With the colder weather settling in and Fontana's Hot Summer Days quickly becoming a memory, it's nice to know that there are always great adventures indoors waiting for you and your family at the local library. This October, the Fontana Branch Library, operated by the San Bernardino County Library and located at 16860 Valencia Avenue at Nuevo, has an incredibly haunting lineup of Witching Hour events for all ages.

On Monday nights at 5:00 p.m., teens will get into the spirit of things with activities

that include Goth Sock Puppets, Day of the Dead crafts, and a video game tournament. According to Helen Fisher, youth services manager, "Monday night programs are a way of attracting older youth to the library who might not otherwise visit. Our programs are fun and engaging and are designed to make teens aware that the library belongs to everyone."

On Tuesday nights at 6:00 p.m., the Imagination Hour introduces young readers to books through creative play. Families enjoy puppet shows, skits, songs, and crafts. This is a great way to formally embrace the world of literature and the magical experiences that can come from visits to the library.

On Thursday and Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m., the library offers an exercise session for children. The Toddler Boot Camp is designed to tap into the unbridled energy of walkers up to age 3 and help channel it into learning dance, yoga, stretching, and balance.

Friday mornings at 11:30 a.m. parents of infants enjoy the Itsy Bitsy Baby series. The bi-lingual story-sharing sessions involve finger plays, songs, rhymes, and books for parents and babies. The delightful songs and rhymes offer children and parents opportunities to learn in group settings.

The special events scheduled for October really began on September 26th with a visit from Viola Canales, award winning author of The Tequila Worm . The talented writer discussed her novel with youth who in turn participated in an exclusive Art Depot Open Studio session.

In a month of goblins and monsters, nothing can be scarier than censorship. The library will be supporting the Banned Books Week, when people "Celebrate the Freedom to Read" from Wednesday, September 26 through Saturday, October 6. This has been an observed event by the American Library Association since 1982. For more information or to read a listing of books that have been challenged or banned, please visit the American Library Associations Banned Books Week at www.ala.org. The Fontana Library will have an exhibit of banned books for patrons. Each person that checks out at least one from the display will get a button that declares "I read banned books."

Teen Read Week runs Sunday, October 14 through Saturday, October 20 and is a national celebration sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association which is a division of the American Library Association. The goal is to encourage readers aged 12 to 18 to spend more time reading and visiting libraries. According to Fisher, "The display will have hilarious books that will make you laugh out loud. Teens can win prizes by checking out books and other materials."

The activity during Teen Read Week will be Halloween-inspired Goth Sock Puppets.

October will end with a great 3-day Halloween celebration from Monday, October 29 through Wednesday, October 31. Teens will make Day of the Dead crafts on Monday, at 5:00 p.m. On Tuesday, at 6:00 p.m. the Imagination Hour will celebrate everything spooky, and on Wednesday, at 3:30 p.m. patrons will make popcorn hands, ghost puppets, and other scary crafts.

Through creative programs, the library is inviting to citizens of all ages. This fall, even adults will find themselves attracted to the craft sessions, computer instructions, citizenship study, and English improvement classes.

Says Leonard Hernandez, Fontana Branch manager, "The Fontana Branch Library is excited to present a new fall schedule of programs and services. From our wonderful Baby Boot Camp sessions to our adult scrap booking programs, our goal is to provide lifelong learning opportunities for the whole community. If you have never been to the library or have not been by in a while, we would like to invite you to 'Check Us Out.'" For more information about all the programs offered at the Fontana Branch Library, please call (909) 822-8330 or visit the facility at 16860 Valencia at Nuevo. The hours of operation are: Sundays, from noon to 5:00 p.m., Mondays and Tuesdays, from noon to 8:00 p.m., Wednesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday and Fridays, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.