May 6, 2005

From reading to the dogs to computer classes

By Tim Collins
Special to the Times

May! These 31 days have been deemed Creative Beginnings Month and National Egg, National Hamburger and National Salsa Month. For a strictly literary slant, May is also “Get Caught Reading Month.” Enjoy your reading material, available here at the library, while partaking of the food of your choice!

Computer Classes
The Tully library offers very basic computer classes, largely designed for adults who have not used computers very much. These take place on Monday afternoons at 4 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. Since the library’s opening, we have alternated a Beginning Internet class with a Beginning e-mail class.

This month we are adding a Beginning Word class to the rotation to cover the word processing program, Microsoft Word. These are one-hour sessions, free to the public.

If a lot of people show up, we operate these classes in a somewhat formal way, attempting to touch all the basics that we considered in our preplanning phase. If relatively few people show up, we have more freedom to provide individualized attention and concentrate on computer applications that specific customers are interested in.

On Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m., we offer computer classes in Vietnamese, taught by one of our Vietnamese-speaking librarians.

And this month, Clem Lundie of San Jose City College will be offering specialty computer classes. At the Tully branch, these will take place Tuesday afternoons at 1 p.m. Lundie will also be offering similar computer classes at nearby libraries on Tuesday afternoons and evenings, including the Hillview branch.

Lundie will be covering items such as to how to create a blog (a Web log), how to create your own personal Internet site, as well as informing people of further computer-related instruction available at Ever-green Valley College and San Jose City College.

Upcoming book discussions
In May, we are going to be reading Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and in June, Laura Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate.” Discussions take place the last Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.

Sometimes we luck out and choose a particular book that several people are interested in right then (think class assignments). At other times, attendance is smaller, but the fewer people attending really have a great opportunity to share thoughtful insights with other like-minded readers.

I welcome input as to what books to explore in the future. Contact me at timothy.collins@sjlibrary.org. Or better yet, come to the next meeting!

Reading to dogs
Kids and dogs are a natural combination. Tully Library brings them together on Saturday, June 11.

At our “Reading to Dogs” program, children will have the opportunity to get acquainted with a dog but also to practice their reading with a totally appreciative and non-judgmental audience.

Canine Companions for Inde-pendence will supply the dogs. They are highly trained and experienced with children.

The dogs will be at the library from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Please sign your child up that morning for a 15-minute reading session with an individual dog on a first-come, first-serve basis. Children must be able to read to participate.

Children and dogs should both have a lot of fun!

About the new building
The Tully Library is a beautiful new building, but, since it’s new, people may not know where everything is yet. Here are some common questions and answers about the building:

Where do we return things?
In the lobby to your left when you come in the front door.

Where are the bathrooms?
In the lobby to your left as you come in the front door, beside the return slots. Also, there is a “family bathroom” on the children’s side.

Is there an outdoor bookdrop?
Yes. On the east side of the library, toward Kenoga Street, there are material return slots that look like metal air vents. One is labeled “books” and one is labeled “media.”

Where are the Evergreen Times and other free publications?

Informational flyers and free publications are located in the Print Center, about 30 feet behind the Information Desk, near the adult audio books and the Young Adult media.

Where is the Friends of the Library book sale?
On the eastside of the library, the adult side, just beyond the Language media, to your left. It is opposite the aisles labeled “20” and “22.”

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.

Tully Library’s Calendar of Events

For children and families
- Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. – Fun for Ones, 12 – 23 months old, followed by Stay and Play
- Tuesdays at 6:45 p.m. and Saturdays at 11:30 a.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)

- Saturday, June 11, 11 a.m. – Reading to Dogs; kids read to a doggie audience

For young adults and adults
- Mondays at 4 p.m. - Beginning computer classes “Internet” or “E-mail”

- Tuesdays at 1 p.m. – Specialty computer classes with San Jose City College instructor
- Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m., and Wednesdays at noon – Conversation Groups

- Wednesdays at 6 p.m. – Beginning Internet classes in Vietnamese

- Saturdays at 10 a.m. – Beginning Word Processing, a four part series starting May 7

- Monday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. – Friends of the Tully Library meeting

- Wednesday, May 18 at 6 p.m. – TeensReach meeting
- Wednesday, May 25 at 7 p.m. – “Heart of Darkness” book discussion

- Monday, June 6 at 4:30 p.m. – Citizenship information for Vietnamese speakers

Library closure – Monday, May 30, Memorial Day