August 27, 2004

Back-to-school events at the local library

By Tim Collins
Special to the Times

It’s back-to-school month. “Chase’s Calendar of Events” informs us that September also plays host to “Go Wild With California Wild Rice Month,” “International Self-Awareness Month” and “National Coupon Month.”

But here’s my favorite: “Library Card Sign Up Month!” Is there a library card in your wallet or purse, or on your key chain? Let us get you set up with one here at your local San Jose Public Library.

Regular readers of this column know I like to start off with a few nuggets from Chase’s. This is a marvelous reference book that informs us of events, anniversaries and commemorations happening on specific days, weeks and months. Want to know what celebrities share your birthday? Chase’s has the answer for you!

Story times, special guests
Regular story times resume following Labor Day. In general, our story times or similar events take place on Tuesday evenings, and on Thursday and Friday mornings. More specifically:

- Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. – Annamarie presents Reader’s Theater. Come and enjoy our budding thespians: Elementary school children capable of reading and with a good healthy respect for the magic of make believe!

- Tuesday, Sept. 14 and 28 at 6:45 p.m. – Family story times hosted by your very own Evergreen Branch Library staff!

- Tuesday, Sept. 21 at 6:45 p.m. – Ed Koetitz, a San Jose librarian from the Vineland Branch (and former Evergreen librarian who used to write this column), amazes us with magic, moves us with song and music and beguiles us with stories. Ed is indeed a man of many talents.

- Toddler Time – Thursdays starting Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. – geared toward children two to three years old.

- Fun for Ones – Fridays, Sept. 10 and 17, Oct. 1 at 10:15 a.m. – for children 12-23 months old, one child accompanied by one parent.

- Preschool Story Time – Fridays, Sept. 10, and 17 and Oct. 1 at 11 am. – geared toward children three to five years old.

On Friday morning, Sept. 24, the library will not open until 1 p.m. due to a staff in-service gathering. That is why there will be no Fun For Ones or Preschool Story Time that day.

TeensReach meeting
Care to have fun, meet interesting people and provide valuable service to your community? Join the Evergreen Library TeensReach group. For anyone interested, we are having a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 3:30 p.m.

Congratulations, summer readers
Here at Evergreen Branch Library, 3,046 people participated in Summer Reading this year. Congratulations to all of you. May your love of reading grow and prosper!

Tully Community Branch Library is coming
The Tully Community Branch Library is taking shape. If you have a chance, take a look at the construction in progress on 870 Tully Road, west of Highway 101, between McLaughlin and Senter. The latest word is that the Tully Library will open sometime in January 2005, although at this point dates are still subject to change.

Later this year, Evergreen Branch Library will be shutting down for about 16 months so a new library, approximately three times the size of the current Evergreen Library, can be constructed.

Curious as to the sort of facility the Tully and new Evergreen Libraries will be like? Take a visit to our two newest branch libraries, West Valley and Vineland. The West Valley Library is located at 1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., near Saratoga Road. The Vineland Library is located at 1450 Blossom Hill Rd., between Meridian and Camden.

These new branch library buildings are financed by a bond measure San Jose voters passed in the November 2000 election. For further detailed information about the branch library bond projects, visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/sjpl/bond/index.htm.

Reminder – Oct. 18 voter registration deadline
You need to be registered to vote before you can actually vote in the upcoming presidential election in November. The mail-in voter registration forms are available at various government offices, including here at the library. The deadline to register for the November election is Oct. 18. Do you have strong opinions on important matters and wish to make them count? Don’t delay; register to vote today!

Courtmobile now on Wednesdays
The Santa Clara County Courtmobile comes to the parking lot of the Evergreen Library now on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30- to 4:30 p.m., providing free legal information on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Book sales

The children’s book sales take place this month on two Saturdays, Sept. 11 and 25, from 10 a.m. to noon.

TeensReach members conduct these two book sales, and the proceeds benefit the TeensReach group.

These two children’s book sales are in addition to the ongoing lobby book sale managed by our Friends of the Evergreen Library group, which collects the proceeds. The Friends support the functions of our library in many and various ways.

Tim Collins is the adult services librarian at the Evergreen Branch Library, 2635 Aborn Rd., between White Road and Capitol Expressway. Evergreen Library is one of the 17 branches of the San Jose Public Library System. The library’s phone number is (408) 238-4434. Visit San Jose Public Library’s Web site at http://www.sjlibrary.org.