February 23, 2007

Off the Shelf

March: celebrating Women’s History Month and … plan a solo vacation day

By Tim Collins
Adult Services Librarian

March is National Women’s History Month, International Mirth Month, and Youth Art Month. Not feeling artful or mirthful? Maybe you need to celebrate March 1: Plan a Solo Vacation Day! Whatever your needs, business or pleasure, we have resources for you at San José Public Library.

Tully Library’s Calendar

For Children and Families
- Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – Fun for Ones, followed by Stay & Play
- Tuesdays, 6:45 p.m. – Family Storytimes

- Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. - Toddler Time, followed by Stay & Play

- Fridays, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Storytime, followed by Stay and Play, followed by “Bring Me a Book” workshops on Mar. 30 and Apr. 6
- Fridays, 4 p.m. – Children’s and Teen activities

- Mar. 2 – Read Across America

- Mar. 9 -Teen Tech

- Mar. 16 - Lucky Bingo

- Mar. 23 – Game Day

- Mar. 30 – Movie: Supersize Me

- Fridays, Mar. 9, 16, 23, 30 - 5:30-7 p.m. – Cambodian dance lessons

- Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – Family Storytimes
- Saturdays, 10 a.m. - noon – Cambodian language class
- Saturdays, 1 and 3 p.m. – Vietnamese Language class
- Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Mar. 10, 17, 24 – Visual Arts classes for children, ages 4-5;

Registration forms available at the library or at www.vietarts.org.

For Young Adults and Adults
- Sundays, Tai Chi classes- Beginning 1-3 p.m.; Advanced 3-5 p.m.

- Tuesdays 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. - Computer tutoring

- Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. – Family Learning Center orientations
- Wednesdays at 5 p.m. – Conversation Group
- Wednesdays, 6 p.m. – Beginning Computer Classes in Vietnamese

- Fridays, Mobile One Stop, job search assistance
- 9:30 a.m. – noon (Tully Library), and
- 1:30 – 4 p.m. (Evergreen Library)

- Saturdays, 1 and 3 p.m. – Vietnamese/English Citizenship classes
- Saturdays, Mar. 3 and Apr. 7– starting at 10 a.m. – Special Booksales

- Teen Tech. Week observed Mar. 6-9; activities starting at 4 p.m.

- Tues., 6th – Blog Making, Blog Contest

- Wed., 7th – Online Game Tourney

- Thu., 8th – Runescape Party

- Fri., 9th – Movie: I, Robot

- Sunday, Mar. 18, 2-3:30 p.m. – author visit: Andrea Nguyen, chef, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen

- Tuesday, Mar. 20, 6 p.m. – Tully Friends of the Library meeting
- Tuesday, Mar. 20, 6 p.m. – Citizenship Advice in Spanish

- Wednesday, Mar. 21, 6 p.m. – TeensReach Meeting and Orientation

- Thursday, Mar. 15, 4 p.m. – Databases for Students
- Thursdays, Feb. 28 and Mar. 7, 3-5 p.m. – Nutrition Program in Vietnamese

- Last Wednesday of the month, Book Discussion, 7 p.m.

- Feb. 28 – Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt

- Mar. 28 – Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

Library Closures
- Mar. 23 – “In Service” staff training half-day; library opens at 1 p.m.
- Mar. 31 – Cesar Chavez’ Birthday

“Bring Me a Book: First Teachers” Mar. 30 and Apr. 6
Acquiring an early love of reading serves a person well the rest of his or her life. But a girl or boy usually doesn’t just pick up the reading habit out of the air. Parents and caregivers set the example.

Here at Tully, we will be offering a series of reading workshops for parents with young children up to age 5. On Fridays we regularly host preschool storytime at 10:30 a.m. These workshops Bring Me a Book: First Teachers, will follow preschool storytime (generally that means 11 a.m.) on Mar. 30 and April 6.

Children learn from their parents. Parents can help their children to pick up the habit of lifelong reading. These workshops, co-hosted by First Five Santa Clara County, are designed to help parents help their children.
Please let us know if you are interested in attending. First Five intends to give out a free book at the end of every session for each family that participates, making it important to have a good idea of how many copies will be needed.

Teen Tech Week: Mar. 4-10
Celebrate Teen Tech Week from Mar. 4-10 at the library. On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week, we will be offering various activities starting at 4 p.m. including a blog making contest, an online game tournament, a Runescape party, and a showing of the movie I Robot. It should be a fun time.

Cookbook Author Andrea Nguyen: Mar. 18, 2 p.m.
Join Southeast Asian food expert Andrea Nguyen in a lively bilingual discussion of the culinary traditions of Vietnam. Learn about the history, essential ingredients, and cooking methods of the cuisine. Then observe and taste dishes prepared by this gifted teacher and writer. At the end of this event, Andrea will be signing copies of her new cookbook, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (Ten Speed Press). Join us for a delicious afternoon. Copies of her book will be available for purchase. This event is the first in the multi-author series VietREADS! - exploring the literature, food, music and arts of Vietnam. This series is part of the California Cultural Crossroads initiative supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provision of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Library.

Friends of the Library / Booksales
Our Tully Friends of the Library group meets every third Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. The Evergreen Library Friends meet the second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. Friends support the library in various and sundry ways. Many of the programs put on by the library are financed in whole or in part by the Friends. Friends advocate on behalf of library services ensuring that community concerns are addressed. At least one local public official got his early start in local civics by serving as the president of a San José Public Library Friends group.

Libraries could not function without volunteers. The Friends groups make up some of our most valued volunteers. Join the Friends! Help keep San José libraries among the best in the nation. If you can’t come to a Friends meeting, inquire at the library how you can extend your support.

The Friends raise funds by ongoing sales of donated books. If you have surplus books in good condition with resale value (no one wants to buy, say, 15-year-old computer books), consider donating them to the Friends. The 25 cents to a dollar earned on each book sold adds up!

Tim Collins is the Adult Services Librarian at the Tully Community Branch Library, 880 Tully Road, between McLaughlin and Senter. It is one of the branches of the San Jose Public Library. The Library’s phone number is 808-3030. For more information about the library, visit the website at sjlibrary.org.