Next year's Silicon Valley Reads book is....

"The Distant Land of My Father" by Bo Caldwell! See http://www.siliconvalleyreads.org/2007-08/ for more information. We don't have a lot of copies in our system yet, but look for programs and other events starting around the fall.

Thank you, volunteers!

We had a great turnout for our Volunteer Appreciation Brunch today. The Almaden Branch Library couldn't function without our volunteers, and they're the best!



Also, a huge thank you to the following businesses for your generous support of our appreciation brunch:

•Albertson’s
•Camille’s Sidewalk Café at Blossom Hill
•Charlie’s Cheesecake Works
•Posh Bagel at Alamden Plaza
•Safeway at Almaden Plaza
•Starbucks Coffee Company at Almaden Plaza

King Library Events: June 3 - 9, 2007.

Monday, June 4, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Rooms 225 & 229, 2nd Floor
Author Susan Vreeland Reads from Just-Published Work
Susan Vreeland will read from her newly published work, Luncheon of the Boating Party. An internationally known best-selling author, Ms. Vreeland is a three-time winner of the Theodor Geisel Award and is known for historical fiction on art-related themes. Her Girl in Hyacinth Blue, filmed entirely in The Netherlands, was adapted for television and renamed Brush with Fate by Hallmark Hall of Fame. Co-sponsored by the California Center for the Book and presented by General Collections. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Saturday, June 9, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Rooms 255 & 257, 2nd Floor
Gunstories: Life-Changing Experiences with Guns
Photographer and writer S. Beth Atkin will present a slide show and discuss her book, Gunstories: Life-Changing Experiences with Guns. This book, containing first-person interviews and photographs, is about youth who have had experiences that have dramatically altered their lives due to guns. Some stories are very painful and traumatic and others are positive and informative. The book presents both sides of the gun issue through the voices, opinions, faces and words of young people. Atkin's other books are Voices from the Streets: Young Former Gang Members Tell Their Stories and Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories. She has received many awards, including ALA's Best Books for Young Adults; Hungry Mind Review; Children's Books of Distinction: American Booksellers Association: Pick of the List; and Booklist: Editor's Choice. For information call (408) 808-2397.

A great celebration!

We celebrated the facility's One Year Anniversary this past Saturday. Thanks to the award-winning Castillero Middle School Choir for a lovely performance.

Our one-year anniversary's coming up! Save the date: this coming Saturday, May 19, from 1:30 PM.

Come and help us celebrate the first anniversary of the Almaden Library and Community Center. On Saturday, May 19, 1:30 p.m. we will have a special anniversary gathering in the courtyard with Councilmember Nancy Pyle, and other city officials as our special guests. Highlighting the celebration will be the dedication of the “Ohlone Woman” bronze sculpture by Lisa Reinertson, and the “Teaching Stones” an exterior sculptural seating element by art students from the Academy of Art University. The “Teaching Stones” is an inspirational work commemorating the life and contribution of the late Doris Dillon, a respected teacher and community leader. On Friday, May 18, we will have some special treats at our regular story times (10:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.) and a PlayStation2 GameFest, 2:30 to 5 p.m. for teens. Refreshments for the two-day celebration are provided by the Friends of the Almaden Library.

King Library Events: May 20-26, 2007.

Sunday, May 20, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Caret Plaza, Patio Area
Friends of the King Library Bag Booksale
The Friends of the King Library are having a bag booksale. Just $5 for all the books you can fit into a large paper bag (bag supplied by the Friends). The revenues from these sales are donated back to the library for use in sponsoring a variety of community and literacy projects. For more information call (408) 808-2681.

Sunday, May 20, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Room 225 & 229, 2nd Floor
Global Warming Presentation
Volunteers trained by Al Gore and the Climate Project present a live, free slide show based on Mr. Gore's Academy-Award winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". A Q&A follows with a separate workshop on what you can do about reducing global warming. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Sunday, May 20, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Fourth Street Lobby
San Jose Teen Idol: Final Competition
All of the first prize winners of the San Jose Teen Idol competition at the branch libraries and King Library will compete in this fantastic final competition, hosted by Almaden Branch's very own Mr. K. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Tuesday, May 22, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Room 225/229, 2nd Floor
Digital Library Planning - SLIS Student Presentation
SLIS Student Assistants will present a poster session on the planning of a digital library program. The session will focus on planning strategies and creation of best practices for scanning and metadata creation. For information (408) 808-2061.

Tuesday, May 22, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Room 225/229, 2nd Floor
Jaime Riascos - Bilingual Storyteller
Listen to superb storyteller Jaime Riascos perform stories in Spanish and English. A founder of the Colombia Storytelling Movement, Jaime fuses theatricality, literacy and playfulness to entertain audiences. This fun event will delight all ages. Cuenta-cuentos colombiano Jaime Riascos presenta un programa bilingue para todas las edades. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Thursday, May 24, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor
Spanish Email Class / Clase de correo electronico
Obtenga su direccion de correo electronico y comuniquese con los suyos en cualquier parte del mundo sin costo alguno. No se requiere conocimiento previo de Internet. Para informacion llamar al (408) 808-2495.
Get your own e-mail and correspond with people all over the world for free. This class will be conducted in Spanish. No previous knowledge of the Internet required. For information, call (408) 808-2495. Registration required.

King Library Events: May 13 - May 19, 2007.

Tuesday, May 15, 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor
Resume Writing Workshop Part II
Part I (on May 8 ) covered marketing yourself and developing a resume that matches the job requirements. In Part II on May 15, learn the basic components of what to do before, during, and after the interview. Pre-registration required. Call the General Collections Department at (408) 808-2397 to register.

Friday, May 18, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Teen Center, 3rd Floor
teensReach Meeting
Teens: you are invited to the monthly teensReach Meeting. teensReach is the youth council for the San José Public Library. It provides a key way for young adults to build their leadership skills by developing and participating in library activities, as well as becoming library advisors and advocates. Meetings at the King Library take place at 4:00 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. This program is for students in grades 8 -12, ages 13-18. For information call (408) 808-2183.

Saturday, May 19, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Room 225/229, 2nd Floor
Great Short-Term Career Programs at your Local Community College
Explore great short-term career programs available at your local Community College. Come to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and meet representatives from seven local Community Colleges. Learn all about programs that can launch you or your teenager into a great career in 2 years or less. For information call (408) 808-2183.

Saturday, May 19, 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Exploration Room, Mezzanine
Stress Management for Teens
This class will introduce healthy coping strategies for coping with both minor and major life stressors. Topics will include: tactics to change problem thinking, relaxation exercises, and daily life activities that can reduce tension and anxiety. Grades 6-12, ages 11-19. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Give your input: VTA Bus and Light Rail system changes for 2008.

A series of 10 public meetings are scheduled throughout Santa Clara County between May 21 and June 5. VTA riders and the general public are invited to attend and comment. For a complete list of times and locations click here: http://www.vta.org/coa/coa_index.html.

Update: Pimsleur ebooks are back - for now.

Vendors are settling their differences, but we'll have access to Pimsleur ebooks at least through April 30, 2008.

Silicon Valley Open Studios Mapguide download information....

A few of you have come in requesting the Silicon Valley Open Studios Mapguide and Artist Directory books. Their page at http://www.svos2007.org/mapguides.htm claims that public libraries in the area do offer Mapguides but not San Jose. We unfortunately don't have any copies to hand out, but you can download a PDF version of the Mapguide from this link: http://www.svos2007.org/svos2007_mapguide.pdf.

WiFi is back!

All is well with our wireless network now. Yahoo!

Update: Falcon Scope at King is back in service.

The Falcon Scope, recently installed on the 8th floor at the King Library, was taken down temporarily pending the arrival of parts intended to further stabilize the installation but is now back in service.

Honors for our facility.

Did you know that the Almaden Library and Community Center was named winner of the 2006 California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) Achievement Award for Facility Design - Community Centers/Facilities. For details, download this PDF newsletter.

The library also recently won mention in the April American Libraries issue as one of 27 new and recently innovated library facilities selected for inclusion in the annual Design issue.

We finally have new audio books!

Great news, audio book lovers - we finally have a large new batch of audio books at Almaden, both fiction and non-fiction titles. A number of YA titles are included in this new batch. Come by soon!

King Library Events: May 6 - May 12, 2007.

Monday, May 7, 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Rooms 225/229, 2nd Floor
International Human Trafficking in a Globalized World: Strategies for Social Workers
Topics include: Information and social work policies & practice about International Human Trafficking, Awareness of Human Trafficking policy in the United States, Identifying trafficking victims/ survivors & providing resources, and Strategies for developing appropriate trans cultural competency for Social Work with children & women who are Human Trafficking victims/ survivors. For additional information contact: Jeff Paul at (408) 808-2645 or (408) 808-2636.

Tuesday, May 8, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Rooms 255/257, 2nd Floor
Student and Public Forum on Reparations
Speaker: Mrs. Marie Davis, NAACP California State Chair on Reparations. Anyone interested in House Bill HR40 on Congress forming a committee to discuss an apology to and possible reparations for African Americans for 250 years of Slavery. For any additional information contact Dr. Mary Lynn Wilson at (408) 924-5509.

Tuesday, May 8, 6:00 PM - 7:45 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor
Resume Writing Workshop Part I
Create a resume that stands out and captures the attention of employers! Learn the art and etiquette of the interview. On May 8, learn to market yourself and develop a resume that matches the job requirements. On May 15, learn the basic components of what to do before, during, and after the interview. Registration required. Call the General Collections Department at (408) 808-2397 to register.

Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor
Introduction to Microsoft Word
Learn the basics of Microsoft Word, such as creating and editing a document, formatting fonts and paragraphs, using templates, and inserting pictures. Prerequisites: Basic computer skills: using the mouse, keyboard, and applications. Registration required. For more information and to register call (408) 808-2397.

Wednesday, May 9, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Room 229A, 2nd Floor
Poetry Café
For poets and poetry lovers. The library is inviting poets, both published and non-published, to share their poetry. Come read, listen and enjoy. All ages are welcome. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Thursday, May 10, 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Rooms 225/229, 2nd Floor
Kim Addonizio Reads from Her Poetry
A passionate poet, fiction writer and teacher, Kim Addonizio has authored four collections of poetry, most recently, What Is This Thing Called Love. Her book of poems, Tell Me, was a finalist for the 2000 National Book Award. Her first novel, Little Beauties, was published in 2005. Ms. Addonizio has been honored with a Guggenheim fellowship, two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Pushcart Prize and a Commonwealth Club Poetry Medal. Co-sponsored by Poetry Center San Jose and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Presented by General Collections. For information call (408) 808-2397.

Friday, May 11, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Room 255/257, 2nd Floor
San Jose State UPC Spring Speaker Series 2007
Join us for the third annual Spring Speaker Series put on by the San Jose State Urban Planning Coalition. Featuring: Al Savay "Applying Smart Growth Principles: Row Houses in Mountain View" For more information, please e-mail Brandi de Garmeaux at upcresponse@yahoo.com

Saturday, May 12, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor
POWER UP Your Internet Skills
In this workshop, you will learn how to distinguish between a subject directory and a search engine - and when to use which. You will explore the many and varied databases you can access from the library - or home. You will find out about safety on the Internet and discover the wealth of information available from the library's homepage. Prerequisite: Basic computer skills, including knowing how to use the mouse. Registration required. For information call (408) 808-2397.

WiFi Down.

It's a hardware issue so I don't know when it will be resolved. Call ahead if you want to check!

Database changes coming.

Recorded Books, producer of Pimsleur ebooks, and netLibrary, the vendor that provides the service, severed ties without warning. Unfortunately, that means SJPL patrons are going to lose access to Pimsleur ebooks. We'll keep you posted...