Menlo Park Library participates in One Book, One Coast

Published on March 20, 2026

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Throughout the months of April and May, Menlo Park is partnering with LA County library and nearly 200 library systems across California, Washington, and Oregon for One Book, One Coast, a shared community reading program that celebrates literacy, learning, community, and civil discourse. All participating libraries will read and discuss "They Called Us Enemy" by actor and activist George Takei. The graphic memoir recounts Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. The Menlo Park and Belle Haven libraries will be giving out free copies of the book while supplies last, and unlimited ebook copies are available to read on Comics Plus and Libby by Overdrive. 

To close out One Book, One Coast, the East Los Angeles Library is hosting an author talk and book signing with George Takei on Sunday, May 31. The talk will be livestreamed on YouTube. George will sit down for an interview with LA County Library Director Dr. Skye Patrick and Cathy De Leon, Director of Long Beach Public Library.

Join Menlo Park for two months of special programming bringing Japanese American history and culture to life. 

  • 3/22-5/17: SPECIAL EXHIBITION: Am I An American or Am I Not?
  • 4/8: Yoshiko Kanazawa: A Wartime Journey
  • 4/10: Global Language Storytime: Japanese
  • 4/14: How to Draw Manga Moods
  • 4/20: Kokoro: Sacramento's Lost Japantown
  • 4/21: Teen Book Group: They Called Us Enemy
  • 5/2: Koto Music and Film with Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto
  • 5/4: Americans Behind Barbed Wire
  • 5/17: Japanese Taiko Drumming with Kristy “Aki” Oshiro
  • 5/31: Author Talk with George Takei

 

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