Happy New Year! January is such a hopeful month because it represents a new beginning. What are you resolving to do this new year?
1. The Winter Reading Club continues through January, so you still have time to sign up and get a free book. If you’ve finished your 6 hours of reading, make sure to pick up your finisher prize! The program ends Jan. 31, 2026.
2. January is a great time to set a reading goal for 2026. Listening to audiobooks is a great way to increase the number of books you read each year. You can read while you cook, read while you walk or read while you drive. Listening to a story is a great way to make the time pass quickly. MCFL has many audiobook formats including books on CD, Playaways and downloadable audiobooks on Libby and Palace Project. Visit your library to learn more.
3. January is National Hobby Month. Several branch libraries of Monterey County Free Libraries have active clubs where people gather to knit, play chess, play backgammon, discuss books and more. Ask at your local branch to find out about clubs or check out the Events Calendar to find out about some of the clubs hosted by MCFL branches. Meet people and learn a new skill. We will feature library clubs on our social media posts in January.
4. The featured resources this month include, BookBrowse, a reader’s advisory database that gives you great reading suggestions to put on your TBR or “to be read” list of books and helps you with your reading goal in 2026. For kids we have Tumblebooks with animated books for kids to read. Tumblebooks has an app, so kids can read on the go, on mobile devices.
5. This month we recognize and celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and MCFL branch libraries will be closed on Saturday, Jan. 17. The Administrative Office and the Seaside Branch will be closed on Monday, Jan. 19. You can use your library online 24/7 during the closure.
We look forward to seeing you at the library throughout 2026.
