February 22, 2008

Off the Shelf

Local library celebrates ‘Do Something Positive Day’

By Tim Collins
Adult Services Librarian

March into the library this month. Mar. 1, appropriately enough, is “Be Positive – Do Something Positive Day." Hey, if you get a positive start on Mar. 1, you’ll be in a great position to celebrate the rest of the month: “International Expect Success Month!”

Book Club, Feb. 27 – “The Dancing Lion,” by Stephen Barry

Tully Library’s book club regularly meets on the last Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. At our February meeting we are quite pleased to be focusing on the book The Dancing Lion, by local resident Stephen D. Barry.

Throughout the nation, libraries will have various activities in celebration of Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 3. Photo courtesy Read Across America

Did a teacher ever make a difference in your life? Or have you, either as a teacher yourself, or acting in a teaching capacity, ever really connected with your student, see that glow of comprehension brighten their face? They grasped that difficult concept you were trying to get across, they got it! Are you, like many in our community, a recent immigrant, learning a new language, new customs? Or do you work with new immigrants or regularly interact with new immigrants? If so, did both of you learn something from the other?

If the answer is “yes” to any of the above questions, you have something to contribute to our discussion, even if you haven’t yet read or completed the book. The Dancing Lion is a very personal book, based on Mr. Barry’s experience as a high school teacher working, interacting, teaching and mentoring his Vietnamese immigrant students. While the book is fictionalized, this is a very real book (that’s speaking as a librarian of western European descent who regularly works with Vietnamese customers myself). Through this book, our neighbor Stephen Barry has a lot to say to all of us in our multicultural Santa Clara County community.

So come to our book club! Don’t come ‘cause it’s good for you. Come for the fun of it! Make new friends. We’re great people, a fun group!

ESL Video Night/Nutrition Classes in Vietnamese

Here at Tully, we offer a regular menu of citizenship classes, conversation clubs, similar ESL programs (English as a Second Language), and computer classes in three languages. Lately, in addition to these offerings, we hold one-hour-long ESL video nights on Tuesdays starting at 6:30 p.m. We offer a reasonably extensive selection of ESL-related videos and DVDs available for personal checkout here at the library. But it’s nice to watch movies of this nature together with others as well, and so have time for a little discussion about it afterwards. Enjoy!

Oh, and you’ll impede your learning if you aren’t properly fed! So for Vietnamese speakers, plan to attend our Saturday afternoon nutrition classes, 3 to 5 p.m., Mar. 1, 8 and 15. This series of three workshops features the nutritional values of healthy foods, how to prepare them, and what foods to choose to control conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. These workshops will be presented in Vietnamese by UC Extension Service staff. Registration is encouraged.

Early Literacy Series – Fridays, Mar. 7, 14 & 21 – 11 a.m.

Following our regular 10:30 a.m. Friday Preschool Storytime, we will be offering a parenting workshop. This 3-week early literary series will introduce the importance of early literacy to parents, caretakers and daycare providers. Program is limited to 20 people. The program is presented by First5.

Anime/Manga Graphic Novel Making Contest for Teens

Do you like anime and graphic novels? Don't miss this opportunity to make a Graphic Novel book while winning some money and a chance to see your work published. Library staff and a volunteer panel will judge the content and the illustrations of your book. The book may be done at home but MUST BE submitted by May 9 before 5:00 p.m.. Fifty colored copies of their work will be published at Tully, Berryessa and West Valley branch libraries.

Teen Tech Week: Mar. 2-8; Quest Competition

Join Tully library in celebrating Teen Tech Week by completing the 25 TTW quests. You will be awarded a raffle ticket for each quest you complete. The raffle drawing will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Mar. 7. One winner will receive a $10 cash prize and five winners will receive prizes. This is part of the Teen Tech Week celebration. During Teen Tech Week, we’ll be holding online Game Tournaments and a TTW style Reading Buddies program, taking place in the weekday afternoons.

Easter Egg Hunt; Saturday, Mar. 22, 3:30 p.m.

Speaking of quests and expeditions to seek out hidden treasure, on Mar. 22 we hold our annual Easter Egg hunt. In Tully library’s short life thus far, this has always been one of our most highly attended functions, with hundreds participating. So let’s hope for good weather, show up and seek out those red eggs, yellow eggs, blue eggs and green eggs! Celebrate egg-omania! Have an egg-centric time!

Theodore “Dr. Seuss” Geisel’s birthday will be commemorated at the library on Monday, March 3.

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday, Mar. 3 – Read Across America

Hmmm. Green eggs. What does that remind me of? (No, I don’t mean that science project growing in the back corners of your refrigerator! Though come to think of it, it is science fair season.) That’s right!: that classic of children’s literature, Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham. Mar. 3 marks Dr. Seuss’ birthday, commemorated as Read Across America Day. (Dr. Seuss was actually born on Mar. 2, 1904, but we’re observing his birthday this year on the Monday, Mar. 3.) Throughout the nation, various libraries will have various activities in regards to this celebration. Here at Tully, we’ll be having a special storytime at 5 p.m.

That taxing time of year

There are all sorts of links to tax form information that we have put on the front page of our library Website www.sjlibrary.org, including where and when you can get free tax help. Online, federal forms can be found on the Websites irs.gov or 1040.com. State tax forms can be found at ftb.ca.gov. If you must get the physical forms in person, the best place locally to go is the local Internal Revenue Service center, found at the ground floor of the “Gold Building” downtown, 55 South Market Street, at Post Street, between San Fernando and Santa Clara Streets.

City-Wide Library Events For a listing of all upcoming Tully events, pick up a calendar in English or Spanish next time you visit us. For library events citywide, including the Dr. King library downtown, check the Events section of the SJPL website www.sjlibrary.org. Expect Success! Come to a library program this month! Come to two! Come to three! Be egg-ceptional!

Tim Collins is the Adult Services Librarian at the Tully Community Branch Library, 880 Tully Road, between McLaughlin and Senter. The Library’s phone number is 808-3030, and its email address is tu.sjpl@sjlibrary.org.