SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – Silicon Valley Reads, the annual community engagement program, returns in 2025 with a focus on the timely theme of "Empowering Humanity: Technology for a Better World." This year's program explores the ways in which technology can be used to improve our lives and shape a brighter future.
Throughout February and March, Silicon Valley Reads will offer over 150 free events in partnership with schools, libraries, and community organizations across Santa Clara County. The diverse program lineup includes author visits, book discussions, and interactive events exploring artificial intelligence, robotics, space exploration, and more. Attendees can learn about AI applications in various fields, from cooking and job searching to aging gracefully and college applications.
The two-month program kicks off on Thursday, January 30 at 7 p.m. with a free event moderated by Sal Pizarro of The Mercury News, featuring the three authors of this year's featured books for adults:
- Fei-Fei Li, author of "The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI"
- Ray Nayler, author of "The Mountain in the Sea"
- Charlee Dyroff, author of "Loneliness & Company"
The kickoff event will be held at De Anza College's Visual and Performing Arts Center (VPAC) in Cupertino and will also be live-streamed. Attendees can meet the authors, purchase books, and explore the related "Encoding Empathy" art exhibit next door at the Euphrat Museum of Art. Please register as seating will be limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Kids and teens can participate in a variety of engaging programs including virtual school visits from children’s authors, live cartooning and flip-book classes with young adult author Wendy Xu ("The Infinity Particle"), library, school and museum visits with middle-grade author Lindsay Lackey ("Farther Than the Moon"), robot art projects, multilingual read-alouds and more.
All Silicon Valley Reads events are free and open to the public. Some events require advance registration. For a complete calendar of events and registration information, please visit siliconvalleyreads.org/calendar.
Silicon Valley Reads is presented by the Santa Clara County Library District, the Santa Clara County Office of Education, and the San José Public Library.
Media Contact: Reid Myers, Silicon Valley Reads siliconvalleyreads@gmail.com
