January 11, 2008

Off the Shelf

Parking lot courtesy

By Vanessa Menor
Librarian of the Evergreen Branch Library

My sister was a huge fan of the Jetsons, and even 20 years later can still sing the show’s theme song. Her favorite part was when George Jetson's car would fold up and turn into a briefcase. There are days I wish I had that car; Black Friday, post-Christmas sales, and on busy days at the library. In all three cases, the parking lots fill up fast, and you have to ask yourself, “What do I do now?” It seems, though, that people forget to ask themselves this. We need your help to make the parking lot as safe as possible. Please follow these rules:

1. Do not park in the red zones. These are fire lanes.

2. The passenger drop-off is for letting people out of the car and/or picking them up. Not for parking.

3. The two spots for motorcycles are motorcycle parking and not for cars.

4. The 15-minute limit parking space is not for long-term parking.

5. The bookdrop area is not for parking.

6. Please respect the needs and rights of persons with disabilities, by leaving these designated spots available.

Thank you to all who have provided suggestions on how to improve the parking situation. The library takes very seriously all the suggestions that we receive. Public input is very important to us. We would like to thank our neighbor, Grace Church, for allowing library customers to use their parking lot. Located on the other side of Aborn, Grace Church’s generous offer helps us better serve our community.

Evergreen Library’s Calendar

For Adults and Teens

Integral Tai Chi Classes
Mondays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Community Room

Integral Tai Chi is a self-healing system that integrates tai chi, yoga, relaxation and meditation to heal the mind, body and spirit.

Conversation Club
Wednesdays, 12:30-1:30 p.m. in Study Room A

Adults are invited to join our Conversation Club to practice their English language skills.

Citizenship Class
Prepare for the citizenship test with others in a class setting. We will be learning about American history and government. Practice tests will be available.

Class Schedule
1. Grace Church, Classroom One, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Spanish and taught by Pastor John & Judith Goldstein.

2. Evergreen Library, Study Room A, 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Vietnamese and taught by Hanh Luc.

3. Evergreen Library, Study Room A, 1st & 3rd Wednesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Chinese and taught by librarian Shu-Hua Liu.

4. Sikh Gurwara, Saturdays, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Classes will be in Hindi, Panjabi and English and taught by Dr. Sraon.

District 8 Roundtable
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Community Room

The Roundtable is a forum for Evergreen community members and neighborhood associations to meet and discuss ongoing issues.

teensReach Meeting
Friday, Jan. 18, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Community Room

Join our teensReach group and learn about volunteering in the library, earning community service credit and helping to make the library as great as it can be.

Evergreen Garden Club Meeting and Lecture
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Commun-ity Room

Join the Evergreen Gar-den Club for their monthly meeting. Arvind Kumar will talk about “habitat gardening” in the Evergreen area.

Silicon Valley Reads is Coming
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Commun-ity Room

This year’s book selection is The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell. To celebrate, the Evergreen Library will be hosting an author visit. Ms Caldwell will be joining our Adult Book Club to discuss her book. For more information about Silicon Valley Reads please visit: www.siliconvalleyreads.org.

For Children and Families

Storytimes
*Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.

*Mother Goose Time, for ages 0-2, Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.

Family Storytime, for children of all ages, Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m..

Reading to Children volunteer Grandma Carol, for ages 3-5, Thursdays at 11:30 a.m.

*Toddler Storytime, Fridays at 11:30 a.m.

*After these storytimes, there will be Stay & Play. Stay & Play is an opportunity for parents to socialize while their children play with educational toys.

Fabulous Friday Craft
Friday, Jan. 25, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Community Room

Please come to the Evergreen Library for a Fantastic Friday Craft Event. You and your friends will be able to make a special craft to take home. For ages 6 and up please.

For news of other library activities, including those at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library visit: http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/

Library Closures
Jan. 21, Martin Luther King, Jr Day

Vanessa Menor is a librarian at the Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd, between Capitol Expressway and White Rd. Evergreen Branch is part of the San Jose Public Library. The library’s phone number is 408-808-3060. For more information about the library, visit the website at sjlibrary.org.