February 11, 2005

New Tully Community Branch Library open for Evergreen’s use

By Tim Collins
Special to the Times

Tully Community Branch Library opened Jan. 22, hosting more than 1,000 people during the first hour and more than 7,000 visitors during the course of the day. The library continues to be well used; thank you for your rousing welcome!

To loyal Evergreen Times readers and customers, enjoy this library. We hope you consider it your temporary home library until the new Evergreen library opens in the latter part of 2006. Of course, all San Jose residents (and others!) are always welcome at any San Jose Public Library location.

Programs, story time for children
In this new library building, we have the room to provide many more programs and classes than was possible at the old Evergreen Library. Here is a recap of ongoing story times we have planned, plus special programs coming in the weeks ahead:

Fun For Ones: Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.
This is a special story time for young ones 12 to 23 months old, plus their caregivers. In addition to one story, we do rhymes and finger plays.

Toddler Time: Thursdays at 10:15 a.m.
This story time is geared toward 2- and 3-year-old children, and their caregivers. While the length of the story time may vary, it generally averages 15 to 20 minutes.

Preschool Story Time: Fridays at 10:15 a.m.
This story time caters to 4- and 5-year-olds and their caregivers. The style of the program varies according to who is presenting it, but generally it’s a few familiar songs interspersed with a few picture book stories.

Stay and Play: Thursday, Friday mornings, following story times
Following Fun for Ones, Toddler Time and Preschool Story Time, parents and children may gather in the community room for further socializing. It’s always good to get to know each other better. Sometimes the library staff will have a parenting topic for discussion.

Fun for Youth: Fridays at 4 p.m.
During this time, programs are planned for elementary school children second grade and up. Activities vary from week to week. Feb. 11 will feature Valentine’s crafts, Feb. 18 will be Game Day and Feb. 25, a Children’s Computer Workshop.

Froggie B. & the Hungry Flies, Feb. 22 at 6:45 p.m.
A local parent shares her puppet show about a little frog who doesn’t like to clean his room. Everybody loves a puppet show. Come and join us!

Programs, Classes for Adults
Computer Classes: Mondays at 4 p.m., Saturdays at 10 a.m.

These one-hour classes are geared to adults who are computer novices. We will alternate between a beginning Internet class (Feb. 12 and 26) and a beginning e-mail class (Feb. 14 and 19).

Book Discussion, “Epitaph for a Peach” Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.
The complete title of this book is “Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on my Family Farm.” The author, David Mas Masumoto, recounts his experience.

The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, “The book follows Mas-umoto’s year-long attempt not just to keep his Sun Crest [peaches] alive but to ‘farm a new way, working with and not against, nature.’ It seems clear to him from the start that ‘this year will decide my fate,’ and somehow, thanks largely to the quiet eloquence of his writing, we know our own destiny is somehow wrapped up in the future of those peaches, too.”

This book has been chosen as the Silicon Valley Reads book of 2005. Book discussions will take place all over Silicon Valley during the month of February, including other SJPL locations. Here at Tully, we plan to have a very informal discussion. Even if you haven’t read this particular book, come and share your experiences and thoughts about the time when this valley was known for its produce, rather than its silicon.

Conversation Groups: Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m.
These will be informal groups offered in the library’s Family Learning Center Classroom, wherein people for whom English is a second language simply converse to encourage each other to increase vocabulary used around the home, school and community. Topics can include shopping, applying for work, budgeting, seeing the doctor and becoming familiar with one’s neighborhood... anything to do with daily life.

Parenting Workshop Series: Wednesday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
In conjunction with KTEH, we are hosting a parenting workshop series that presents parents with methods to resolve conflicts with or between their children. This is the first of four parts; the other sessions will take place on March 16, April 13 and May 18. If you’re interested, please let us know you plan to come. Our phone number is 808-3030.

Taxes: See the link from our Web site
It’s that time of year. If you need a certain tax form or schedule or instructions, visit the SJPL Web site at http://www.sjlibrary.org. On the very front page you will see the link: “Tax Forms and Information.” This will take you to both state and federal tax-related sites, where you should be able to get any form you need. San Jose Public Libraries, including Tully, do not carry actual tax forms. But through this link, you should be able to get the information you need. Don’t delay!

Science Fair project?
It’s science fair season in the school district, and our science project books are fast being checked out. But for some terrific ideas, follow this internet path: http://www.sjlibrary.org... Research…. WIRed…. Science…. Science Projects….. Science Experiment Websites. Good luck to all budding scientists!

Tim Collins is the Adult Services Librarian at the Tully Community Branch Library, 880 Tully Road, between McLaughlin Avenue and Senter Road, (408) 808-3030. For more information about the San Jose Public Library, visit the Web site at: www.sjlibrary.org.