Full Notification

The Chula Vista Public Library opens its doors to armed services veterans and their families with a range of services, events and materials. The Veterans Resource Center services in the Civic Center Branch, 365 F Street, include a Veterans Wing, a veteran volunteer, computer lab access, special book collection, in-house office hours of a representative of the San Diego County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs, exhibits, and more.

"One goal of these library services is to help veterans apply for their CalVet (California Department of Veterans Affairs) benefits, such as medical services, home loans, fee waivers, disability-related issues and employment," says Principal Librarian Stephanie Loney. "The Chula Vista Library is known as the 'community's family room' and we welcome the veterans and their families who call Chula Vista their home. As a center of information, the library is a natural site for veterans to turn for information on the wide variety of services available to them."

Chula Vista is ranked the 12th best city in the country for veterans, according to a 2015 study by the website WalletHub. The rankings were based on criteria such as military skill-related jobs, rate of veteran income growth, percentage of veterans living below the poverty line, and location of Veterans Affairs facilities. Chula Vista is second only to the City of San Diego in the population of veterans in the county, with 18,504.

A "War Comes Home: The Legacy" exhibit highlighting private correspondence from nearly every major conflict in U.S. history, is on display at the Civic Center Branch through April 24. Rich with historic and contemporary letters, it offers an intimate perspective into the thoughts and emotions of military veterans and their families upon a soldier's homecoming. Part of Cal Humanities' current War Comes Home initiative, the thematic program is designed to promote greater understanding of veterans and explore how war shapes a community. The exhibition is based on the work of the Center for American War Letters (CAWL). Cal Humanities is an independent non-profit and State partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

In conjunction with the exhibit, the Civic Center Library will host author and Chula Vista native Susan Herney, whose new book Steadfast is based on World War II correspondence between her parents. Herney's talk will take place on Thursday, April 14, at 4:30 p.m.

The library services are part of and California State Library initiative entitled '"Veterans Connect @ the Library." Navy Veteran Volunteer Danny Carreon is available for questions and guidance in the Civic Center Library on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The County Office of Military and Veterans Affairs has monthly office hours in the library on the third Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and no appointment is needed. The library's computer lab is open to veterans and their families on Thursdays, from 5-7 p.m., and on Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and a private computer cubicle for veterans has access to high-speed internet. The veterans services are coordinated by librarian David Janning. For more information, please call the library at (619) 691-5069.

Other highlights of the coming week are: .

Civic Center Branch, 365 F St, (619) 691-5069
-Free Tax Assistance by AARP, Mon & Sat, 10 am-2 pm, first come, first served.
-S.T.E.A.M. for Kids ages 5+, Wed, Apr 6, 4:30 pm, Peeps Science
-Stress Relief Coloring (Adults), each Fri, 12-2 pm; color to soft classical music.
-Divorce Info by National Conflict Resolution Center & SD Law Library, 4-week series starts Wed, Apr 6, 6-7 pm; "What is divorce mediation?"

South Chula Vista Branch, 389 Orange Av, (619) 585-5755:
-S.T.E.A.M. for kids & teens. Spring craft, Thurs, Apr 7, 4 pm
-ESL/Citizenship classes, Mon-Thurs, 5:30-8 pm, Sat, 9 am-12:15 pm; for info, email Jackie Macias, [email protected]
- Free Tax Assistance, Tues & Thurs, 10 am-2 pm, first come, first served.

Otay Ranch Branch, Otay Ranch Town Center, 2015 Birch Rd, #409, (619) 397-5740:
- Office Hours of Congresswoman Susan Davis @ the Hub, Tues, Apr 5, 2-4 pm (1st Tues of each month
- Passport Fair Saturday, Apr 9 & 16, 9am-3 pm, The Hub. Ready to travel? Apply for your U.S. Passport. Standard and expedited processing. For info, please call (619) 397-5740 to speak to an agent.
- Little Hands Art, Sat, Apr 2, 12 noon; Explore art with your little one. Wear clothes you can get messy in.
- U+ Yoga with Mark Houghton, Thursdays, 5 pm
All Library programs are FREE and OPEN to the public. For more information on our programs, and to see our Calendar of Events, click on: http://www.chulavistalibrary.com to see our Events Calendar, or pick up a printed copy in any library branch.