March 11, 2005

Relive the Roaring 20s

By Tim Collins
Special to the Times

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Ireland has produced many of the world’s great writers, and this month Tully Community Branch Library is recognizing F. Scott Fitzgerald, an American writer of Irish descent.

Relive the Roaring Twenties! Flappers! Bootleggers! The Charleston! Ain’t We Got Fun! On March 23 at 6:30 p.m., we are holding a book discussion regarding F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic “The Great Gatsby.”

You can’t discuss this book without exploring the social and historical context of America during the Jazz Age as well. The Twenties were a fascinating period with many similarities and lessons for our own time. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I chose “The Great Gatsby” as the initial offering for a variety of reasons. First, it’s a classic and there are many copies of it available in the San José Public Library. It generally deals with both personal and historical matters that provide a lot of grist for discussion. And, finally, it’s the type of book that might attract a young adult audience who want to get extra credit for their English or history classes.

It’s best of course if you have read the book in advance, but even if you have only seen one of the movies made from the story, or are only generally familiar with the story, there should be enough here to hold your interest.

I welcome input from the general public as to what books to explore in future discussions. I admit to having a personal prejudice toward those books with a historical or ethnic bent. Some of the ones I’m thinking about are “Catfish and Mandala” by Andrew Pham, about a Vietnamese-American and his bicycle trip through Vietnam.

With a Hispanic bent, possibilities include “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez , “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, or various works by Isabel Allende. The list could go on and on. I haven’t even mentioned works by authors from India, and works with a Native American bent, for example the mysteries of Tony Hillerman.

But frankly, it’s not about what I want. It’s about what you, the public wants. Let me know! Contact me at timothy.collins@sjlibrary.org. Or better yet, come to this first discussion of “The Great Gatsby,” and let me know then.

Tully Library’s Calendar

For Children and Families
- Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m. – Fun for Ones (children 12 to 23 months old)

- Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m. – Family Story Time

- Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. – Toddler Time, followed by Stay and Play

- Fridays at 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Story Time, followed by Stay and Play

- Fridays at 4 p.m. – Fun for Youth (fun activities for elementary school-aged children)

For Young Adults and Adults
- Mondays at 4 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. – Beginning computer classes

- Mondays in March at 6 p.m. – Start Your Own Business classes, $30 per class

- Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. and Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. – Conversation Groups

- Wednesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. – Parenting Workshop hosted by KTEH

- Wednesday, March 23 at 6 p.m. – TeensReach meeting

- Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. – “The Great Gatsby” book discussion

Library Closures
- Friday, March 25 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Staff In-Service

- Thursday, March 31, all day – Cesar Chavez

Business Classes
The Silicon Valley Small Business Development Center is offering a series of four classes for people planning to start their own business. These classes are being held in the Tully Library Community Room from 6 to 8 p.m. The first of these, “How to Plan for Your Business,” was given on March 7. The remaining classes in the series are being offered on the following dates:

- March 14 - How To Plan for Your Business: This class helps you develop a business plan that will become your blueprint for how to manage your business.

- March 21 - How to Develop a Marketing and Sales Strategy: This class will teach you how to determine your competitive strengths and weaknesses to find your niche in the market and develop profitable sales.

- March 28 - How to Finance Your Business: More than 80 percent of new entrepreneurs start their business without any commercial loans or debt financing. Now, new micro-loan programs are offering an array of options. Become a more savvy business person by learning more about finance.

The entire series of four classes will be repeated later at the Vineland Branch. In the meantime, if you wish to attend any of the individual classes here at Tully, the cost is $30 each. The cost for the entire series of four classes is $100.

You can find out more about the classes, and register for them online, by going to http://sjlibrary.org/gateways/business/training.htm.

Business Databases
You don’t need to attend classes to obtain valuable business information from your public library. SJPL offers several business-related databases to our customers. These databases are available to anyone with a library card and a computer with an Internet connection.

These databases include the Business & Company Resource Center, General Business File ASAP, a RDS Business Reference Suite, Reference USA Company Listings and Rich’s Online Directory for California.

If you don’t have a home computer, come to the library and use ours! To access these databases, go to www.sjlibrary.org and click on the link “Articles and Databases.” At home or at a branch library (Tully is a branch library), go to the databases available to “SJPL Remote and Branch Users.” If you are visiting the Dr. King Main Library downtown or are associated with San Jose State University, you have access to even more databases.

Tax information on the Web
If you need a certain tax form or schedule or instructions, visit the SJPL Web site http://www.sjlibrary.org, and click on the link “Tax Forms and Information..” 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.

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 Web site at www.sjlibrary.org.