August 8, 2008

Off the Shelf

No time like the present to get a library card

By Vanessa Menor
Librarian, Evergreen Branch Library
Special to the Times

Do you have a library card? If you don’t, now is the perfect time to get one. San Jose Public Library cards are available to California residents. Our online application is available through the library’s Web site, www.sjlibrary.org, or through a library computer. Please fill out the application, and then visit the Information Desk with current photo ID and proof of address.

Who needs a library card? Everyone and that includes those of you who “don’t like to read.” Yes, the library is a great place for finding books, but there’s a lot more as well. With a library card, you have access to library computers and databases, and we have more to check out than just books. We have magazines, audiobooks, DVDs, music CDs, eBooks, and more.

Our Summer Reading Celebration program is over, but there’s still plenty of summer left for reading. Are you looking for book suggestions? On the library’s Web site, www.sjlibrary.org, on the Kid’s page, we have book lists by age and grade; we have AR lists from several schools in our reference area, series books and more. If you have an assigned reading list, bring it in and we can help you with your selection.

Two questions that I get asked a lot are: what are you reading and how do you pick books? Because I’m at the library every day, I’m in a position to browse in the new book section on a regular basis. The Library’s Web site is also a great starting place for finding new authors and titles: using the library catalog I like to look up “New Books & More” which provides links to Best Sellers lists, items that have been recently added to the collection and more.

Two books that I’ve just finished are:

1. Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. Narrated by Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600 as they await their turn on camera, Snuff is a novel about the role of pornography in contemporary life as it follows porn queen Cassie Wright, who plans to break the record for serial fornication with six hundred men on camera. Written by the author of Fight Club, this is a New York Times Best Seller. Note: there are no graphic descriptions of sex.

2. Head cases: stories of brain injury and its aftermath by Michael Paul Mason. Mason gives a series of vivid glimpses into brain science, the last frontier of medicine, and explores the fragility of the brain and the sense of self, life and order that resides there.

An important role Youth Services Librarians play is community outreach. It’s our goal to contact the schools in our service area and discuss with teachers how we can help meet their students’ needs. Youth Services Librarians are happy to attend Back-to-School nights, staff meetings, arrange for classes to visit the library and for the library to visit your class and/or school. To arrange for a class visit or have a librarian visit your class, please contact Leslie at 808-3060.

Congratulations to Ali Anaya and C. J. Garrett, winners of the Anime/Manga Graphic Novel Contest at Berryessa Branch and Tully Community Branch Library. Ali Anya was selected by Berryessa Library for writing a colorful, well-illustrated graphic novel with an intriguing story, “Defender.” Tully Library has selected C. J. Garrett for a well-written and illustrated “Tsukuri Koruko: Road to Ruin.” The book is filled with lots of adventures, action and humor.

Evergreen Library’s Calendar

For Adults and Teens

- Integral Tai Chi Classes
Mondays, 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Community Room

Integral Tai Chi is a self-healing system that integrates tai chi, yoga, relaxation and meditation to heal the mind, body and spirit.

- District 8 Roundtable
Tuesday, Aug. 12, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Community Room

The Roundtable is a forum for Evergreen community members and neighborhood associations to meet and discuss on-going issues in our district. It is a gathering of key community stakeholders, and meets to develop action plans and bring closure to the issues discussed.

- Friends of the Evergreen Library Meeting
Thursday, Aug. 14, 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Community Room

The Friends of the Evergreen Library will be holding their monthly meeting. Joining the Friends of the Evergreen Library is a great way to support the library and meet others in our community.

For Children and Families

- David ‘PapaHugs’ Sharpe
Saturday, Aug. 9, 3:00-4:00 p.m. in the Community Room 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Join us for a special program to mark the completion of a successful Summer Reading Celebration with our favorite music man, David Sharpe. Children, their parents and grandparents will laugh and sing along to the songs of PapaHugs.

- Summer Reading Volunteer Appreciation Party
Friday, Aug. 15, 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Community Room

Thank you to all our wonderful Summer Reading volunteers. Celebrate the end of the Summer Reading Celebration with fun and games.

Library Closures
Labor Day - Monday, Sept. 1, 2008

Vanessa Menor is a Librarian at the Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd, between Capitol Expressway and White Rd. Evergreen Branch is part of the San Jose Public Library. The Library’s phone number is (408) 808-3060. For more information about the library, visit the website at sjlibrary.org.