Librarian Musings!
Monterey County Free Libraries
5 Things for March 2026 from MCFL
1. At Monterey County Free Libraries, we highlight Women’s History Month in March and celebrate women authors with our Tuesday author posts on social media. Look for displays of books and DVDs in our branches. Movies in MCFL’s collection about extraordinary women include, On the Basis of Sex, Hidden Figures, Frida, Temple Grandin, Harriet, Queen of Katwe and many others. Watch one to celebrate women this month.
2. The first week of March is Read Across America Week, we encourage people to read or read to someone. You can start a book club or join the online book club on BookBrowse. For fun, visit your local branch for a book-related craft during the first week of March.
3. This month we are featuring Comics Plus, which is one of our eBook resources. You can download and read hundreds of comics and graphic novels. The service is divided into Comics Plus-Kids, Comics Plus-Teens and Comics Plus-Full to separate titles by reading level. Find it on our eBooks page.
4. In March we are gearing up for One Book One Coast book club. Spearheaded by LA County Library, One Book One Coast encourages everyone on the west coast of the US to read the same book. The selected book is They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. An amazing biographical graphic novel and it’s available to read on Comics Plus. The One Book One Coast book club kicks off April 1, 2026, through May 31, 2026. More information will be forthcoming. Ask at your local branch for information on activities.
5. All MCFL Branch Libraries will be closed on Tuesday, March 31, in recognition of Cesar Chavez Day. eBook, eAudiobooks and online resources are available 24/7. We look forward to seeing you at the library.
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eMCFL
Instagram: @e_mcfl
TikTok: mclibraries
Visit: MCFL Virtual Programs on YouTube
For more information contact:
Be Astengo astengobc@co.monterey.ca.us 831-884-4370
Alison Day dayaj1@co.monterey.ca.us 831-883-7542
5 Things for March
“Even though I work during the summers, I feel like I'm on vacation whenever I read a book or listen to an audiobook.”
-Be Astengo, Managing Librarian
Summer Reading Recommendations - You can check these books out at your local library:
1. The Paris Novel (Ruth Reichl) transports you to Paris in the 1980s, where you can spend some time in the City of Lights.
2. The Women (Kristen Hannah) takes place in San Diego and Vietnam in the late 1960s, a time in history that many of us are familiar with but with a very different perspective.
3. Calamity of Souls (David Baldacci) is set in a Southern Virginia town in 1968 where lawyers unravel a murder mystery to save their client.
If you have travel plans or plan to “staycation” in the comfort of your home this summer, take a vacation with a book.
To read or to listen, that is the question!
I confess that today, I listen to more books than I read. It’s a habit that I started early in my career as a librarian, during my commute to work when I was trying to read as broadly as I could in the library collection. For books that were not my favorite genre, I found listening was easier than reading. Back then, books were on cassettes! Reader’s Advisory is one of my favorite parts of my job, and I love to hear what others are reading and let them know about a few books that I’ve read and loved. Reading or listening broadly allows me to know more about genres of the collection that I don’t often read, like Science Fiction or Horror.
Now, we have so many options for reading and listening to books that I always have at least two books at my fingertips and a large pile of TBRs (To Be Read). Print books are a familiar comfort and a great way to read off-screen. Graphic novels, which are super popular with teens and tweens, are a great way to get art and literature in one place. Everyone who signs up for Summer Reading Club gets a free print book, and we have selections for all ages.
I use Libby most frequently and have for many years. MCFL has a broad selection of ebooks and audiobooks, and I can find something to read quickly, literally at my fingertips. I also use Palace Project, which was launched a few years ago through funding from the California State Library and offers another vast library of ebooks and audiobooks on a smartphone app, again, at my fingertips.
Beyond the Local Library
Happy Reading!
As Stephen King says, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
More Ways to Listen
Our circulation records show that Playaways, another audiobook format, is very popular, especially among youth. For those who don’t have smartphones, a Playaway is a compact way to listen to an audiobook on a device smaller than most cell phones. You can put it in your pocket and take a walk.