BC Staff Participate in Community Storytime at Shafter Library

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

The Shafter Library and Learning Center (SLLC) hosted a community storytime as part of the Shafter Colours Festival on Saturday, February 27th. The storytime, conducted in spoken English and Spanish as well as American Sign Language (ASL), celebrated the diversity in the Shafter Library’s collection and Shafter community at large.

Bakersfield College faculty members Martha Mendez, Jerome Lagaya, and Ariel Dyer read the picture book Monster Hands by Jonaz McMillan and Karen Kane, a story about two best friends who use ASL to scare away the monsters under the bed. Shafter Library and Learning Center’s regular storytime host Elsa Solorio read Mi Colores, Mi Mundo / My Colors, My World by Maya Christina Gonzalez. The storytime was followed by a craft where attendees could create their own monster hands. Throughout the event, ASL interpretive services were provided so all attendees could participate and enjoy the activities.

This event was organized in partnership with the Independent Living Center of Kern County, SLLC, the Shafter Colours Festival, and Bakersfield College.

For those who were unable to attend the event but still want to enjoy stories in Spanish and English or featuring Deaf characters, the library has you covered! Look for books marked with a red sticker on the spine label for bilingual titles in Spanish and English, and ask a library staff member for title recommendations for books on ASL or fictional books celebrating the Deaf community.