{"id":385148,"date":"2026-07-03T17:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385148\/"},"modified":"2026-07-03T17:09:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T17:09:10","slug":"a-long-beach-public-library-card-delivers-more-than-books-herald-community-newspapers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/385148\/","title":{"rendered":"A Long Beach Public Library card delivers more than books | Herald Community Newspapers"},"content":{"rendered":"

A library card isn\u2019t just a passport to all the reading your imagination can handle. It\u2019s an all-access pass to free activities and events, educational and entertaining programs and even a lending library to borrow anything from a metal detector to a karaoke machine. Here are a few more reasons to head to the Long Beach Public Library <\/a>this summer.<\/p>\n

New Borrow-a-Bike program<\/p>\n

The \u201cLibrary of Things\u201d already allows card-carrying patrons to borrow a range of gear, including a Nintendo Switch for fun-filled days or a telescope for sky-watching nights. The library also offers membership passes to a range of museums, including the Long Island Children\u2019s Museum<\/a> and the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.<\/p>\n

This year, the library introduced a borrow-a-bike program for members over 18 years old. For up to three days, a member can use one of the library\u2019s two cruiser bicycles to ride, safely, around the city. The bikes come with a lock for security and front and rear lights for maximum visibility. Helmets<\/a> are not provided but are encouraged. Visit the adult reference desk to reserve a timeslot and sign release forms.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnearth your story\u201d summer reading challenge<\/p>\n

The library has thrown down the gauntlet. From June 29 through August 22, it\u2019s challenging patrons to complete a bingo card filled with tasks to widen reading lists, expand interests and investigate the library\u2019s full offerings. Visit the reference desk for an official bingo card listing 24 challenges and get to work meeting the criteria.<\/p>\n

Assignments include some obvious items such as reading a book published in the year you were born, reading on the beach, or reading a classic novel. It\u2019s also a chance to move beyond your comfort zone by trying something new such as borrowing from the seed library, using a database, or watching a movie on Kanopy \u2014 a free online streaming service specializing in classic movies, indie films and documentaries.<\/p>\n

LBPL celebrates America 250 all summer long<\/p>\n

The library isn\u2019t letting the nation\u2019s semiquincentennial pass by without appropriate attention. Informative and enjoyable programs are scheduled through the entire summer specifically to recognize the country\u2019s 250th anniversary. As the paper went to press, the apple pie showdown contest was scheduled for 7 p.m. July 1.<\/p>\n

Historian James Coll is presenting a series of three \u201cWe The People\u201d lectures to discuss the three branches of government. An array of concerts, children\u2019s arts and crafts and community events \u2014 including America-themed meetings of the book club and the vinyl collector\u2019s club<\/a> \u2014 are also planned. Find full program details and event schedules at longbeachlibrary.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A library card isn\u2019t just a passport to all the reading your imagination can handle. It\u2019s an all-access…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385149,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[16881,155452,131,133,132,115782,4694,141094,155451],"class_list":["post-385148","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-free-events","tag-james-coll","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news","tag-long-beach-public-library","tag-new-york","tag-summer-reading-challenge","tag-things-to-do-this-summer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385148","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385148"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385148\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385148"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385148"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385148"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}