About us
The City of Menlo Park's libraries offer a variety of programs, including art events, author talks, info sessions, craft sessions, music events, and more. To make the most of our programming efforts and this meetup page, we’d love for you to get involved. If you come to a program, say hi and let us know you saw it on meetup. If you have an idea for something you’d like to see at the library, send us a message. The library is a great space for community meetups and we’d love to play a role in making those connections!
See more events at our calendar, and check our hours and holiday closures.
Upcoming events
81
Magic Science Show
Belle Haven Library, Belle Haven Community Campus, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, ca, USJoin us for an amazing magic show that has a lot to teach us about science!
When you understand the science behind how the world works, you can manipulate it in wondrous ways. Presenter Stephen Treder will share chemistry and physics demonstrations to amaze and inspire youth and adults alike.
This free presentation received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
Sunday, March 22, 2026 | 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, CAMore free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X5 attendees
Exhibition: Am I An American or Am I Not?
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St, Menlo Park, CA, USVisit the library to view our latest special exhibition!
The exhibition’s title comes from Fred Korematsu, who famously challenged the mass imprisonment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. When faced with criminal charges for not following the military orders to leave his home without due process, the U.S. born citizen remembered his Constitutional rights and asked, “Am I an American or am I not?”
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” explores how fear, discrimination, and government actions led to the violation of Constitutional rights during the war and how this history relates to the experiences of other communities, including Native Americans and African Americans.
The exhibition addresses stories of other historic and modern-day events that parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans to encourage visitors to take action today and stand up for the rights of all Americans.
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” was developed in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, AGH Arts Strategies, and Exhibit Envoy, with funding from the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), the JA Community Foundation, and PwC.
The exhibition is viewable during all library open hours (M-W Noon-8 p.m.; Th-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.).
This exhibition received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
ONE BOOK, ONE COAST:
Throughout the months of April and May, Menlo Park is partnering with LA County library and nearly 200 library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for One Book, One Coast, a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. Join us for two months of special programming bringing Japanese American history and culture to life.
| 3/22-5/17 |
Exhibition: Am I An American...? |
Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII.| Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII. |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 4/8A Wartime Journey |
Yoshiko Kanazawa talks about being forced to relocate to an incarceration camp as a child. |
4/10
Japanese Storytime
Ages 2-5 with adult: high-energy storytime full of Japanese culture—all in Japanese4/14
Draw Manga Moods
Age 8-Adult: draw expressive faces using the unique visual language of Japanese comics4/20
Sacramento's Lost Japantown
Live virtual event with California Museum4/21
Teen Book Group (Ages 12-17)
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei5/2
Koto Performance and Film
Musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on preserving culture in the "camps"5/4
Americans Behind Barbed Wire
Meet people who lived through mass incarceration, & their family members5/17
Japanese Taiko Drumming
Drummer Kristy "Aki" Oshiro shares Japanese language, culture, and history5/31
Author Talk with George Takei
One Book, One Coast wraps up with a special visit from They Called Us Enemy author George Takei, livestreamed from the East Los Angeles Library.More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X3 attendeesExhibition: Am I An American or Am I Not?
Menlo Park Library, 800 Alma St, Menlo Park, CA, USVisit the library to view our latest special exhibition!
The exhibition’s title comes from Fred Korematsu, who famously challenged the mass imprisonment of over 125,000 Japanese Americans during WWII. When faced with criminal charges for not following the military orders to leave his home without due process, the U.S. born citizen remembered his Constitutional rights and asked, “Am I an American or am I not?”
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” explores how fear, discrimination, and government actions led to the violation of Constitutional rights during the war and how this history relates to the experiences of other communities, including Native Americans and African Americans.
The exhibition addresses stories of other historic and modern-day events that parallel aspects of the incarceration of Japanese Americans to encourage visitors to take action today and stand up for the rights of all Americans.
“Am I An American or Am I Not?” was developed in partnership with the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, AGH Arts Strategies, and Exhibit Envoy, with funding from the National Park Service Japanese American Confinement Sites Grant Program, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), the JA Community Foundation, and PwC.
The exhibition is viewable during all library open hours (M-W Noon-8 p.m.; Th-Sun. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.).
This exhibition received funding support from the Friends of the Menlo Park Library.
ONE BOOK, ONE COAST:
Throughout the months of April and May, Menlo Park is partnering with LA County library and nearly 200 library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for One Book, One Coast, a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. Join us for two months of special programming bringing Japanese American history and culture to life.
| 3/22-5/17 |
Exhibition: Am I An American...? |
Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII.| Fred Korematsu challenged the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans during WWII. |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 4/8A Wartime Journey |
Yoshiko Kanazawa talks about being forced to relocate to an incarceration camp as a child. |
4/10
Japanese Storytime
Ages 2-5 with adult: high-energy storytime full of Japanese culture—all in Japanese4/14
Draw Manga Moods
Age 8-Adult: draw expressive faces using the unique visual language of Japanese comics4/20
Sacramento's Lost Japantown
Live virtual event with California Museum4/21
Teen Book Group (Ages 12-17)
They Called Us Enemy, by George Takei5/2
Koto Performance and Film
Musician Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on preserving culture in the "camps"5/4
Americans Behind Barbed Wire
Meet people who lived through mass incarceration, & their family members5/17
Japanese Taiko Drumming
Drummer Kristy "Aki" Oshiro shares Japanese language, culture, and history5/31
Author Talk with George Takei
One Book, One Coast wraps up with a special visit from They Called Us Enemy author George Takei, livestreamed from the East Los Angeles Library.More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X1 attendee
Sci-Fi Fantasy Book Group: Frankenstein
·OnlineOnlineJoin us in person or online for this month’s book group meeting to talk about Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, was completed by Mary Shelley at the age of 19. She infused this original novel with Gothic and Romantic elements.
Scientist Victor Frankenstein creates a large and powerful creature in the likeness of man, but is disgusted by his own creation and he abandons the being to fend for itself.
Spawning generations of horror stories in the genre, Frankenstein is a gruesome warning against playing God and attempting the engineering of life.
Menlo Park’s Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Group meets on the 4th Monday of each month.
Monday, March 23, 2026 | 06:30 PM - 07:45 PM
Hybrid event! Join us by Zoom webinar (register for link) or in person.
Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park, CA, 94025More free events with Menlo Park Library
Menlo Park Library on social media:
@menloparklibrary on Instagram & Facebook
@menlolibrary on Twitter/X4 attendees
Past events
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