Library site and network will be down this weekend.

The Library network will be shutdown for scheduled maintenance on Saturday, February 3, 2007 at 6:00 PM until approximately 10:00 AM on Sunday, February 4, 2007. During this time all Library resources will be unavailable until our network is back online. Be sure to renew your books NOW!

Staff picks at Almaden Branch.

We're asking all staff to pick and choose their favorite books for display! You can find these books in the Marketplace area, near the new fiction and new non-fiction. Look inside each book for a bookmark with reasons why we love that book.

Upcoming events on global warming.

Our City Forest & Eco-Silicon Valley present Jay McGowan, one of Al Gore's first climate change messengers. Jay will be speaking on global warming and how we can work to stop it. The event is FREE and will be held at Our City Forest's office in San José. Event Details: Date: Thursday, February 15th Time: 6:15 PM Location: OCF Offices at 595 Park Ave. Suite 100, San Jose, CA 95110. Call (408) 998-7337 for more info.

Also, on Thursday, February 15, the Linda Hall Library of Science, Engineering & Technology in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Johnson County (Kansas) Library will co-sponsor an online presentation and discussion about land use and climate change. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate. There is no need to register, and no registration fee. Details are at: http://67.19.231.218/v4/login.asp?r=67955673&p=0 ; visit http://www.opal-online.org/progschrono.htm for details.

Free access to "Black History Month" primary sources for students and libraries.

AwesomeStories - a subscription-based web site (with 125,000 links to primary sources at national archives, libraries, government and academic websites worldwide) and freely used in more than 25,000 schools and libraries - has extended its holiday-season waiver of subscription fees ($9.95 a year) to assist students and library-patrons as they search for "Black History Month" topics and primary materials.

With a password, people can access the primary-source database from any computer connected to the Internet. Through mid-February, individuals can receive free access to the site by simply requesting it with this form.

Get ready for tax season: Free tax assistance from V.I.T.A. for those qualifying.

The web page that lists VITA income tax assistance sites and meeting times in the local area is now set up for interested income-earning patrons.

It's easy to get to: 1. Select the link to Tax Forms & Information on the home page, 2. On the resulting page, select the link to Free Help With Your Taxes, 3. On this page, select the link to VITA Tax Help... (i.e., the first link). If only filing our income taxes were this easy! To get there more quickly use this link: http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/vita.htm.

Luis Valdez appearing at King Library.

Celebrate San Jose State University’s 150 Anniversary with Luis Valdez!
The General Collections Department of King Library is proud to present playwright and SJSU alumnus Luis Valdez on January 31st. He will be speaking from 7-8:30 p.m. in Room 229 at King Library.

Tonight is another Spare the Air night.

Help reduce air pollution!

- Do NOT burn wood tonight.
- If you must burn wood, burn less and use only dry, clean, seasoned wood, and nonglossy white paper. Moist, or "green" wood smolders more, producing greater amounts of harmful air pollutants.
- Check the chimney. Where there's smoke, there's a bad fire. Excess smoke means that the fire isn't burning properly.

Silicon Valley Reads starts today!

This year's Silicon Valley Reads community program is "The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle. The author will make an appearance to discuss the book tonight, at the Campbell Heritage Theatre. It's a free program. Hope to see you there!

The importance of reading aloud to children of all ages...

I attended a workshop last night at the Santa Clara City Library on the importance of reading aloud to children, led by led by Jim Trelease. The program was geared towards parents, promoting the need to read aloud to children through all grade levels and the importance of eliminating television sets from children’s bedrooms. Did you know that two-thirds of school-aged children in the U.S. have television sets in their bedrooms? He also had some good recommended read-aloud books. These included: the series "Deltora Quest" by Radda; "My father’s Dragon" by Gannett; "James and the Giant Peach" by Dahl; "The Neighborhood Mother Goose" by Crews; "The Day the Babies Crawled Away" by Rathmann. All of these titles are available at SJPL.

Spare the Air Tonight! Yes, another one...

The air quality tonight is forecast to be unhealthy. The Bay Area Air District is asking residents to refrain from burning wood in their fireplaces and woodstoves, and to drive less.

New e-book series: Missions of California.

We have a subscription to "Missions of California" in ebook format. You can only access is through catalog records; there is no home page for this series. We also have audio books for learning languages, ebooks for legal topics, and much more. Check out our digital library page for details.

Recommended link: choosing a wireless provider.

Here is a good consumer information page on wireless phones: http://tinyurl.com/yk9vl2. This site contains many objective, useful articles on various technology issues. Check it out!

A CalTrans highway closure is planned.

Beginning late Friday night Jan 12, and continuing through early Monday morning, Jan 15, Caltrans will be alternately closing the connecting ramps from both north- and southbound I-280 to southbound Route 87 to complete a critical roadway paving stage of the Route 87 HOV (South) project.

The library catalog will be down on January 9, 2007.

The library catalog will be down for a scheduled upgraded the morning of Tuesday, January 9, 2007 from 7:00 - 11:00 AM. This also includes My Account features - such as renewing items, placing hold requests, and paying fines online. Please make sure to log in over the weekend to take care of any account-related tasks.

Christmas trees will be collected until Februrary 2 for recycling.

San José expects to collect up to 200,000 trees!

Upcoming program at King Library: all about cleaning products.

There will be a free program of environmental education on cleaning products at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library on Saturday, January 27, 1:30 pm. Jessie Denver, the scientist at the Environmental Service Dept. specializes in the water quality of the S.F. Bay. Her previous presentation at King received excellent responses from the audience so this is an encore presentation.

Best Free Reference Web Sites 2006 from RUSA Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS).

The Machine-Assisted Reference Section (MARS) of RUSA has published its 8th annual list of Best Free Reference Sites. You can view the list here.

FYI: some network problems at our branch...

We're having some network problems; our systems will be intermittently on and off today. Vineland Branch is our closest branch and their systems are all up and running.

Happy New Year!

Have a safe and happy New Year! VTA will offer free rides all evening on New Year's Eve this year as in previous years. Other agencies will also offer similar free service throughout the Bay Area; be safe!

"You'll feel fine at the Library!" Enjoy this music interlude...

Sick of holiday tunes? Check out the Library Song! Link: http://www.cheekybeef.co.uk/library.html.

Holiday library closures...

All San Jose Public Library branches and King will be closed from December 24 through December 26. We will also be closed on December 31 for New Year's Eve, and on January 1 and 2. See http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/locations/holidays.htm for details. Happy Holidays!

Spare the Air!

The air quality tonight is forecast to be unhealthy. The Bay Area Air District is asking residents to refrain from burning wood in their fireplaces and woodstoves, and to drive less. To see the current air quality forecast, visit www.sparetheair.org.

Online document storage solutions.

As you know, you can't save anything to our library computers; you have to bring a USB flash drive or a disk. However, various online services do allow you to save documents to their servers and access it any time from any Internet-enabled computer; the librarians have tested and selected these particular services for you. See the list of services at http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/iguide_subjectList.htm?t=134&catID=1125.

All you have to do is select and copy your document, minimize Word, open a browser and navigate to one of these sites, register (which is usually fast and simple) and log in to it, paste your document on this site and save it there!

Search patents easily with Google Patent Search.

Google has a new Patent Search service. If you choose the Advanced Search option, you can search by inventor name, assignee name, international classification, and more.

Expect Link+ delays.

Between December 22nd and January 2nd many Link+ libraries will be closed for the holidays. Expect delays in the delivery of Link+ material, particularly if you are requesting from a Link+ academic library.

Special hours tomorrow at all Branches.

We will be open at 1 PM tomorrow. This affects all branches.

SJPL's Digital Library offers music downloads now.

We now offer music downloads via the OverDrive service. We have also updated the Overdrive site to be more user-friendly. Please check it out at http://ebooks.sjlibrary.org.

Spare the Air!

For the third night in a row, it's Spare the Air Tonight in the Bay Area. To see the current air quality forecast, visit sparetheair.org. You can help reduce winter air pollution if you do NOT burn wood tonight, and retrofit your fireplace to burn natural gas, a cleaner alternative to wood burning.

Almaden's Homework Center is now open!

Did you know? We have a Homework Center at Almaden Branch, every Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Two professional tutors are ready to help students K through 12 on any homework topic!

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a new version of the naturalization test on Thursday. You can view sample questions here in PDF format.

It's World AIDS Day today.

Learn more here: Project Red ... Yahoo News on AIDS ...

Holiday gift guide for library lovers!

A unique gift list for the holidays: a Gift Guide for Library Lovers!

Reminder: Join us for the New Almaden History Program.

We are pleased to offer a program that will give an intriguing glimpse into the rich historical legacy of the Almaden Valley. Michael Boulland and Arthur Boudreault, co-authors of the visually engaging book, New Almaden, will be our special guests. They will be discussing various aspects of New Almaden's vital connection with California's remarkable Gold Rush and the lasting influence this region has had on the San Francisco Bay area. This work is a recent installment of the acclaimed "Images of America" series.

Date: Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Place: Program Room

Lessons learned from the Arthritis Workshop...

Dr. J. Chiu of the Wellness Awareness Foundation presented a talk on natural solutions to arthritis pain yesterday. In short, arthritis is a physical ailment that requires a physical form of treatment. Treatments include: low impact exercises such as walking, swimming, bicycling, stretching ; dieting if overweight ; vitamins and minerals such as Vitamins A, C, E, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate ; proper posture; and chiropractic care. For more health-related insights, check out Dr. Chiu’s blog at http://thewellnessreport.blogspot.com.

A self-congratulatory post.

Did you know? According to the Web site of Hennen's American Public Library Ratings, SJPL ranks #1 in 2006 among California libraries serving a community of 500,000 and larger. The 2006 rankings are based on 2004 data. For more information, see http://www.haplr-index.com/ratings.html.

Stay safe: Thanksgiving road condition links from the US DOE Virtual Energy Library.

Many of you may be traveling for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Try these links to get to your destinations quicker and safer!

511: America's Traveler Information Telephone Number: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/511.htm

National Traffic and Road Closure Information:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/trafficinfo/index.htm

Comprehensive Directory of State and Local Public Transportation Links:
http://www.publictransportation.org/systems/

Upcoming holiday closures...

We will be closed on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24. We will be open on Saturday, November 25. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Cambrian Branch is now open.

The new and improved Cambrian branch opened Saturday.

Learn the Library Cheer!

Outgoing CLA president Margaret Miles teaches the Library Cheer at CLA on this YouTube video.

FYI: State Librarian's Quarterly Webcast available.

Susan Hildreth, State Librarian, touches on hot topics in the California library world, emerging library trends and services available to you from the California State Library. She is also available for live questions and answers during each webcast. Check in to get to know our State Librarian and keep in tune with the scene in Sacramento. For more information and to participate in the webcast, click here.

A key newspaper for the Civil War years has been digitized.

Through support from an IMLS grant and in collaboration with Project Perseus at Tufts University, the University of Richmond has digitized the Richmond Daily Dispatch newspaper for the Civil War years. The project is still a work in progress but is available for use and exploration; it is fully searchable. Visit http://dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/index.html to check out the issues.

We have started our ValueLine subscription.

In response to demand from patrons, ValueLine is now available at the Reference Desk. It's for in-library use only.

Don't forget to vote today.

Polls are open until 8 PM. You can view your official ballot online here by entering your zip code: http://www.easyvoter.org/site/evguide/section.php?id=2.

The expanding WWW reaches a milestone.

Netcraft, an Internet monitoring company that has kept an eye on Web growth since 1995, says there are now 100 million sites online. See this CNN article for details.

Public Hearings November 8 - Annual Review of Library Bond Projects and Library Parcel Tax Expenditures

The San Jose Library Commission will hold public hearings for the Annual Review of Expenditures and Progress of the Library Bond Projects and the Annual Review of Expenditures for Library Parcel Tax, Wednesday, November 8th, 7 p.m., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 150 E. San Fernando, St. in Rooms 255/257 on the second floor. For information, call (408) 808-2164 or visit SJLibrary.org. To request accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, call (408) 808-2397 or 808-2130 TTY at least 48 hours in advance.

Join us for the History Book Club!

We'll meet next Tuesday, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, in the Program Room. We will be discussing 1491 : new revelations of the Americas before Columbus by Charles C. Mann.

A bizzarre, new search engine from Microsoft.

It's called Ms. Dewey and it's quite amusing; she'll stand around and act annoyed if you don't type in anything. I just hate Flash which is required, so I'm biased against it... but the search results aren't that great either!

Don't forget! Daylight Savings Time reminder...

Sunday, October 29th is Daylight Savings Time ("Spring Forward, Fall Back") so don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour. It's also recommended that batteries in home smoke detectors and other security devices be replaced when clocks are adjusted.

Recycle your old cell phones and pagers and help support Orangutan conservation efforts.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo™ has set-up a permanent collection point to collect unwanted cell phones/pagers. A simple way we can support conservation efforts at the Happy Hollow Pet Zoo. See http://www.hhpz.org/cons/action/cell.php for details. Pass the word!

HUGE booksale tomorrow!

Our first booksale at our new branch will take place tomorrow, from 9 AM to 3 PM, in the Community Room. Hope you'll join us!

WiFi is back!

We've had problems over the past few days with our WiFi but it's all better now. Enjoy!

October 23 is the deadline to register for this election.

Monday, October 23, is the deadline to register to vote in order to qualify for the November 7 election. We have been told that it is sufficient for your voter registration form to be postmarked by October 23. However, if you want to be doubly sure, you can hand-deliver their registration to the ROV office: 1555 Berger Dr., San Jose. We do have registration forms at the Community Information area. Visit the Easy Voter website at http://www.easyvoter.org for these and other helpful links about voting.

Get ready for Kindergarten!

Do you have a child that is soon to be enrolling in Kindergarten? Do you have questions regarding your child's skills? Is your child prepared for the transition into a classroom setting? Learn answers to all these questions, and more, at our Kindergarten Readiness Workshop! The workshop is free to all interested parents, and will be held Saturday, October 14, from 2:30 PM in the Program Room. See you there.

Happy Birthday, ALA!

It's the American Library Association's 130th birthday today. ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Congratulations!

Upcoming conference on October 13 : Pediatric Obesity in the Latino Population.

This conference is part of the 2006 Santa Clara County Binational Health Week Conference. View event details at: http://www.preventioninstitute.org/sa//upcomingevents.html#ped.

Enter our essay contest for Teen Read Week.

Teens in middle and high school are invited to celebrate Teen Read Week by sharing their thoughts on the following quote: "Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are" (Mason Cooley). Enter your essay for a chance to win one of several gift cards valued up to $100 made possible by a generous donation from the Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Contest deadline is 6:00 PM on Saturday, October 21. For full contest details, visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/teen_readweek_popup.htm.

View college course videos online.

Google Video offers course videos from UCBerkeley online for perusal. Also, check out YouTube's College section.

Learn about eBooks!

I'll be teaching a basic class about SJPL's Digital Library of eBooks and e-Audio Books, next Tuesday, from 6:30 PM. SJPL's Digital Library does take some getting used to and there are some issues with non-approved devices that you should be aware of. Hope to see you there.

This weekend the Library's network and servers will be shutdown for emergency repairs.

The shutdown will begin when the library closes at 6:00 PM on Saturday 9/23. You won't have access to your account information online, or any of the databases and the OPAC.

The planning meeting of the History Book Club is coming up.

Enjoy reading and discussing history books? Then join us for our organizational planning meeting of the History Book Club on October 3, 2006, from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM, at the Almaden Branch Library. We will meet the first Tuesday of every month, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM in the Program Room. During holidays, we may meet on different days. For more information, please email me at mana dot tominaga at sjlibrary dot org.

Branches are open from 1 to 6 on Friday, September 22.

SJPL branches, including Almaden, are open from 1 to 6 on Friday, September 22, for staff training.

Books I've enjoyed recently...

Join in reading and discussing The Kite Runner.

The novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is the current selection of the Campus Reading Program, which supports a culture of reading. The public is invited to join in reading and discussing the novel with members of the university community. There are several discussion groups planned throughout the semester, including three at King Library. The first one is Tuesday September 19th from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in Room 255-257. Additional discussions in the library will be held on Thursday October 26th, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Wednesday November 15th, 7:30-8:30 p.m. For more information on the Campus Reading Program and a complete listing of all events, please visit: http://www.sjsu.edu/ugs/reading/.

Worried about your teen's presence on MySpace and other social networking sites?

You've probably heard about MySpace, a social-networking site that's popular with teens, but often controversial given the potential for predators and the like. This article from US News and World Report offers practical solutions and insights. Recommended.

Google and ALA join up to celebrate Banned Books Week.

Leslie Burger, ALA President, has a post about Banned Books week on the Official Google Blog. Check out the joint Banned Books portal, too, at http://books.google.com/googlebooks/banned/.

Join us for a book talk about child development issues.

Friends of the Almaden Library present a lecture and book signing by Brock Eide, MD and Fernette Eide, MD for their recently published book entitled The Mislabeled Child: Finding the True Sources and Solutions for Childern's Learning Challenges. All profits will benefit the Friends of the Almaden Library.

Upcoming event: Poetry reading by Le Pham Le.

You and your friends/family are cordially invited to a delightful afternoon of poetry reading by Le Pham Le, author of “From Where the Wind Blows.” She will recite selections from this bilingual collection of poems on nostalgia, love, despairs, hope, future and past. Ms. Le will also discuss Vietnamese poetic style and structure. The event concludes with book signing and reception.

Location: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, Room 255/257 (Second floor)
Date: Sat., Sep. 16, 2006
Time: 2 to 3 pm

The ALA Banned Books display is up for Patriot Day.

We are presenting a month long display of ALA Banned Books selections to emphasize First Amendment and other American freedoms, in recognition of Patriot Day.

How You can Participate
1. What are your thoughts on censorship? Do you have a favorite banned book? Share your thoughts in the journal provided.
2. Also, look inside each book for a bookmark that notes why that particular book was banned.
3. Check out a banned book!

Join us for an informational event about personal care product choices.

The MLK Library is presenting "The Conscious Consumer: Personal Care Products" on Saturday, September 30, 3:30 pm, featuring a slide show and lecture by Jessie Denver, M. A., Environmental Services Department, City of San Jose. Admission is FREE. You will learn how to make informed choices in terms of reducing human health risks and environmental impacts.

Pluto loses its "Planet" title status.

The Collection Development Advisory Team and the central collection development librarians are aware of the recent change reported in the various news media in regard to the changing status of the celestial body "Pluto". The Library will acquire up-to-date materials as the publishing industry provides them.

Looking for genealogy-related information?

The Genealogy Roots Blog is a wonderful blog that consolidates online genealogy databases, records, and resources. Also, check out the library's list of resources, at http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/iguide_subjectList.htm?t=20.

Also, Happy Blog Day!

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!

If you don't already have a card, fill out an online application at http://mill1.sjlibrary.org/screens/selfreg_main.html and drop by any SJPL branch or King Library to pick up your library card. Cards are free!

There are various options for "free" downloadable audio books.

A great resource is http://librivox.org/! Another service is Wowio but you must first register, which requires offering up personal information of various forms, including your credit card details.

Various catalogs are available now on one web page.

The SJPL catalog, Link+, crosslinks to the other local libraries, the aforementioned California Libraries Catalog and Worldcat.org along with the Library of Congress catalog are now available all on one page. You can get to this page by going to the Web Links by Subject main page (http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/) and selecting the link under "Hot Links" in the page's left column. Enjoy!

There is a problem with access to Safari Tech ebooks through the catalog.

Please use the links on the databases page which are working correctly. The link is: http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/databases/index.htm. Be sure to choose the option, "SJPL Remote & Branch Users".

The fall Consumer Information Catalog from the Federal Citizen Information Center is now available.

You have three options for obtaining a copy:

1. Visit http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/press/nfcfallcat06.htm to order a Catalog, or to read or print these and hundreds of other Federal publications for free. You can also download the catalog in PDF format.

2. Send your name and address to Consumer Information Catalog, Pueblo, Colorado 81009.

3. Call toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Come join us for a catalog searching class.

Have you ever wondered:
How can I find books about a particular topic? What do location codes mean?
What is Links+ anyway?
How can I get copies of articles from King Library?

Learn the answers to these questions and more at this Catalog Searching class.

This Workshop is free, but space is limited to 12 participants. Please sign up at the Information Desk inside the Library to reserve your space.

SJPL has engravers available for loan.

Did you know that every branch library, as well as King, provides engravers for loan? All you need is your library card. You can find the engravers info at http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/iguide_subjectList.htm?t=30&catID=1115 or at Web Links by Subject > Home > Home [yes, it's not a duplicate] > Home Security.

WiFi is back now.

As of this morning, our WiFi is back to normal. Please let a staff person know if you are having problems getting on the network.

Our WiFi is down.

The WiFi access at the Almaden Branch Library is currently down. IT has been called, and I'm hoping that it will be fixed by tomorrow afternoon.

The library OPAC features a new search interface.

Did you know that the library OPAC has a re-designed interface? Advanced search features are now available without moving through different screens; just click on the appropriate tab. Check it out at http://mill1.sjlibrary.org/search/.

Today is the final day of Summer Reading Celebration.

Come in today to claim the last of your prizes! Also, there will be a magic show by Norman Ng at 11 AM. Be sure to drop by the library.

Today is the Talent Show!

Hope to see you there. Performances include singing, dancing, and stand-up comedy. We always need audience members!

I'm pondering the future of libraries after reading this article.

This article, titled "The Future of Libraries : Beginning the Great Transformation", raises some interesting points about the changing role of libraries in society. In short, libraries are no longer unique repositories of information given the ubiquity of information online. Libraries must be responsive to changing patron needs and embrace new technologies along with patrons. Other recommendations: "preserve the memories of your own communities...[and] experiment with creative spaces so the future role of the library can define itself". I couldn't agree more with each point. Our branch model does try to serve specific, localized community needs, and I'm proud of our shiny-new tech center and facility, which offers a group-study room and other 'modern' amenities like free WiFi. We're looking into offering author talks by writers in the area. We'd like to offer innovative technology programs.

If you have insights on how we can serve you better, please write me at mana.tominaga@sjlibrary.org" or drop by the branch and fill out a survey. Thank you.

Network access and computer issues are all back to normal at the library.

Please be patient as we check-in materials from two days ago! Things are otherwise back to normal at the library. Thank you again for your patience.

Some of the network functionality is back at the Library.

These functions are back up: Web Opac, Reserve a Computer/Meeting Room, Database Access, and TRS - the Telephone Renewal System. If you're worried about fines, you can just call and renew your items. Thank you for your patience!

We're having some network problems at the library.

The online catalog, access to databases, and information on accounts is all down. It should only be a few hours though. In the meantime, come by the library and test out our knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System!

Please join us for the first annual Talent Show.

Join us for a fun-fill talent show on Thursday, August 3, from 3 PM. Young people from ages 4 through 18 will demonstrate their artistic and musical skills at Almaden's first annual talent show. This program is part of San Jose Public Library's Summer Reading Celebration.

Looking for useful, current legal resources online?

If you're looking for legal forms or legal self-help resources, you'll find too much unreliable information with a simple search. Try http://www.systemref.org/law.htm for agency listings and free handouts. SJPL's legal forms/legal self-help pages are at http://www.sjlibrary.org/research/web/iguide_subjectList.htm?t=38. Also, check out http://www.EZLegalFile.org, which offers an interactive interview format to help clients fill out submittable court forms in the areas of family law, small claims, unlawful detainer (evictions), domestic violence, and guardianships.

Free wifi access seems to be working as normal again.

WiFi's back at Almaden. Come by and enjoy the cool AC and free WiFi!

How can I keep track of books I've read?

I found a neat online application for keeping track of books I've read. It's called LibraryThing. You can store up to 200 book reviews/ratings for free.

The free WiFi access at our branch is still down.

IT should be in today to look at the problem. Thanks for your patience!

Our wireless network is not functioning right now.

Our WiFi is down currently; hopefully it will be fixed sometime today or tomorrow. Call me at 808-3040 if you'd like a status update.

Tomorrow is Spare the Air Day around the Bay Area; consider biking to work.

Tomorrow, Friday, July 21, is a Spare the Air Day in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ground-level ozone air pollution is forecast to exceed 100 AQI (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) tomorrow. Many transit agencies, including VTA, are offering FREE commutes all day. For details, go to http://www.511.org.

How do I access online databases from home or from a branch?

Did you know that with your library card, you can access a number of different online databases, such as MedlinePlus, the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center, and more? From the homepage, click on the "Articles & Databases" link, and then choose the "SJPL Remote & Branch Users" option to view all the databases. Many of these articles aren't available in the 'public domain' with a simple search engine, so these databases are very useful for research.

Join us for an upcoming film screening of the documentary "Invisible Children".

This is a screening of the documentary, "Invisible Children," a story of three college students that visited Northern Uganda and witnessed the horrible atrocities of children being kidnapped by the LRA army and turned into child soldiers. T-shirts will be sold to raise money for the MLS organization as well as advertise a Pizza My Heart fundraiser for the same night. For information call (408) 808-2000.

Tuesday, July 25, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
2nd Floor, Room 225

Please join us for a "Basic Catalog Search" class.

I'll be conducting an hour-long workshop on "Basic Catalog Search" on July 25, from 5 PM in the Tech Center. Learn how to search for books and more using the online catalog. We’ll cover searching by title, author, keyword, and subject; limiting by language; interpreting a catalog record; and finding materials on the shelves. Please sign up at the Information Desk inside the Library to reserve your space.

What programs are coming up at Almaden Branch Library?

Tomorrow, July 13 from 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM : Flute Sweets and Tickletoons!
This program combines the magical storytelling of Keith Torgan with the musical mastery of flutist Barbara Siesel. Contemporary stories and fairy tales both original and classic are turned into one person musical story theatre with a flutonious orchestra of one. Listen and delight! This Summer Reading Celebration program was made possible by a generous grant from the Friends of the San Jose Public Library. This event takes place in the Community Room.

For more events, visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/locations/almaden/events.htm

Enjoy free wireless access at Almaden Branch Library.

We've got free wireless during library hours. Almaden was the first branch in the San Jose Public Library system to get free wifi, and it's been working without a hitch since we opened in May. Come try it out! The Library plans to provide WiFi access eventually at all branches.

The new "Silicon Valley Reads" book has been announced.

"The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle has been announced as the Silicon Valley Reads 2007 book. Everyone in the Silicon Valley region is invited to read and discuss a book in common! I just finished the book yesterday; it's a gripping story and a great read. I recommend requesting your copy as soon as possible.