/OB-2024-Carousel-SM-
Post_Reading.png)

### Sign up for the One Book Project Reading Challenge through Beanstack.

Record reading sessions and manage family accounts to earn digital badges and prizes!

The challenge starts **October 1, 2024 **and ends **November 30, 2024**.

 [  JOIN CHALLENGE ONLINE NOW  ](https://kernlibrary.beanstack.org/profiles/3041956/current_programs)

[[ [](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beanstack-tracker/id1360324277)

###   One Book Premiere Events

 [     Printable Events Brochure  ](https://kerncountylibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/sc.OB-Brochure2024_V01.pdf)

[su_note note_color=”#FFFFFF” text_color=”#333333″]

### **[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”]The One Book Kickoff Event[/su_highlight]**

##### _**What I’d Like You To Know About Adoption and Foster Care Panel Discussion **with co-host Bakersfield College _

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Tuesday, October 1 | 11:30am–
1pm**[/su_highlight]

**Levan Center, _Bakersfield College,_ 1801 Panorama Drive Bakersfield 661.395.4011**

Join us in person for heartfelt discussion on the joys and challenges of fostering
and adopting youth from various background. Share in the triumphs, insights, and
experiences that shape these transformative journeys

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#AE8974″ text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#fde5df” color=”#4362ad”]NOR Film Screening of _a True Adoption Story_[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]** Tuesday, October 3| 1pm**[/
su_highlight]

**Rasmussen Senior Center, _North of the River Recreation and Parks District,_ 115
E. Roberts Lane, Bakersfield, Ca. 661.868.0701**

This true story follows a young boy who gets lost and ends up thousands of miles
from home. Years later, he uses technology and memories to find his birth family
and return to his roots. Don’t miss this emotional journey – watch this film and
be inspired! 

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#ffffff” text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”]**K-Pop Film Screening**[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]Wednesday, October 4 | 6:30-8:
30pm[/su_highlight]

Beale Memorial Library Auditorium, 701 Truxtun Avenue. 661.868.0701 
Record-breaking
Korean girl group shares their story, revealing the challenges and triumphs behind
their incredible rise to fame. Don’t miss this inspiring event! Free and open to
the public- join us and be part of the journey. [/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#AE8974″ text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#fde5df” color=”#4362ad”]**Tracing the Past to See the Future[/su_highlight]**

### [su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Wednesday, October 4 | 6:30-8:30pm**[/su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library Auditorium, 701 Truxtun Avenue. 661.868.0701**
Record-breaking
Korean girl group shares their story, revealing the challenges and triumphs behind
their incredible rise to fame. Don’t miss this inspiring event! Free and open to
the public- join us and be part of the journey. [/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#ffffff” text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”]**An Evening with Nicole Chung, Author of All You Can Ever Know **[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Thursday, October 24 | 7pm**[/
su_highlight]

**Icardo Center, CSUB, 9001 Stockdale Hwy., Bakersfield, CA 93311. 661.654.3172 **

###### _⏎ (Free parking in Lot I after 6pm)

Don’t miss the chance to meet the author in person at the exclusive book signing
event! Grab your copy, get it signed, and enjoy a unique opportunity to connect.
Join us be part of this special moment!

CSUB One Book Project [web page](https://libraryaware.com/2VCWDB).

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#AE8974″ text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#fde5df” color=”#4362ad”]**Can You K-Pop Dance Showcase[/su_highlight]**

### [su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Saturday, November 2 | 2-6pm**[/su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library Auditorium, 701 Truxtun Avenue. 661.868.0701**
Join us 
and several talent scouts from industry-leading dance companies as they scour the
stage for the next K-POP stars! Come watch 25 of Kern County’s most talented acts
as they dance to today’s biggest K-POP hits. From BTS, NMixx, to Xikers, solo, duo,
and group dancers will cover their songs with the most intense, degree of difficulty,
idol-choreographed moves. Get ready for the Random Dance Play (RDP) to pump  up 
the crowd before the showcase kicks off!

**Schedule**

 * _** 2:00-3:00pm: Random Dance Play** _
 * _** 4:00-6:00pm: Showcase
   [/su\_note]

[su_note note_color=”#ffffff” text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”]**A Parent Speaks**[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]Tuesday, November 5 | 3:00-4:
00pm[/su_highlight]

**Zoom Register Online**

Joey Merritt is the adoptive parent of two young women adopted as babies from Eastern
Europe. Her oldest daughter, adopted from an orphanage in Ukraine, is now 23 with
a family. Her younger daughter, adopted from foster care in the Republic of Georgia,
is a transracial adoptee. There are so many myths around adopting internationally
and so many things she wished she knew before she adopted – from changing birth 
names, how to handle racism in the community, how to work with the Interethnic Adoption
Provisions (IEP’s) in the school system and how to answer questions from her kids
about adoption. She will speak about the process, the struggles, and triumphs of
family building through adoption. There will be plenty of time for questions in 
this informal conversation. 

[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”] [/su_highlight][/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#AE8974″ text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#fde5df” color=”#4362ad”]Adoptive-Foster Parents and Kids & Their Allies Panel Discussion[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Wednesday, November 6 | 4:30-
6:30pm**[/su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301. 661.868.0701**

Join us for an informative panel discussion with professionals in the field of adoption
and foster care discussing how it all works in Kern County and sharing their program
services, as well as with adoptive parents talking about their challenges and successes
through the process and raising multiracial kids.

Partners: Department of Human Services – Kern County Adoption Agency Kern Bridges
Youth Homes Koinonia Family Services

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#FFFFFF” text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#4362ad”]In Praise of Late Wonder: California Poet Laureate and Korean Adoptee Lee Herrick Poetry Reading [at Beale]. [/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Thursday, November 14 | 6pm**[/
su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301. 661.868.0701**

Herrick will read poems from his new book titled, In Praise of Late Wonder: New 
and Selected Poems (Gunpowder Press, September 2024) about his adoption from Korea
related to loss, uncertainty, race dynamics, and joy. The poems explore questions
of belonging, survival, and the complexities of adoption. There will be a Book Giveaway
Signed by the Author after the presentation. ABOUT LEE HERRICK

Lee Herrick was born in Daejeon, Korea and adopted as an infant. He lives with his
family in Fresno, California and served as Fresno Poet Laureate from 2015-2017. 
He teaches at Fresno City College and in the low-residency MFA program at University
of Nevada Reno at Lake Tahoe. He is the 10th California Poet Laureate, and the first
Asian American to serve in the role. He is the author of four books of poems: In
Praise of Late Wonder: New and Selected Poems, Scar and Flower (finalist for the
2020 Northern California Book Award); Gardening Secrets of the Dead; and This Many
Miles from Desire.

Herrick is co-editor of The World I Leave You: Asian American Poets on Faith and
Spirit and Afterlives: A Portfolio of Asian Adoptee Diaspora Writing. His poems 
appear widely in The Poetry Foundation, Academy of American Poets, The Place That
Inhabits Us: Poems from the San Francisco Bay Watershed, Indivisible: Poems of Social
Justice with a foreword by Common, HERE: Poems for the Planet, with a foreword by
the Dalai Lama, and Dear America: Letters of Hope, Habitat, Defiance, and Democracy,
among others. Herrick serves on the advisory board of Terrain.org and Sixteen Rivers
Press. He co-founded LitHop in Fresno. He has taught in Qingdao, China, and for 
Kundiman.

[/su_note]

[su_note note_color=”#AE8974″ text_color=”#333333″]

### [su_highlight background=”#fde5df” color=”#4362ad”]First Person Plural Documentary Film Screening[/su_highlight]

[su_highlight background=”#4362ad” color=”#ffffff”]**Saturday, November 23 | 11am-
12:30pm**[/su_highlight]

**Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301. 661.868.0701**

Partners: Point of View Films (POV) Mu Films

ABOUT THE FILM

In 1966, Deann Borshay Liem was adopted by an American family and sent from Korea
to her new home. Growing up in California, the memory of her birth family was nearly
forgotten until recurring dreams lead her to discover the truth: her Korean mother
was very much alive. Bravely uniting her biological and adoptive families, Deann’s
heartfelt journey makes FIRST PERSON PLURAL a poignant essay on family, loss, and
the reconciling of two identities. FIRST PERSON PLURAL premiered at the 2000 Sundance
Film Festival, and later, received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Bay Area Documentary
at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

ABOUT THE FILMAKER

Deann Borshay Liem is an Emmy Award-winning documentarian known for films that explore
war, memory, family and identity including her landmark adoption films First Person
Plural, In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee and Geographies of Kinship. She is the recipient
of Grants and Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, National
Endowment for the Arts, California Humanities, Sundance Institute, Rockefeller Foundation,
San Francisco Film Society and others.

[/su_note]

## One Book Project Additional Activities

###   Storytimes

 Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes, & fun for the whole family.


**Preschool Storytime**
Sat. |Oct. 5 | 11amTue. | Oct. 8 | 4pm

**Family Storytime**

Sat. |Nov. 2 | 10:30am


**Family Storytime**

Fri. |Oct. 4 | 11am


**Preschool Storytime **

Tues. | Oct. 22 | 3:30pm
Tues. | Nov. 5 | 3:30pmThur. | Nov. 16* | 1pm

_*storytime includes craft_


**Preschool Storytime**

Tues. | Oct. 7 | 4pm

Thur. | Oct. 17 | 11am

**Family Storytime **

Fri. | Nov. 15 | 3:30pm


**Family Storytime**

Sat. | Oct. 5 | 11am


**Preschool Storytime **

Tues. | Oct. 1 | 4:30pm

**Family Storytime **

Weds. | Nov. 6 | 2:30pm
Mon. | Oct. 16 | 12pmMon. | Nov. 13 | 12pm


**Preschool  Storytime**

Tues. | Oct. 3 | 10:30am
Tues. | Oct. 10 | 10:30amTues. | Oct. 17 | 10:30am

Tues. | Oct.24 | 10:30am
Tues. | Oct. 31.  | 10:30amTues. | Nov. 7 | 10:30am

Tues. | Nov.14 | 10:30am
Tues. | Nov. 15 | 10:30amTues. | Nov. 21 | 10:30am


**Preschool Storytime**

Tues. |Oct. 10 | 10am
Thurs. |Nov. 7 | 10am


**Preschool Storytime**

Thur. | Oct. 17 | 10:30am
Thur. | Nov. 21 | 10:30am


**Preschool Storytime **

Thurs. |Oct. 3 | 11am
Fri. | Oct. 4 | 12pmThurs. | Oct. 31 | 11am

Fri. | Nov. 1 | 12pm

**Family Storytime **

Tues. | Oct. 1 | 4pm
Sat. | Oct. 5 | 4pmTues. | Oct. 28 | 4pm

Sat. | Nov. 2 | 10:30am


**Preschool Storytime **

Tues. | Oct. 15 | 11am

**Family Storytime **

Tues. | Oct. 15 | 4pm


**Preschool Storytime**

Mon. | Nov. 4| 2pm
Mon. | Nov. 18| 2pm

Mon. | Nov. 25| 2pm

**Family Storytime**

Fri. | Nov. 5 | 2pm
Tues. | Nov. 19 | 2pm

###   Coloring Stations

 ​Stop by our coloring station and make new friends while expressing yourself through
color. Take a coloring sheet or an activity sheet and have some fun! From October
to November, we'll have One Book Project related sheets ready for you, so come on
by!

###   Jamison Center Book Drive

 Join us while we learn how to use American Sign Language. We will use stories, 
games and activities to better understand this amazing language.

###   Foster Kids Wish List Drive Promotion

 Enjoy movie screenings that share themes similar to this year's One Book Project
book selection.

###   Arts & Crafts

 Get inspired and crafty at select library branches for One Book Project related
craft events.


##### Ages 6-11 are invited to attend

**Arvin Branch Library**
Wed. | Oct. 9 | 4pm

**Beale Memorial Library**
Wed. | Nov. 6 | 4pm

Wed. | Nov. 20 | 4pm

**Buttonwillow Branch Library**
Fri. | Oct. 4 | 4pmFri. | Oct. 11 | 4pmTues. |Oct.
15 | 3pmThurs. | Nov. 14 | 4pmMon. | Nov. 18 | 4pmMon. | Nov. 26 | 4pm**California
City Branch Library**Tues. | Oct. 22 | 3:30pm**Frazier Park Branch Library**Fri.
| Oct. 13 | 3:30pmTues. | Nov. 5 | 3:30pm

**Lamont Branch Library**
Tues. | Oct. 8 | 12:30pm**Mojave Branch Library**Wed. 
| Oct. 9 | 2:30pmThurs. | Nov. 14 | 4:00pm

**Northeast Branch Library**
Tues. | Nov. 5 | 4:00pm

**Ridgecrest Branch Library**
Wed. | Nov. 20 | 12:00pm

**Taft Branch Library**
Tue. | Oct. 22 | 4pmTue. |Nov. 5 | 4pm

**Wasco Branch Library**
Tue. | Nov. 5 | 4:00pmTue. | Nov. 12 | 4:00pm


##### Ages 18+ are invited to attend

**Buttonwillow Branch Library**
Sat. | Nov. 2 | 1:00pm**California City Branch Library**
Thurs. | Nov. 7 | 4:00pm **Mojave Branch Library**Thurs. | Oct. 17 | 5:30pm


##### Ages 12-17 are invited to attend

**Baker Branch Library**
Wed. | Oct. 16 | 4:00pm **Buttonwillow Library**Wed. |Oct.
16 | 4:00pm **Frazier Park Branch Library**Tue. |Oct. 8 | 4:00pm **Lamont Branch
Library**Wed. | Oct. 9 | 4:30pm **McFarland Branch Library**Wed. | Nov. 6 | 2:00pm**
Rosamond Branch Library**Thurs. | Nov. 21 | 3:30pm


##### All Ages are invited to attend

**Arvin Branch Library**
Fri. | Nov. 1 | 10am

**Baker Branch Library**
Sat. | Nov. 16 | 1pm

**Buttonwillow Branch Library**
Sat. | Oct. 12 | 12pmWeds. | Nov. 6 | 5pmSat. | 
Nov. 9 | 2pm

**Lamont Branch Library**
Fri. |Nov. 1 | 10pm

**Mojave Branch Library**
Fri. | Nov. 1 | 11am

**Taft Branch Library**
Mon. | Nov. 4 |11am

**Wasco Branch Library**
Mon. | Nov. 4 | 11am

## History of the One Book Project

The program began in 2001 through the grassroots efforts of Jillian Fritch, an elementary
school teacher who had read a story in the _Los Angeles Times_ regarding One Book,
One Community initiatives; at the time Seattle Reads and One Book Chicago were pioneers,
and Los Angeles had decided to do a One Book project. Jillian was inspired to begin
a project in Bakersfield. The first book was “To Kill a Mockingbird.” An array of
community partners jumped on board, including education, nonprofits, local government,
businesses, and media outlets. The Kern County Library became the lead organization
in 2003. Now, the One Book Project continues to reach out to our diverse Kern County
community both in book choice and related programming. In 2010, the One Book Project
began a partnership with California State University, Bakersfield’s “Runner Reader
Program” (or First-Year Experience Program), which involves students reading a common
book. Through this partnership, the community has benefited extended programming,
including author visits and talks at CSUB at the culmination of the read. In November
2011, more than 1,400 people turned out to hear author Wes Moore speak about his
book, “The Other Wes Moore.” One Book, One Bakersfield, One Kern remains a grassroots
project that relies on community partners and donations to provide related programming
and copies of the book throughout the county.

[⌊book cover "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck⌉⌊book cover "The Grapes of 
Wrath" by John Steinbeck⌉[

##### 󠀁[2002 Read – The Grapes of Wrath](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-grapes-of-wrath/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2002 Read – To Kill a Mockingbird](https://kerncountylibrary.org/to-kill-a-mockingbird/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " The Right Stuff" by Tom Wolfe⌉⌊book cover " The Right Stuff" by Tom
Wolfe⌉[

##### 󠀁[2002-03 Read – The Right Stuff](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-right-stuff/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The Tortilla Curtain"⌉⌊book cover "The Tortilla Curtain"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2003-04 Read – Tortilla Curtain](https://kerncountylibrary.org/tortilla-curtain/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by Lance Armstrong⌉⌊
book cover "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" by Lance Armstrong⌉[

##### 󠀁[2004 Read – It’s Not About the Bike](https://kerncountylibrary.org/its-not-about-the-bike/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury⌉⌊book cover "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray
Bradbury⌉[

##### 󠀁[2005 Read – Fahrenheit 451](https://kerncountylibrary.org/fahrenheit-451/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Epitaph For a Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm" by David Mas 
Masumoto⌉⌊book cover "Epitaph For a Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm" by David
Mas Masumoto⌉[

##### 󠀁[2006 Read – Epitaph For a Peach](https://kerncountylibrary.org/epitaph-for-a-peach/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren⌉⌊book cover "All the King's
Men" by Robert Penn Warren⌉[

##### 󠀁[2007 Read – All the King’s Men](https://kerncountylibrary.org/all-the-kings-men/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schosser⌉⌊book cover " Fast Food Nation"
by Eric Schosser⌉[

##### 󠀁[2008 Read – Fast Food Nation](https://kerncountylibrary.org/fast-food-nation/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Their Eyes Were Watching God"by Zora Neale Hurston⌉⌊book cover "Their
Eyes Were Watching God"by Zora Neale Hurston⌉[

##### 󠀁[2009 Big Read – Their Eyes Were Watching God](https://kerncountylibrary.org/their-eyes-were-watching-god/)󠁿

[⌊advertisement for the community-wide read of "Burro Genius" by Victor Villasenor⌉⌊
advertisement for the community-wide read of "Burro Genius" by Victor Villasenor⌉[

##### 󠀁[2010 Read – Burro Genius](https://kerncountylibrary.org/burro-genius/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore⌉⌊book cover "The Other Wes Moore"
by Wes Moore⌉[

##### 󠀁[2011 Read – The Other Wes Moore](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-other-wes-moore/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros⌉⌊book cover "The House
on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros⌉[

##### 󠀁[2012 Read – The House on Mango Street](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-house-on-mango-street/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston⌉⌊
book cover "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston & James D. Houston⌉[

##### 󠀁[2013 Read – Farewell to Manzanar](https://kerncountylibrary.org/farewell-to-manzanar/)󠁿

[⌊book cover " The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"⌉⌊book cover " The Immortal 
Life of Henrietta Lacks"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2013 Read – The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario⌉⌊book cover "Enrique's Journey"
by Sonia Nazario⌉[

##### 󠀁[2014 Read – Enrique’s Journey](https://kerncountylibrary.org/enriques-journey/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "Big Thirst" by Charles Fishman⌉⌊book cover "Big Thirst" by Charles
Fishman⌉[

##### 󠀁[2016 Read – The Big Thirst](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-big-thirst/)󠁿

[⌊book cover "$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America"⌉⌊book cover "$2.00
a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America"⌉[

##### 󠀁[2017 Read – $2.00 A Day](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2-00-a-day/)󠁿

[⌊logo for The One Book Project Founded 2002⌉⌊logo for The One Book Project Founded
2002⌉[

##### 󠀁[2018 Read – Incarceration Nations](https://kerncountylibrary.org/incarceration-nations/)󠁿

[⌊Logo - The One Book Project founded 2002⌉⌊Logo - The One Book Project founded 
2002⌉[

##### 󠀁[2019 Read – The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind](https://kerncountylibrary.org/the-boy-who-harnessed-the-wind/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2020 Read – Broad Band: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the Internet](https://kerncountylibrary.org/broad-band-2020-obobok/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2021 Read – A Dream Called Home](https://kerncountylibrary.org/a-dream-called-home/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2022 Read – A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2022-read-a-mighty-long-way-my-journey-to-justice-at-little-rock-central-high-school/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2023 Read: Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2023-read-sitting-pretty-the-view-from-my-ordinary-resilient-disabled-body/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2024 One Book Project Read: All You Can Ever Know](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2024-one-book-project-read/)󠁿

[[

##### 󠀁[2025 One Book Project Read: Whiskey Tender](https://kerncountylibrary.org/2025-one-book-project-read/)󠁿

## Learn about temporary library closures due to the Building Forward Library Infrastructure Grant Project

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/infrastructuregrant/
- Published: 2024-01-24T14:05:06-08:00
- Author: Courtney Park

## Library Branches are Getting a Major Plot Twist!

The Kern County Library expresses gratitude for the community’s understanding and
patience during the temporary closure of library branches, funded by the Building
Forward Library Infrastructure Grant administered by the California State Library.

Thanks to the Budget Act of 2021, Senate Bill 129, The Building Forward Library 
Infrastructure Grant awarded $12.8 million for safety upgrades and infrastructure
improvements. During these closures, certain libraries will undergo upgrades specifically
to address life-safety and critical maintenance needs. These closures gives us time
to make these changes and create a more inviting space for the community.

We look forward to reopening the doors with enhanced infrastructure, providing an
even better visitor experience for our library patrons.

While the physical library is closed, the digital collection remains accessible 
24/7 to all Kern County residents. This includes eBooks, eAudiobooks, streaming 
content, and more at [kerncountylibrary.org/elibrary](https://kerncountylibrary.org/elibrary).

## Branches that will remain open during infrastructure upgrades

#### Beale Memorial Library

_**Awarded $2,935,085**_

701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 **Contact: **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/bealelibrary/)
| 661.868.0701

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Closure dates yet to be determined[/
su_highlight]**

## Now Open Branches: Explore Our Upgraded Spaces!

#### Ridgecrest Branch Library

_**Awarded $1,058,522**_

131 East Las Flores Avenue, Ridgecrest, CA 93555 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Ridgecrest-Branch-Library-26566172168/)
| 760.384.5870

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday 
February 24, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### California City Branch Library

_**Awarded $540,618**_

9507 California City Boulevard, California City, CA 93505 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/californiacitylibrary/)
| 760.373.4757

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday 
February 10, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### Baker Branch Library

_**Awarded $667,761**_

1400 Baker Street, Bakersfield, CA 93305 **Contact: **[Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Baker-Branch-Library-1177043292362963/)
| 661.861.2390

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
January 27, 2026**

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Tuesday 
May 6, 2025 – Monday January 26, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### Delano Branch Library

_**Awarded $483,839**_

925 Tenth Avenue, Delano, CA 93215 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Delano-Branch-Library-1484192495153106/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf)
| 661.725.1078

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Wednesday,
January 21, 2026**

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Wednesday
April 16, 2025 – Tuesday January 20, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### Arvin Branch Library

_**Awarded $205,052**_

201 Campus Drive, Arvin, CA 93203 **Contact: **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Arvin-Branch-Library-408261762705714/)
| 661.854.5934

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
January 13, 2026**

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Tuesday 
April 18, 2025 – Monday January 12, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### Wasco Branch Library

_**Awarded $438,549**_

1102 7th Street, Wasco, CA 93280 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/wascolibrary)
| 661.758.2114

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Monday 
January 12, 2026 **

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Monday April
21, 2025 – Sunday January 11, 2026[/su_highlight]**

#### Rosamond Branch Library

_**Awarded $1,089,610**_

3611 Rosamond Boulevard, Rosamond, CA 93560 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/rosamondlibrary/)
| 661.256.3236

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
September 2, 2025 **

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Thursday
November 28, 2024 – Monday September 30, 2025[/su_highlight]**

#### Mojave Branch Library

_**Awarded $69,172**_

15555 O Street, Mojave, CA 93501 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/MojaveBranchLibrary/?ref=br_rs)
| 661.824.2243

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED[/su_highlight]**

#### Frazier Park Branch Library

_**Awarded $76,747**_

3732 Park Drive, Frazier Park, CA 93225 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Frazier-Park-Branch-248171502034905/?rf=944874342261865)
| 661.245.1267

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]CONSTRUCTION COMPLETED[/su_highlight]**

#### Rathbun Branch Library

_**Awarded $66,937**_

200 West China Grade Loop, Bakersfield, CA 93308 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/rathbunlibrary/)
| 661.393.6431

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]CONSTURCTION COMPLETED[/su_highlight]**

#### Taft Branch Library

_**Awarded $337,742**_

27 Cougar Court, Taft, CA 93268 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/TaftBranchLibrary/)
| 661.763.3294

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Monday 
June 2, 2025 **

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Tuesday 
November 12, 2024 – Monday June 2, 2025[/su_highlight]**

#### Kern River Valley Branch Library

_**Awarded $470,541**_

7054 Lake Isabella Boulevard, Lake Isabella, CA 93240 **Contact: **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Kern-River-Valley-Branch-Library-1082660775096243/)
| 760.549.2083

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
May 20, 2025 **

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″]Temporarily Closed Tuesday 
October 1, 2024 – Monday June 2, 2025****[/su_highlight]**

#### Wilson Branch Library

_**Awarded $1,278,571**_

1901 Wilson Road, Bakersfield, CA 93304 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/KCLWilsonBranch/)
| 661.834.4044

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
February 18, 2025 **

** ****Temporarily Closed Tuesday August 6, 2024 – Monday February 17, 2024[/su_highlight]**

[Click here to view more details](https://www.libraryaware.com/3161/Posts/View/467cc8e6-0283-4306-ac1e-0355fecfcff4)**

#### Holloway-Gonzales Branch Library

_**Awarded $1,729,262**_

506 East Brundage Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93307 **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Holloway-Gonzales-Branch-Library-1706971639574795/)
| 661.861.2083

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
January 7, 2025 **

**Temporarily Closed Tuesday August 6, 2024 – Monday January  6, 2025[/su_highlight]**

[Click here to view more details](https://www.libraryaware.com/3161/Posts/View/467cc8e6-0283-4306-ac1e-0355fecfcff4)**

#### Southwest Branch Library

_**Awarded $800,089**_

8301 Ming Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93311  **Contact:** [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SouthwestBranch/)
| 661.664.7716

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Monday 
January 6, 2025 **

** ****Temporarily Closed Tuesday January 2, 2024 – Sunday January 5, 2025[/su_highlight]**

[Click here to view more details](https://www.libraryaware.com/3161/Posts/View/d6830d70-20fe-4181-89e0-c562506bf21c)

#### Lamont Branch Library

_**Awarded $587,197**_

8304 Segrue Road, Lamont, CA 93241 **Contact:** [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/KCL-Lamont-Branch-Library-444456029085664/)
| 661.845.3471

**[su_highlight background=”#ffffff” color=”#C04c28″] NOW REOPENED as of Tuesday
June 4, 2024 **

** ****Temporarily Closed Thursday February 1, 2024 – Sunday June 2, 2024[/su_highlight]**

[Click here to view more details](https://www.libraryaware.com/3161/Posts/View/f7ecc1e4-0ace-42bc-899d-d5209f54c949?SID=6f05feb4-1e01-406c-afb0-c48dcd2f0b52)

 [  Click here for open library locations  ](https://kerncountylibrary.org/find-hours-locations/)

## Access eBooks & eAudiobooks

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/elibrary/
- Published: 2024-01-22T14:49:44-08:00
- Author: Q

[ ⌊Kern County Library hoopla digital⌉ ](https://www.hoopladigital.com/)

### **Discontinuing Hoopla**

After much consideration, the library has made the difficult decision to end our
contract with the streaming service Hoopla, effective January 1, 2026.

Only 15.7% of Kern County Library Card holders were using the service and it’s not
commonly known, but Hoopla is a “pay-per-use” model. 

The average cost per checkout is currently $2.40. One of the main challenges of 
a pay-per-use model is that increased popularity directly results in higher costs.
As more patrons use the service, expenses grow rapidly and unpredictably.

Because of this, libraries across the country are discontinuing hoopla and other
pay-per-use platforms, as rising usage, combined with inflation-driven budget constraints,
has made these services increasingly difficult to sustain.

The good news is that a wide variety of digital content will continue to be available
through OverDrive’s Libby app, cloudLibrary, the Palace Project, and Kanopy, all
of which remain free and accessible to Kern County residents.

 

Our goal is to continue providing sustainable, high-quality resources for the community.

 

Need Help?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/quvycbN2EE” target=”blank”
style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Contact Library Staff[/su_button]

 [  ](https://thepalaceproject.org/)

### 󠀁[**Palace Project**](https://thepalaceproject.org/)󠁿

##### eBooks & eAudiobooks

This statewide collection, designed to enhance access throughout the state, is available
to anyone with a California public library card and an internet connection.

**Collections Available in the Palace App:** The Palace Project consolidates three
collections, including Kern’s Overdrive and SJVLS’ cloudLibrary, into a single app.

Palace Project Collection checks out for 21 days and is available to any California
resident.

Content checked out in the Palace app from the OverDrive or cloudLibrary collections
will follow the same checkout & hold limits as noted below.

Need Help?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/quvycbN2EE” target=”blank”
style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Contact Library Staff[/su_button]

**Compatible with:iOS® (15.0+) and Android™ (7.0+)

[[[[

 [  ](https://kern.overdrive.com/)

### 󠀁[**Libby**](https://kern.overdrive.com/)󠁿

##### eBooks & eAudiobooks

 * 21 Day Loan Period
 * Max 30 Titles Out
 * Max 20 Items on Waiting List

Getting Started?
[xyz-ihs snippet=”link—OverDrive—niche”] &Access [Instructions](https://help.overdrive.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1481729-getting-started-with-overdrive)

_**Please Note: This service is available to Kern County Residents only.**_

Need Help?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/quvycbN2EE” target=”blank”
style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Contact Library Staff[/su_button]

Duplicate Accounts?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/ajG8YUqbLs” target
=”blank” style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″
text_shadow=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Merge OverDrive Accounts[/su_button]

**Compatible with:iOS® (10.0+) iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Android™ (minimum Lollipop,
5.0+), Blackberry ®, Kindle®, and eReaders

Available in additional languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and many more.

[[[[

 [  ](https://www.kanopy.com/en/kern)

### 󠀁[Kanopy](https://www.kanopy.com/en/kern)󠁿

##### Films, documentaries, series & children’s programing

 * Streaming service with over 30,000 films and documentaries
 * 12 tickets each month 
 * Unlimited access to select series and children’s programming

Getting Started? Access [Instructions](https://help.kanopy.com/en-us/categories/getting-started.htm)

Learn more about [using tickets](https://help.kanopy.com/en-us/4260.htm)

_**Please Note: This service is available to Kern County Residents only.**_

Need Help?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/quvycbN2EE” target=”blank”
style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Contact Library Staff[/su_button]

**Compatible devices:[See list of compatible browsers devices here ](https://help.kanopy.com/en-us/4148.htm)

Available in additional languages[](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606)
[](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overdrive.mobile.android.libby&hl=en_US&gl=US)

 [  ](https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/sjvls/featured)

### 󠀁[**cloudLibrary**](https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/sjvls/featured)󠁿

##### eBooks

 * 14 Day Loan Period
 * Max 3 Titles Out
 * Max 5 Items on Waiting List

Getting Started?
[xyz-ihs snippet=”link—cloudLibrary—niche”] &Access [Instructions](http://www.yourcloudlibrary.com/index.php/en-us/support)

_**Please Note: This service is available to all San Joaquin Valley Residents.**_

Need Help?
[su_button url=”https://forms.office.com/r/quvycbN2EE” target=”blank”
style=”3d” background=”#ddd” color=”#000000″ size=”4″ icon_color=”#030a61″ text_shadow
=”0px 0px 0px #09c”]Contact Library Staff[/su_button]

**Compatible with:iOS® & Android™ (Using 3M Cloud Library App) and eReaders (but
not Kindle®)

[[[[

 [ ⌊Kern County Library Open Library⌉ ](https://openlibrary.org/)

### 󠀁[**OpenLibrary**](https://openlibrary.org/)󠁿

##### eBooks & eAudiobooks

The state of California is participating in an eBook lending program. Browse the
growing lending library of over 200,000 eBooks!

## Search Library Catalog

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/search-library-catalog/
- Published: 2023-12-06T12:38:05-08:00
- Author: Courtney Park

## Preserving Library Services at Frazier Park Branch Library starting Tuesday, November 28, 2023

- Link: https://kerncountylibrary.org/preserving-library-services-at-frazier-park-branch-library-starting-tuesday-november-28-2023/
- Published: 2023-11-21T11:27:45-08:00
- Author: Courtney Park