San Diego’s annual celebration of inclusivity and empowerment is around the corner, and the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) is hosting fun and educational programming for people of all ages. San Diegans are invited to join SDPL and participate in their own communities with this year’s theme: Unbreakable Pride, Unshakeable Power. 

“Public libraries are places for San Diegans to enrich themselves and their communities, and that’s more exemplified during Pride than perhaps any other time of the year,” said Library Department Director Misty Jones. “SDPL remains committed to providing safe places for all San Diegans at every age to pursue lifelong learning.”  

As part of this year’s celebration, SDPL will host family-friendly Pride-themed storytimes at three library locations:  

•  Rancho Peñasquitos on Tuesday, July 8 
• University Heights on Tuesday, July 15
• Mission Valley on Thursday, July 17  

All storytimes feature age-appropriate stories and songs to celebrate diversity and individuality. Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library will also host a Pride Pop-Up Celebration Saturday, July 19 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a special Pride Edition Dance Pants Party, followed by refreshments, crafts and swag to take home, while supplies last. 

To commemorate Pride, SDPL held a contest to design a Pride-themed library card. With over 200 entries, the winning design was created by Annie Alwine, who honored LGBTQIA+ trailblazers with a vintage library book due date slip stamped with the dates and names of historical figures whose lives shaped the Pride movement and impacted the world in powerful ways.   

“The dates mark meaningful moments from each person’s story,” said Alwine. “I wanted it to feel like an Easter egg — inviting viewers to dig deeper, spark curiosity and discover more about these bold, unbreakable voices whose recognition is overdue.”  

The limited-edition Pride library card is available beginning today for patrons to pick up at any library location, while supplies last. All library card replacement fees are waived for the month of July. For more information on the library’s Pride celebrations, community resources and book recommendations, visit the SDPL LGBTQIA+ page. 

About the San Diego Public Library 

With a vision of being the place for opportunity, discovery and inspiration, the San Diego Public Library is a hub for knowledge and lifelong learning. As the largest library system in the region, it serves a population of more than 1.4 million. Learn about events at the San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common and 36 community branch libraries, find links to programs and resources or search for materials in the online catalog at SanDiegoLibrary.org