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.

Events at the King Library

Monday, January 5, 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Rooms 225/229, 2nd Floor
Don't Let Your TV Become Extinct! Beginning in February, television will broadcast in digital instead of analog. For older sets, this can be a problem. Come to a workshop designed to give you the full information on this transformation. A guest speaker from the Federal Communications Commission will give a brief overview of the DTV transition.For more information:1-888-CALL-FCC (Voice) 1-888-TELL-FCC (TTY) Visit: www.dtv.gov DTV transition Hosted by General Collections. Co-sponsored by Friends of the King Library.

Saturday, January 10, 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Children's Room, 1st Floor
Hindi and English bilingual story time for children has stories, songs and rhymes to capture the best of both worlds, teaching the children the importance of both languages and cultures. For more information, call (408) 808-2183.

Happy Holidays!

All San Jose Public Libraries will be closed December 24th and 25th, and December 31st and January 1st! The Almaden Branch wishes you a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to serving you in 2009.

VTA updates

VTA HOLIDAY SCHEDULE

VTA is the ideal and hassle-free transportation alternative to all your holiday celebrations on New Year’s Eve. VTA will be offering free service on all light rail and bus lines from 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 31 until 3:59 a.m. Thursday, January 1, 2009. VTA will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Wednesday, December 24 and Wednesday, December 31 and a Sunday/Holiday schedule Thursday, December 25 and Thursday, January 1.
There will also be extended New Year’s Eve service in the late evening for:
Light Rail (Alum Rock- Santa Teresa and Mountain View-Winchester lines) *Full extended schedules
Last trip leaving Santa Teresa at 1:55 a.m., the last stop at 3:01 a.m. at Alum Rock
Last trip leaving Alum Rock at 1:36 a.m., the last stop at 2:47 a.m. at Santa Teresa
Last trip leaving Winchester at 1:09 a.m., the last stop at 1:36 a.m. at Civic Center (does not go to Mountain View)
Last trip leaving Mountain View at 12:45 a.m., the last stop at 1:56 a.m. at Winchester
Express Line 180 (to the Fremont BART Station) *Full extended schedule
Last Northbound bus leaving Diridon Station at 2:09 a.m. arriving at Fremont BART at 2:50 a.m.
Last Southbound bus leaving Fremont BART at 2:56 a.m. arriving at 2nd & Santa Clara at 3:29 a.m. (Does not go to the Diridon Station)
The following commute bus lines will be cancelled on Friday, December 26 & Friday, January 2: 101, 102, 103, 104, 120, 121, 122, 140, 168, 182, 304, 321, 328, 330 and the River Oaks Shuttle. All other VTA service will be running on a normal weekday schedule.

Keeping Faith

For the month of January, the Almaden Book Buddies will discuss Keeping Faith, by Jodi Picoult. "When seven-year-old Faith White and her mother, Mariah, swing by the house on the way to ballet class, they find that Daddy is home and he's brought a playmate. This is not the first time he's been caught cheating. After the fuss and feathers have settled and Dad has moved out, Faith begins talking to an imaginary friend who, it seems, is God. And God is not male but female. Faith is able to effect miraculous cures and is also occasionally afflicted with stigmata. When the media gets wind of this, the circus begins. The local rabbi takes an interest (Faith and Mariah are technically Jewish), and the local Catholic priest pays several inquiring visits. There is also a gaggle of psychologists. Throw in a professional atheist for the romance angle and a vicious custody fight with an egomaniacal lawyer, and you have a riveting read. Picot gets better and better with each book" (Library Journal). All readers are invited to attend. This event takes place on Tuesday, January 6th, at 1:30 in the afternoon.

History Book Club--Tues, Dec. 16th, 6:30 p.m.

Join the History Book Club in discussing Brutal Journey: The Epic Story of the First Crossing of North America by Paul Schneider. "...would-be conquistador Pánfilo de Narváez was given another chance by the king of Spain, who awarded him governorship over the entire Gulf Coast of the modern United States. But Narváez's luck was no better this time: the expedition, which arrived in 1528, was a complete disaster. Out of the 400 men who went ashore in Florida, only four made it to Mexico eight years later, long after Narváez himself was lost at sea in a makeshift boat" (Publisher's Weekly). Written using limited documentation, and rife with adventure mixed with colonialism, Brutal Journey promises to offer good topics for discussion. All history enthusiasts are invited to attend.

Spare the Air

The Bay Area Air District has issued a Winter Spare the Air Alert for Tuesday, November 25, 2008, which bans wood burning both indoors and outdoors through noon tomorrow.

Air quality in the Bay Area is forecast to be unhealthy. It is illegal for Bay Area residents and businesses to burn wood or manufactured firelogs in fireplaces, wood stoves and inserts, pellet stoves, and outdoor fire-pits. This wood-burning ban will be in effect for Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southern Sonoma and southwestern Solano Counties.

You will receive an AirAlert email each day that a Winter Spare the Air Alert is in effect.

Winter air pollution is mainly caused by small particle pollution or particulate matter (PM) from wood smoke. Smoke from wood-burning fires is linked to illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis and lung disease, and is especially harmful for children and the elderly.

For more information about the wood burning rule, or to check before you burn, visit www.sparetheair.org or call 1-877-4-NO-BURN.

There is NO free transit program during the winter Spare the Air season.

To see the current air quality forecast, visit www.sparetheair.org

Thank you for doing your part to Spare the Air!

This AirAlert is provided by your Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

ESL Conversation Club will take a break

The ESL Conversation Club at Almaden Library will be taking a break, from December 24th-January 14th. We will meet again on January 21st. At our last meeting before the holiday (December 17th), we will have a potluck. Bring a dish to share, and celebrate with us! All ESL learners are welcome.

ESL Book Club reads A Christmas Carol

The ESL Book Club will be discussing one of the most famous Christmas classics of all time, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, on Thursday, December 18th, 1-2 p.m. in the Program Room. The writing is challenging, but the book is very short, less than ½" thick! Also, you probably know the story already, which will make it even more enjoyable. You may want to read the book, and then watch one of the many versions of the movie. Two fun versions are The Muppet Christmas Carol (starring the Muppets!), or Scrooged, which is set in the 1980’s and stars comedian Bill Murray. Also, on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 4 p.m., the Traveling Lantern Production company will be performing A Christmas Carol in the Community Room of the Almaden Branch Library and Community Center. That event is open to the entire family!

Almaden Book Buddies--Tuesday, December 2nd, 1:30

The Almaden Book Buddies will discuss one of Bill Bryson's funniest travelogues, In a Sunburned Country, which is about traveling through Australia. One of the most memorable chapters is dedicated to all of the things that are lethal in that great country! Bill Bryson manages to deliver a lot of laughs while also sharing the beauty of the landscape. Join us to discuss his work in the Program Room of the Almaden Library on Tuesday, December 2nd, at 1:30.

Baby Sign Language--Learn to "Talk" to your Baby

This event takes place at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library 150 E. San Fernando St., in the Children’s Room, 1st Floor, on Sunday, November 16th, 3:30-5:00 p.m. Call (408) 808-2183 for more information.
Learn to "talk" to your baby with teacher William P. White. (Babies are most welcome, though not required.) If your baby is napping or cranky, it is perfectly fine to come without your baby because we are teaching you, the parents, baby sign language. This workshop introduces basic baby signs that are based on American Sign Language (ASL) and is designed for parents with hearing babies who range in age from birth to 18 months old. You will learn about the latest research and all the tricks on how to teach your baby to sign. Fun activities and songs will show you how easy it can be to integrate simple signs into your everyday.

Interested in genealogy?

Saturday, November 15, 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Computer Lab 125, 1st Floor, King Library
Genealogy on the Internet
This class will introduce you to websites and databases to allow you to fill out those family tree limbs! Prerequisite: Must have basic computer skills. Hosted by General Collections.
Co-sponsored by Friends of the King Library. For more information, call (408) 808-2397.

Get out and vote!

Today is Election Day, and there are a lot of hot issues on the ballot for San Jose, and for the state of California, in addition to voting for the next president of the United States. To learn more about the issues, or to find out where your polling place is, visit smartvoter.org.

Vote for Books Election Party--November 5th

Come and celebrate the books with the top votes from voteforbooks.com and our in-house ballots. Make your vote count and enjoy Election cake. For ages 6-14.This event takes place in the Program Room Wednesday, November 5th, 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Moon Struck - View the Moon with the San Jose Astronomical Association

There will be a fun moon related craft program starting Thursday, November 6th at 4:45 p.m. and ending at 5:10 p.m. This craft project is geared for school age children and will be held in the library's program room. At 5:15 p.m. there will be a fun puppet program held in the Children's area and at 5:45 we'll break for an opportunity to check out additional stargazing books and materials. When the library closes at 6:00 p.m. (weather permitting) we'll have the opportunity to observe the night sky courtesy of the San Jose Astronomical Association. Chief astronomer, Jim Van Nuland commented "we'll have lots of good stuff to show -- a nice quarter moon, bright Jupiter, faint Uranus, the Ring Nebula, the Great Globular Cluster in Hercules, colorful double star Albireo in Cygnus, probably a galaxy or two if the air is clear enough." This should be a great event for the entire family.This event takes place in the Program Room, Children's Area and Outside of the Library.