December 14, 2007

Off the Shelf

More than just books

By Vanessa Menor
Librarian at the
Evergreen Branch Library

When I tell people that I’m a librarian, I often hear “You must like to read a lot.” At the risk of stating the obvious, I do like to read a lot; and so do many of my co-workers. Working at a library is the perfect place for me: books, books and more books. The library has a huge variety subjects, titles, genres, languages and more. I currently have 10 items checked out. With 10, I can have a wide variety, and still keep track of everything to return them on-time. Checking out is no charge, but the same can’t be said for bring items back late. Like every other San Jose Public Library user, I’m charged 25 cents per day for overdue fees.

What can a person get with 10 items? I have four hardcover books, including one current best seller; four paperbacks, including two that were borrowed from the Pleasanton Public Library for me; one DVD and one Book on CD. Total retail price: $210 plus tax. This year I’ve saved over $3,000 using the library for books, books on CD, music CDs, DVDs and magazines that I didn’t buy. Black Friday sales, free refills on soda, and $5 pizzas are all examples of great bargains, but none of them come close to the library.

The Pleasanton Public Library? There are times when it seems the city of San Jose does stretch from here to everywhere, but Pleasanton isn’t included. San Jose Public Library is a member of Link+, which is a partnership between member libraries in California and Nevada. Through Link+ the San Jose Public Library is able to borrow books and materials from another library on your behalf. Member libraries range from our close neighbor, Santa Clara City Library all the way to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. By partnering with these libraries we are able access a wide variety of materials that we don’t own.

If it’s been a while since you’ve visited, you may not know that there have been some changes. Books will always be the library’s bread and butter, but we now have many more than we had before. Please come by to take a look at our CD, video, DVD, newspaper and magazine collections. Even if you “don’t like to read” we still have something for you including computer and internet access.

Are you ready to come for a visit? The Evergreen Branch Library is located at 2635 Aborn Rd, between Capitol Expressway and White Rd. The Library is open Mondays 2 -7 p.m.; Tuesdays & Wednesdays 11 a.m.- 8 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. During open hours, you can contact us at 408-808-3060. You can also access information about the library at www.sjlibrary.org. New Years’ and its resolutions are just around the corner, which makes this the perfect time to sign up for a card, and see what we have!

Evergreen Library’s Calendar

For Adults and Teens

Integral Tai Chi Classes
Mondays, 7 – 8 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.

teensReach Meeting
Friday, Dec. 21, 3:30 –
4:30 p.m.

Celebrate the end of the year with a movie and our teensReach group. Refresh-ments will be provided.

Hindi/ Punjabi/ English
Citizenship Class
Saturday, Dec. 22, 2 –
4 p.m.

Evergreen Branch Library in partnership with the San Jose Sikh Gurudwara is offering free citizenship classes in Hindi, Punjabi and English. Learn about American history and government and prepare for the naturalization test. A sample test is available. As a courtesy, please remove your shoes and cover your head before entering the temple. This event takes place at Sikh Gurudwara, 3636 Murillo Avenue, San Jose 95148, (408) 531-7057.

For Children and Families

Storytime Reminders
The Evergreen Branch Library offers a wide variety of storytimes for children of all ages and their families. Our librarians work very hard to provide the best possible program, but to do that, we also need your help. During storytime, please keep the following in mind:

Please listen and participate. You are your child’s first teacher, and this is an opportunity to model good storytime behavior.

Please sit with your child.

Please turn your cell phone to silent. If you must use your phone, please leave the storytime area.

Storytime resumes on Jan. 2, 2008.

*Preschool Storytime, for ages 3-5, Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m.

*Mother Goose Time, for ages 0-2, Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m.

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

Reading to Children volunteer Grandma Carol, for ages 3-5, Thursdays at 11:30 a.m.

*Toddler Storytime, Fridays at 11:30 a.m.

*After these storytimes, there will be Stay & Play. Stay & Play is an opportunity for parents to socialize while their children play with educational toys.

For news of other library activities, including those at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, visit: http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/events/

Library Closures
December 24, 25, 31, 2007
January 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.