ESL Book Club--A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 10/15/09

This book is long, so we are taking both September and October to read it. It is a wonderful, classic story about a young woman growing up poor in Brooklyn during the early 1900s. All ESL Learners are invited to attend our meeting on Thursday, October 15th at 1 pm. Contact the Almaden Branch Library to get a reading guide.

Text a Librarian!

From 1-6 pm, Mondays through Fridays, you can now text in your reference questions! Check out http://sjlibrary.org/services/reference/texting.htm to find out more.

Almaden Book-aneers are meeting this month!

The Almaden Book-aneers is a new book discussion group for ages 9-12. We will meet on the last Friday of every month. This month, the meeting will take place on Friday, August 28th, 4-5 pm. The book under discussion is Gennifer Choldenko's hilarious book, Al Capone Does My Shirts. A snack will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Almaden Library. Contact Barbara Gilbert (408) 808-3040, if you have any questions.

Calabazas closing

Just in case you are a fan of the Calabazas Branch Library (located on Blaney Ave.), you should know that it is closing at the end of the day on Saturday, August 15th. There will be special festivities from 11-5 that day for children. This is your last chance to see this building. Check it out!

VTA public meeting--tonight!

VTA Public Meeting - Proposed Service Reduction
There will be a public meeting sponsored by the Valley Transportation Authority regarding proposed bus reductions in the Almaden Valley. Please attend if you wish to make your views heard. This meeting takes place tonight, August 12th, 2009 at 6 p.m.

Container Gardening--this Saturday!

Small space? No problem! Join the Master Gardeners and the Almaden Library to learn how to maximize your space through container gardening. Grow vegetables, fruit trees, annuals, succulents and just about anything else your heart desires. You will learn about companion planting, fertilizing, the proper soil and irrigation techniques. Bring a favorite 8" pot if you have one to start your garden. A limited supply of pots will be available if you don't have one to bring.

This event will be held inside the Almaden Library in the Program Room this Saturday, August 1st at 11am.

Teens--want to be part of a puppet show?

Almaden Teen Puppet Show and Readers Theater - Rehearsal

This is a great opportunity to show your creative talents and be part of our Almaden Teen Puppet and Marionette Theater. The rehearsals are important and if you want to be in the Saturday, August 8 performance (3 p.m.) you need to be at all of the rehearsals (July 24, 31 and Aug 7). Talk with Youth Services Librarian, Ed Koetitz, if you have a problem making any of the required rehearsals. This event takes place in the Program Room each Friday (7/24, 7/31 & 8/7) at 4 p.m.

ESL Book Club reads Copper Sun, by Sharon Draper

All ESL learners are invited to attend our discussion of Copper Sun, by award winning writer, Sharon Draper. This is a historical fiction story, which uses fictional characters to explain actual places or events. Two fifteen-year-old girls--one a slave and the other an indentured servant--escape their Carolina plantation and try to make their way to Fort Moses, Florida, a Spanish colony that gives sanctuary to slaves. See the Information Desk for a reading guide, or speak to Kaye Moore if you have any questions.

Laura Stec is tomorrow!

Come to the library to hear Laura Stec speak on her book, and on environmentalism and eating. The program is at 11 am, and includes food!

Remember--Sustainable Gardening is this Saturday!

The Master Gardeners are back to do another fabulous program for us. This one is on Sustainable Vegetable Gardening. It starts at 1, and ends at 3. Come, and bring your friends!

What new books is the library getting?

Check out what new titles we have received at http://www.sjlibrary.org/services/readers/new.htm. You can even set up an RSS feed to stay on top of what's new!

Environmental Action Through Eating--Saturday, July 18th, 11 a.m.

Environmental Action Through Eating: Best Bang for the Bite

Laura Stec believes that, "One of the most positive effects you can have on your environment begins on your dinner plate." The final event in the summer FOOD FOR THOUGHT series features Laura Stec, as she talks passionately about the many topics covered in her book: Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming. She will present a mini-culinary "how to class," featuring ways to move toward making food choices that benefit our bodies AND the environment. Laura is a San Francisco Bay Area chef who enjoys teaching about the artistry, health and energetics of cooking. She has 37 years combined experience in the food and environmental sectors and currently speaks and consults on ways to incorporate regionally responsible cuisine into institutional food systems, or what she calls green cuisine practices. She promotes this message throughout her many endeavors: private chef and caterer, Culinary Health Educator for Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Consulting chef with the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of CA, Acterra (a Palo Alto environmental organization) and Eco-Eaters, one of the first food & environment education programs in the U.S. She will also create a California Cheese Platter for our taste and enjoyment. This event takes place in the Program Room.

Vegetable gardening with the Master Gardeners!

Sustainable Vegetable Gardening with the Master Gardeners--Saturday, July 11th 1 p.m.

Join the Almaden Library for the next presentation in our series of events called FOOD FOR THOUGHT that focuses on eating healthier while supporting the community and the environment.

The Master Gardeners program will provide instruction and demonstration techniques as they guide us through sustainable preparation, planting and maintaining of a home vegetable garden. Come and be a part of the growing number of vegetable gardeners...there is nothing more restorative than running your hands through your own soil, planting a seedling you've grown from a seed and watching it grow through your own efforts, then harvesting it and serving it with pride to your loved ones, and knowing all the while that you are doing so in a sustainable way that is good for you and good for the earth. This event takes place in the Program Room inside the Almaden Library.

Be water wise

Check out San Jose's Environmental Services website to get some great tips on water conservation at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/water-conservation/default.asp.

Saturday, June 13th, 10:30-12--Farmers Markets

Eating Locally and Seasonally--the Whys and Hows of Farmers Markets

Join the Almaden Library for the third event in the FOOD FOR THOUGHT series that focuses on eating healthier while supporting the community and the environment. Our presenter for this event, Laurel Miller, is a food & travel writer AND a culinary educator based in the Bay Area and Colorado. Laurel grew up on a California ranch, which ignited her passion about the need to educate people about SEASONAL EATING and SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE. She feels that cooking is a fun and logical way to learn about both. Visit http://www.sustainablekitchen.com/ ® to learn more.

The Sustainable Kitchen® is Laurel's independently-owned contract culinary business that offers writing services, cooking classes, and farm tours that allow students a hands-on education in harvesting and foraging ingredients before using them in on-site cooking classes. LAUREL writes a food travel column for the Oakland Tribune called "Fork in the Road," and contributes to Outside, culture, Gourmet, American Cowboy, Diablo, Napa Sonoma, and Edible Aspen. She has been featured in a number of publications and on radio and television shows including Bay Area Backroads & Evening Magazine, and is currently working on her first book, a food travel memoir.

As part of the presentation, Laurel will demonstrate a farmer's market seasonal salad.

Stroke Awareness Program, June 12th, 10 a.m.

Join the Almaden Library and Community Center and the Stroke Awareness Foundation of Santa Clara County to learn about risks and warning signs that could save the life of you or someone you love. The guest speaker, Ben Parsons, will share his personal story of having suffered a stroke, which led to his passion to educate others that treatment options do exist, and many strokes can be prevented with learning how to identify risk factors and early warning signs.

Check out the winning graphic novel!

SJPL just finished up a graphic novel contest for teens, and 17 year old Jane Liu won the grand prize for her amazing story called Vitus. You can view it at our Teen Talent page: http://sjlibrary.org/gateways/teens/talent/index.htm.

Eating Whole Foods for Your Health-Saturday, June 6th

Join the Almaden Library for the second event in the FOOD FOR THOUGHT series that focuses on eating healthier while supporting the community and the environment on Saturday, June 6th at the Almaden Library, 11:00 a.m.

Our presenter for this event, Bari Mandelbaum, is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Herbalist & Wellness Consultant. She attended Stanford University and Bauman College acquiring four levels of Nutrition credentials. Her professional services include pathways to proper diet, use of herbs, exercise, vitamins and supplements, menu-planning and lifestyle improvement to maintain and promote optimal health. She believes that great health is possible at all ages, sizes and physical ability. Bari says, “I want to improve the way people feel by helping them improve the way they eat, live and make choices.”

Bari will speak on the importance of eating healthy foods for healthier bodies and general well-being. She will include a discussion on organic vs. conventionally-grown foods, whole foods vs. processed foods, home-cooking (slow food) vs. fast food, and very importantly, how to incorporate better food-buying and eating habits that are realistic and practical for the everyday working person.

Understanding Stroke: Do you know your risk?

May is National Stroke Month. Stroke is the No. 1 cause of adult disability and the No. 3 cause of death in the United States. However, did you know that it is largely preventable? Find out how to reduce your risk. Also, learn the warning signs of stroke to minimize the chances of disability when it strikes a spouse, relative, friend – or you. Bring your questions and join Sherril Hopper, El Camino Hospital's stroke program coordinator, on Tuesday, May 19, in the Program Room at 1 p.m. Sherril’s talk will begin at 1:30 p.m. Pick up informational brochures that can help save a life. For more information, contact Lena Difasi at the American Stroke Association at 408.977.4950.

The Future of Food, Film Screening and Discussion

Sat, May 23 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Join the Almaden Library for the first event in a series that we will be focusing on this summer, Food for Thought. After the viewing the film The Future of Food, environmental law graduate Maria Ryan will lead the discussion.

"There is a revolution happening in the farm fields and on the dinner tables of America...a revolution that is transforming the very nature of the food we eat. THE FUTURE OF FOOD offers an in-depth investigation into the revealing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled our grocery store shelves for the past decade. The film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, THE FUTURE OF FOOD examines the complex web of politics and corporate control of the world's food system, while exploring the alternatives of organic and sustainable agricultures as real solutions".

Music and Snoopy at the King Library!

Attention Beethoven and /or Peanuts fans, there is a great new exhibit coming to Special Collections on May 1st, see below for details…

On May 1, the exhibit "Schulz's Beethoven, Schroeder's Muse" will open in the special collections exhibit lobby and the Beethoven Center on the fifth floor of the King Library. The Beethoven Center is very excited about this collaboration with the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center in Santa Rosa. The exhibit features a selection of Schulz's many Peanuts strips about Schroeder's obsession with Beethoven, including some original art work and artifacts from both collections. Audio wands will be available for listening to the music that appears in the strips.

For more information, go to http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven/events/schulz.html. In a few days, images of Schroeder, Lucy, Snoopy, and other members of the Peanuts gang will magically appear at the entrances to the library and elsewhere. Other exhibit-related events will be posted on our website soon. Stay tuned!

Can't figure out what to read next?

SJPL recently subscribed to a fun and useful database called NoveList. If you have a favorite author, you can look them up and find out what other authors may write in a similar style. For example, under mystery/suspense writer Jeffery Deaver, Ridley Pearson was listed as another author that might be popular with Deaver fans. As a Deaver fan, I found that Pearson was in fact a very fine addition to my reading choices.

When you log in to NoveList, you will need to have your library card number handy, and then prepare to spend some time exploring the site to find something new to read. If you have any questions, give us a call, and we'd be happy to walk you through it.

Persian New Year--Sat, March 28th 2-4 p.m.

Come and enjoy the festivities of the Persian New Year at the Almaden Community Center & the Library. There will be music and dance from the Persian Cultural Club. Performances featuring : Beshkan Dance Academy Niosha Dance Academy, Shahrzad Dance Academy, traditional Music by Hamavazi Group, a musical play in Farsi by children from Dehkhoda Persian School, plus a traditional holiday craft for children. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library, Almaden Branch Library and the Almaden Community Center.

Brian Copeland--Almaden Library and Community Center

Please join the Almaden Library and Community Center in welcoming this year's Silicon Valley Reads author, Brian Copeland. He will speak on Wednesday, March 25th at 6:30 p.m. Not a Genuine Black Man is a heartfelt memoir on racism, fitting in, and "a powerful contemplation on the meaning of race, and a thoughtful examination of how our surroundings make us who we are". Copeland will be signing books after his appearance, and a limited number of books will be available for sale through our Friends of the Almaden Library. This presentation will be the last of Copeland's San Jose Public Library appearances.

Almaden Book Buddies reading The Third Angel

Join us for our discussion of Alice Hoffman's book The Third Angel on Tuesday, March 3rd at 1:30.

ESL Book Club, Thursday February 19th, 1 p.m.

For February, the ESL Book Club will be reading Hush, by Jacqueline Woodson. Toswiah Green's father witnessed a murder, and testified against two police officers that he worked with. The entire family is forced to flee for their lives, under the witness protection program. Everyone has to change their names, and leave everyone and everything that they knew and loved behind. Toswiah becomes Evie, and is forced to lie about her past while she tries to find her way in a new city and school. Her family also undergoes some serious changes, as her mother becomes very religious, her father is depressed, and her sister is attempting to leave home early. Readers that have struggled with finding their identity in a new and strange place may be able to relate to Toswiah/Evie's experiences. All adult and teen ESL learners are invited to attend. See the Information Desk for a reading guide, or speak to Kaye Moore if you have any questions. March's book is Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom.

Resume Workshop at the library

Has it been a while since you have done your resume? Do you need to create on from scratch, or brush up an old one? Attend our resume workshop, and learn about library resources and websites that can help you. Bring your work history with you to get the most out of this opportunity.

This class will be held on Friday, February 13th, 10-11 a.m. in the Tech Center inside the Almaden Library, and there will be a repeat session on Saturday, February 21st at 10 a.m. Please preregister for either of these opportunities by visiting the Information Desk, or calling 408-808-3040.

Downtown Parking rate changes

STARTING JAN. 2, 2009 - $3 PARKING
As of Jan. 2, 2009, motorists will now find $3 flat-rate parking after 6 p.m., seven nights a week, at these facilities:

Third Street lot between The 88 and Repertory Theater
Market and San Pedro Garage
Third Street Garage
Fourth and St. John lot
Second and San Carlos Garage
San Fernando and Second lot
Fourth Street Garage
First and St. James lot
Second and St. James lot
Pavilion Garage

The $3 rate will help purchase the Greyhound Bus site property for future parking. The funds will also be used to make parking facilities as inviting and friendly as possible. Parking downtown has always been convenient and plentiful. In all, there are 24,000 parking spaces -- a great start for your stay in downtown San Jose. For more information click here.

Closed for Martin Luther King Holiday

San Jose Public Library will be closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, on Monday January 19th. The main and branch libraries will reopen on Tuesday, January 20th.

More events at King!

Sunday, January 18, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Room 255/257, 2nd Floor
The Place of Abraham in Islam, Christianity and Judaism
Through our history, prophets have called upon their people to believe in the One and Only God and to serve only Him. They relayed the Devine religion to humanity and demonstrated how to live the ideal life. These chosen servants of God represent the finest model of superior character, moral values, and ideal behavior, just as they served as role models for their societies. They also showed all future believers how to live in a manner that pleases God. One of them is Prophet Abraham, the father of three major religions. Come and join us to know more about the Prophet Abraham and his sacrifice for the sake of his lord. Sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North American – Bay Area Chapter.
To sign up for this free seminar email at library@icnabay.us. For more information, call (408) 834-7960

Tuesday, January 20, 8:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Room 225/229, 2nd Floor
Presidential Inauguration Live Broadcast Screening
You could sit at home alone and watch the event on TV, but why do that when you can share the excitement of this momentous occasion by joining neighbors and friends in watching the 2008 Presidential Inauguration projected on a large screen? Come watch history being made. Seating is limited, so plan to arrive early. For more information, call (408) 808-2355.