February 6, 2009

Off the Shelf

Valentine’s Day at the library

By Joy Kim
Special to the Times

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Evergreen Branch Library has some special events scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 14, to mark the occasion. For children and families, there will be a special Teddy Bear Valentine Picnic and Storytime at 11:30 a.m. Bring your own teddy bear, snack and blankie, and enjoy stories, songs and fun. In the afternoon, teens won’t want to miss our Anti-Valentine’s Day Party at 2:30 p.m. We’ll have snacks, games and contests for all those ages 13-18 who don’t think love is a happy heart candy or a box of chocolates.

We are also offering a new free class for patrons this month. Résumés 101 (Part 1: Feb. 10 at 10:00 a.m.; Part 2: Feb. 24 at 10:00 a.m.) is a two-part class on how to write an effective résumé. Registration is required; sign up at the information desk or by calling us at (408) 808-3060.

Our friends at Tully Community Branch Library (880 Tully Rd) are offering a series of free visual art classes for children ages 4-5 on Fridays from Feb. 6 to Apr. 10 through a partnership with the Association of Viêt Arts. Space is limited, so please contact the Tully Community Branch Library at (408) 808-3030 for information on how to register.

Finally, Denise Mattos, library clerk at the Evergreen Branch Library, will now be working on the library column with me. Denise has recently graduated from San José State University with a degree in communications and will be preparing the program listings that are included in every article.

Evergreen Branch Library’s Calendar

For Adults and Teens

- Integral Tai Chi Classes
Mondays, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 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.

- 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

- Grace Church, Classroom One, first and third Tuesdays by appointment, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Spanish and taught by Pastor John and Judith Goldstein.

- Evergreen Library, Study Room A, first and third Tuesdays, 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Classes will be taught in English and Vietnamese.

- Evergreen Library, Study Room A, Saturdays, 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Classes will be in Hindi, Panjabi and English. Taught by staff from the Sikh Gurdwara.

- For Your Consideration: Oscar Contest 2009
Monday, Jan. 26 to Saturday, Feb. 21
Predict who will win this year’s Academy Awards (Oscars) and win great prizes at the library! Pick up a ballot at the information desk and turn it in before 6:00 pm on Feb. 21 to enter.

- Citizenship and Immigration Q & A
Saturday, Feb. 7, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in Study Room A
Do you have questions about your citizenship application or application process? Check out the free Citizenship Q & A sessions in English, Vietnamese, Chinese and Spanish.

- Résumés 101, Part 1
Tuesday, Feb. 10, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. in the Community Room
Getting ready for a job search? Sign up for our two-part class on creating or updating your résumé. Pre-registration is required.

- Friends of the Evergreen Library Meeting
Thursday, Feb. 12, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Join the Friends of the Evergreen Library to discuss ways to support the library and to meet others in the community.

- Second Fridays Teen Book Club
Friday, Feb. 13, 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Don’t miss this meeting of Evergreen’s book club especially for teens. Our book for February will be An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. For teens.

- Anti-Valentine’s Day Party
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Snacks, games and contests for teens who don’t think love is a happy heart candy or a romance novel.

- San José Prepared
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Learn about hazards you should prepare for in San José, ways to reduce the risks of loss and injury before disaster strikes and how to create a family disaster plan. Presented by the City of San José’s Office of Emergency Services.

- teensReach Meeting
Friday, Feb. 20, 3:30 p.m.-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 make the library great.

For Children and Teens

Wii gaming events for school age children and teens.
Wii Wednesday, Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m.– 5:00 p.m. in the Teen Room
Wii Saturday, Saturday, Feb. 7, 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room

For Children and Families

- Reading Buddies
Thursdays, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. in the Family Place.
Children in grades K-3 can come to the library and practice their reading skills with a teen buddy.

- Teddy Bear Valentine Picnic and Storytime
Saturday, Feb. 14, 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Bring your own teddy bear, snack and blankie for stories, songs and fun.

For news of other library activities, including those at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library visit: http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/. For links to RSS feeds of library events; visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/rss/index.htm.

Library Closures
Monday, Feb. 16 – All libraries

Parking
When the library parking lot is full, customers may find additional parking available at Grace Church on the other side of Aborn. We thank Grace Church for this generous offer that allows the library to better serve the Evergreen community.

Joy Kim 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.