October 3, 2008

Off the Shelf

Election season at the library

By Joy Kim
Special to the Times

Become a more informed voter at the library! On Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., join us for a Candidates Forum sponsored by the District 8 Community Round Table and the Evergreen Branch Library. This is your chance to ask Rose Herrera and Pat Waite, Council District 8 candidates, their views on the pressing issues for the district and the City.

There will also be a Meet the Candidates informal gathering prior to the regular District 8 Community Roundtable Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. Come and meet candidates for Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, East Side Union High School District and the Santa Clara County Open Space District.

If you haven’t yet registered to vote, it’s not too late! Pick up a voter registration form at the library. It will need to be postmarked by Oct. 20 to be eligible for the November 4 election.

We also have two special events for families in the coming weeks. Parents and teachers can learn more about the many resources that library offers to support children’s formal education at Evergreen Branch Library’s first Back to School Night on Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Childcare will not be provided, but children are invited to attend our regular family storytime in the Family Place. And on Saturday, Oct. 18, we will be presenting a special Diwali Storytime from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm. Join us as we mark the Festival of Lights with songs, stories and a special craft.

Evergreen Branch 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.

- Citizenship Class
Prepare for the citizenship test with others in a class setting. We will be learning about American history and government. Practice tests will be available.

Class Schedule

- Grace Church, Classroom One, first and third Tuesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Spanish and taught by Pastor John and Judith Goldstein

- Evergreen Library, Study Room A, first and third Tuesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be taught in English and Vietnamese.

- Evergreen Library, Study Room A, first and third Wednesdays, at 7:00 p.m. Classes will be in English and Chinese.

- Sikh Gurdwara, Saturdays, 2:00-4:00 p.m. Classes will be in Hindi, Panjabi and English. As a courtesy, please remove your shoes and cover your head before entering the temple.

- Friends of the Evergreen Library Meeting
Thursday, Oct. 9, 6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Join the Friends of the Evergreen Library to discuss ways to support the library and to meet others in the community.

- District 8 Roundtable
Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7:00-9:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Come together with Evergreen community members and neighborhood associations to meet and discuss ongoing issues in our district.

- Candidates Forum
Thursday, Oct. 16, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Community Room
Meet Rose Herrera and Pat Waite, Council District 8 candidates, and learn their views on the pressing issues for the district and the City.

- teensReach Meeting
Friday, Oct. 17, 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Join our teensReach group and learn about volunteering in the library, earn community service credit and help make the library as great as it can be. For teens 13-18.

For Children and Teens

Wii gaming events for school-age children and teens.

- Wii Wednesday, Wednesdays, 3:30-5:00 p.m. in the Teen Room

- Wii Saturday, Saturday, Oct. 4, 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the Community Room

For Children and Families

- Storytimes

Preschool Storytime (plus Stay & Play), for ages 3-5, Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.

Mother Goose Time (plus Stay & Play), for ages 0-2, Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.

Family Storytime, for children of all ages, Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Toddler Storytime (plus Stay & Play), Fridays at 11:30 a.m.

- Reading Buddies
Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 p.m. in the Family Place (starting Oct. 9)
Children in grades 1-3 can come to the library and practice their reading skills with a teen buddy, one-to-one, in a fun and relaxed setting.

- Back to School Night
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Community Room
Learn how Evergreen Branch Library supports your child’s education. For parents and teachers—no childcare will be provided.

- Diwali Storytime
Saturday, Oct. 18, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Family Place
Join us for a special story time and craft to celebrate the Festival of Lights.

For news of other library activities, including those at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library visit: http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/. For links to RSS feeds of library events, visit http://www.sjlibrary.org/rss/index.htm.

Library Closures
Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 – All branch libraries
Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 – All branch libraries

Joy Kim 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.