Kern County One Book Project

Kern County One Book Project Jillian was inspired to begin such a project in Bakersfield. Kern County Library became the lead organization in 2003.

The One Book Project is a countywide effort that fosters community connections to facilitate reading and discussions through meaningful programming centered on the themes in a book title selected by Kern County Library's co-partner CSUB each year. The program began in 2001 through the grassroots efforts of Jillian Fritch, an elementary school teacher who had read a story in the Los Angeles Times regarding One Book, One Community initiatives; at the time Seattle Reads and One Book Chicago were pioneers, and Los Angeles had decided to do a One Book project. The first book was “To Kill a Mockingbird.” An array of community partners jumped on board, including education, nonprofits, local government, businesses and media outlets. Now in its the 22nd year, One Book continues to reach out to our diverse Kern County community both in book choice and related programming. In 2010, the project began a partnership with California State University, Bakersfield’s First Year Experience program which involves students reading a common book. Through this partnership, the community can benefit from the extended programming, including a visit and talk by the author at CSUB at the culmination in October 2022.

09/28/2026

Artists! Still a few more weeks til the final art drop dates for Latination! Keep creating and submit your work by October 8 or 9.

Get the Call for Works at www.kernarts.org/latination13 - Send any questions to [email protected]

09/28/2026

BakersfieldSound.org is a digital initiative from the Bakersfield Country Music Museum designed to preserve, promote, and connect the history of the Bakersfield Sound.

It includes sections on Artists & Musicians, the Museum, History, and Education & Schools, with resources intended for educators, students, and the community.

This is a project of the Bakersfield Country Music Museum, a 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, contact Jennifer Faughn at [email protected] or 661-805-1115.

09/28/2026

I've read a lot of self-help books. Most of them tell me the same things in different words: think positive, set goals, believe in yourself. By the time I finish, I'm inspired for about forty-eight hours, and then the feeling fades. The book goes on the shelf. The old patterns return.

Shubham Kumar Singh's You Become What You Think is different, but not because the ideas are new. They're not. The ideas are ancient, some of them thousands of years old. What makes this book different is the way Singh presents them: as insights he's lived, distilled from years of reading and applying what he learned. He's not a guru on a mountaintop. He's a reader and a blogger who transformed his own life through books, and who wants to help you do the same.

The book is a collection of actionable insights on happiness, personal growth, relationships, and mental health. It's not a memoir. It's not a philosophical treatise. It's a practical guide, the kind you can pick up, open to any page, and find something you can apply immediately.

5 Lessons That Stick With You:

1. You become what you think.
This is the book's central premise, and it's not just a catchy title. Singh argues that your thoughts shape your reality, not in a magical, law-of-attraction way, but in a practical, psychological way. What you focus on grows. What you rehearse in your mind becomes your default. If you constantly tell yourself you're not enough, you'll live as if it's true. If you practice seeing possibility, you'll move toward it.

2. Happiness is not something you find. It's something you build.
We treat happiness as a destination, a place we'll arrive once we achieve the right things. Singh flips this. Happiness is a practice. It's built through small daily choices: gratitude, presence, kindness, self-compassion. It's not about waiting for life to be perfect. It's about noticing what's already good.

3. Your relationships are a mirror of your inner world.
The way you relate to others reflects the way you relate to yourself. If you're critical of yourself, you'll be critical of others. If you're disconnected from your own needs, you'll struggle to connect with theirs. Singh argues that improving your relationships starts with improving your relationship with yourself.

4. Mental health is not a luxury. It's a foundation.
Singh writes about mental health not as an afterthought but as the bedrock of everything else. You can't build a happy life on a dysregulated nervous system. You can't show up for others if you're running on empty. Cultivating resilience, emotional balance, and self-awareness isn't selfish, it's essential.

5. Small actions, repeated, change everything.
The book doesn't promise overnight transformation. It promises something better: that small, consistent actions compound over time. One journal entry. One mindful breath. One kind word to yourself. One uncomfortable conversation handled with care. These tiny shifts, repeated daily, become the architecture of a different life.

You Become What You Think is a warm, practical, and genuinely useful book. Shubham Kumar Singh has distilled years of reading and living into a guide that meets you where you are and points you toward where you want to be. It won't change your life overnight. But it will give you the tools to start changing it, one thought, one action, one small shift at a time.

Read it if you're ready to become what you think. Read it if you're ready to level up your life.

BOOK: https://link.amazon/B0iqkc5BK

Enjoy the audio book with FREE trial using the link above. Use the link to register on audible and start enjoying!

09/28/2026

🤔 What if the secret to stronger families is simply talking... and truly listening?

As we celebrate National Family Day today, it's the perfect time to reflect on how we connect with the people who matter most. In a world full of screens, distractions, and endless noise, meaningful conversation can feel harder than ever.

That's why we're excited to kick off the 2026 Kern County One Book Project on October 1 with Celeste Headlee's bestselling book, We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations that Matter.

Headlee reminds us that better conversations start with empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to understand rather than simply be understood. Whether around the dinner table, at work, or in our community, those skills can help strengthen relationships and bring us closer together.

This National Family Day, challenge yourself to put down the phone, start a conversation, and really listen.

Join us October 1 as we begin a countywide conversation about the power of connection. We have a copy of We Need to Talk available for checkout on the Bookmobile! 📙

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09/06/2026

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In support of this year's Kern County One Book Project selection, the Walter W. Stiern Library at CSUB invites students ...
09/04/2026

In support of this year's Kern County One Book Project selection, the Walter W. Stiern Library at CSUB invites students to submit artwork for the 2026 annual art exhibit.
Pick up the material at the Library any time before Friday, Sept. 11 and return your completed project by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9.
The work should illustrate a difficult conversation. Learn more about the project and what it should include on the flyer below.

In support of this year's Kern County One Book Project selection, the Walter W. Stiern Library at CSUB invites students to submit artwork for the 2026 annual art exhibit.

Pick up the material at the Library any time before Friday, Sept. 11 and return your completed project by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9.

The work should illustrate a difficult conversation. Learn more about the project and what it should include on the flyer below.

09/04/2026

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701 Truxtun Avenue
Bakersfield, CA
93301

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