May 18, 2007

Off the Shelf

June: Rebuild your life month

By Tim Collins
Adult Services Librarian

Besides being the beginning of summer, and hence the start of Summer Reading, June marks Gay & Lesbian Pride Month, Learn French Month, National Iced Tea Month and, here’s a big one…Rebuild Your Life Month! Whether you’re rebuilding your life, or merely touching it up around the edges (home improvement, help with resumes, expanding your cooking repertoire, etc.) we can help you out with the resources available at your local 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
- Thursdays, 4 p.m. – Reading Buddies (Teens reading to children)

- Fridays, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Storytime followed by Stay and Play
- Fridays, 4 p.m. – Children’s and Teen activities

May 25- Origami Craft

June 1- Game Day

June 15- Edible Car Contest

- Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – Family Storytimes
- Saturdays, 10 a.m. - noon – Cambodian language class
- Saturdays, 1 p.m. – Vietnamese Language class
- Saturday, June 16 – Summer Reading Begins

- Thursday, June 21, 2 p.m. – Magician Phil Ackerley

For Young Adults and Adults
- Sundays, Tai Chi classes- Seniors 11-12:30 a.m.; Advanced 12:45-2:45 p.m.; Beginning 2:45-5 p.m.

- Tuesdays 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. - Computer tutoring
- Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m. – ESL video night
- Tuesdays, 6 p.m. – Basic Computer (Internet / Email / MS Word) in Spanish

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

- Thursdays, 6 p.m. – Basic Computer Classes in Vietnamese & English (these classes start on June 7 and 14, with Beginning Microsoft Office)

- Saturdays, 1 p.m. – Vietnamese/English Citizenship classes (June 2 – Q&A, 3-5 p.m.)
- Saturdays, 3-5 p.m. – Yoga (six week series starting June 2)
- Saturdays, June 2 and July 7– starting at 10 a.m. – Special Booksales
- Saturday, June 9, 2-4 p.m.– Citizenship Q&A in Spanish

- Wednesday, June 13, 4 p.m.- Summer Reading Volunteer Training

- Saturday, June 16, 3-5 p.m. – Mock Citizenship Interviews

Tuesday, June 19, 6 p.m. – Tully Friends of the Library meeting

- Wednesday, June 20, 4 p.m. – Databases for Students and Others
- Last Wednesday of the month, Book Discussion, 7 p.m.

May 30 – Perfume Dreams, Andrew Lam

June 27 – Five People You Meet in Heaven, M. Albom

Summer Reading Begins on June 16
Summer Reading begins on June 16 with our featured performers at the kickoff date being the Ballet Folklorico at 11 a.m. Summer Reading is always a popular month-long event throughout the San José Public Library system. This year there will be an adult component to the Summer Reading Program as well. Keep watch on this column for more Summer Reading program information and activities as the season progresses.

Citizenship Classes/ Q&A sessions
Here at Tully we have regularly offered citizenship classes in English and Vietnamese. Just recently we arranged to have sessions done in Spanish as well.

“Classes” emphasize general history and civics: George Washington crossing the Delaware, how a bill becomes law, who the mayor of San José is, the 13th Amendment freeing the slaves vs. the 19th Amendment giving the vote to women, that sort of thing. “Q&A” stands for “Questions and Answers.” These Q&A sessions emphasize the forms and paperwork you have to fill out in order to complete the process of becoming a citizen: for example, an overview of Naturalization Form 400, how to answer question 9c given your own individual circumstances, and other useful tips.

In addition, we will be holding “mock interviews,” that is, mock citizenship interviews here. The actual citizenship interview can be unfamiliar and a little nerve-wracking. This gives you sort of a dress rehearsal, a chance to practice.

These classes, Q&A’s and mock interviews we offer in close cooperation of the group SIREN, which stands for “Services, Immigration Rights and Education Network.” SIREN serves the immigrant community in Santa Clara County. Phone (408) 286-5680. E-mail: cary@siren-bayarea.org. Another good source for information on this topic is the website directory www.immigrantinfo.org.

- Citizenship classes, English and Vietnamese: Saturdays, 1 p.m.
- Citizenship Q& A, English and Vietnamese: First Saturday of the month, 3-5 p.m.
- Citizenship Q&A, Spanish: Second Saturday of the month, 2 p.m.
- Mock interviews: Third Saturday of the month, 3-5 p.m.

ESL Video Night – Tuesdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. starting June 5th
The library will host a one-hour weekly ESL Video Night, featuring the “Crossroads Café.” Group discussion will immediately follow each program. This is a four-week program. The Friends and teensReach volunteers will provide popcorn and refreshments.

Visit our website, sjlibrary.org.
Both Tully Community and Evergreen Libraries are branches of the wider San José Public Library system. If you have a computer and access to the Internet, but have never visited our website, www.sjlibrary.org, I urge you to do so. If you don’t have a computer at home, use the computers at the library!

From this website address, and with your library card at hand, you can check your library account; search the library catalog; access eBooks; check on events and programs at your local branch library, or throughout the library system; access our databases; find resources for kids, teens, adults and seniors; suggest materials for the library to acquire. That’s just a small sample of the numerous things you can do. Check it out!

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.