Community Calendar

County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries is partnering with NAACP SLO County and SLO County Library Foundation to present a screening of the short film Breath of Gloster, featuring trail runner and environmental activist Peyton Thomas and educator-activist Dr. Krystal Martin. The screening will be followed by a community discussion with Thomas and Dr. Martin and local experts.

Attendees will hear from Thomas and Dr. Martin, as well as local voices that include youth mental health clinician Jene Hinton-Railsback, environmental educator Celeste Royer, NAACP's Tobin Johnson, SLO Climate Coalition's Eric Veium, and Cal Poly kinesiology lecturer Dr. Nicole Hagobian.

An educational panel series offering information, guidance and support regarding advanced health planning, dementia, hospice, medical aid in dying, sustainable funerals, and end of life rituals and celebrations.

A two-hour poetry reading, featuring diverse writers of conscience share the impact of past or present civil liberty challenges on their lives and families. There will be an open mic session for attendees to perform their works. The event will conclude with a writing workshop and closing open mic.

Presenters:
—Adela Najarro, poet from Santa Cruz; author of five poetry collections
—Aideed Medina, Poet Laureate, Fresno
—Kimi Sugioka, Poet Laureate, Alameda
—Joseph Jason Santiago LaCour, spoken word poet, hip-hop artist
—Shizue Seigel, poet, writer, and visual artist

Creative Quills Poetry Collective provides a supportive and inclusive platform for local poets to share their creative works.

Join us for the third event in UCSB Library’s new speaker series, AI in Action Conversations with UCSB Researchers. The event features short presentations by Simon Billinge (California NanoSystems Institute) and Nina Miolane (REAL AI for Science) on innovative applications of AI in their research, followed by a 30-minute moderated discussion on broader trends, challenges, and ethical considerations.

Advance registration is recommended as space is limited.

It’s HIGH NOON in Santa Barbara for Braver Angels Kick off 2026! Get inspired with John Wood, Jr., National Ambassador. Meet the leadership of the Central Coast. He will deliver an important message from the Braver Angels leadership about our renewed vision and mission.

A panel about finding “Common Ground” for Immigration—a Braver Angels hallmark teaching—will also be demonstrated.

Author-historian Shizue Seigel and former WWII incarceree Margaret Nakamura Cooper share stories and images of the Japanese American struggle for equality, land, and freedom.

SLO Library Community Room.

Loyal fans and those new to his audience will be entertained with Garrison Keillor’s quintessential humor, music, poetry and anecdotes in his classic baritone.

Join the Central Coast Aquarium on the last Tuesday of each month, January through May, from 5:30 to 8:00 pm for our lectures series for age 18+ evening at the aquarium. Enjoy local wine, beverages, light appetizers, and after-hours access while diving into the amazing world of science with incredible local experts including Dr. Ben Ruttenberg from Cal Poly’s Marine Conservation Lab; Dr. Laurie McConnico of Cuesta College; Dr. Chris Lowe from the CSULB Shark Lab; and the Morro Bay National Estuary Program.

Doors open at 5:30 pm, with time to explore exhibits, mingle, and check out our poster gallery featuring recent undergraduate and graduate research. Then a live public feeding of an exhibit, which leads us into the featured lecture talk from 7:00 to 7:45 pm.

JAWS - friend or foe? Learn the truth about sharks, and their beauty and importance in healthy ecosystems. Enjoy a lecture presented by a local scientist, artist, or nature expert.

Richard Salas (askphotography.com) is a California native and graduate from Brooks Institute of Photography, where he was mentored by Ernest Brooks II and first introduced to diving and underwater photography.