December 30, 2005

Off the Shelf

Tully Community Branch Library celebrates first year

By Tim Collins
Special to the Times

Happy New Year! Tully Community Branch Library is one year old this month. Time flies.

This year the new Evergreen Library will be opening. Construction is expected to be complete in the summer, with the grand opening shortly thereafter. Evergreen customers frequently tell me how good the building is looking.

In the meantime: January! Chase’s Calendar of Events informs us that January has been variously named National Get Organized Month, National Personal Self-Defense Awareness Month, and National Mentoring Month.

Also, on a lighter note, it’s Oatmeal Month, Coffee Gourmet International Month and National Hot Tea Month. Enjoy the hot beverage of your choice this month, and come to the library for those materials to help carry out your New Year’s resolutions!

Silicon Valley Reads
2006 marks the fourth year for the group Silicon Valley Reads. This year two books were selected, “The Souvenir: A Daughter Discovers Her Father’s War” by Louise Steinman, and “When the Emperor Was Divine” by Julie Otsuka.

Throughout the month of February, book discussions and author appearances take place throughout Santa Clara County. Here at Tully Community Library, author Louise Steinman will come to our Community Room for a discussion on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. Read the book and mark the date on your calendar!

Both books present unique highly personal perspectives on World War II. Books selected for Silicon Valley Reads reflect universal issues relevant to Silicon Valley; appeal to diverse audiences; are appropriate for both adults and young adults; and are the work of a living author. Join in the community experience! Different people have different experiences and perspectives, and make for richer, more rewarding insights and discussions.
Tet Festival
On Jan. 28, come with your family to the Tully community room and celebrate Tet, Vietnamese New Year, with the Vietnamese Women’s Association. 2006 is the Year of the Dog. Chinese and Vietnamese astrology tells us that those of us born in the Year of the Dog are loyal, conscientious, loving and courageous. Woof! Come see the Lion Dancers and cultural displays, crafts and costumes.

Integral tai chi class
This free program offered by the Compassionate Service Society takes place on Sundays from 3 to 6 p.m. Integral tai chi, created by Master Ce Hang Truong, is a self-healing system that integrates tai chi, yoga, relaxation and meditation to heal the mind, body and spirit. This comprehensive approach involves a series of 10 body movement postures each designed to increase balance, awareness, endurance, flexibility, flow, concentration, energy and spiritual transformation. Integral tai chi can be simply and easily learned and practiced for all ages and body types. Please bring a yoga mat and cushion.

Reference USA Database
San Jose Public Library offers its customers many useful databases to access from their home or work computers. All you need is a valid library card, free for the asking from any SJPL location.

One of my favorite such databases is the Reference USA database. This is sort of a “master yellow pages” directory of businesses and organizations throughout the United States. Using this database, I have on various occasions located businesses offering fax services in the zip codes closest to the library, found dentists in Fresno, and identified lot-clearing services in Alpine County, to give just a few examples of the many, many times I’ve referred to this database.

For large organizations, Reference USA can also provide the names of its officers, a rough categorization of the annual sales, a rating of the company’s credit, and its subsidiary branches or parent headquarters.

Try it out. If you have trouble navigating the database, feel free to call us at your local library. Such consulting works best if you can talk on the phone and while on the Internet at the same time. Follow this pathway to our databases: (1) go to www.sjlibrary.org, (2) Click on “Articles and Databases and (3) Click on “SJPL Remote and Branch Users.”

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 Web site at sjlibrary.org.

Tully Library’s Calendar

For Children and Families
Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. – Fun for Ones, followed by Stay and Play
Tuesdays, 6:45 p.m. – Family Story times

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 3:30 p.m. – Movie for Kids

Thursdays, 10:30 am - Toddler Time, followed by Stay & Play

Fridays, 10:30 a.m. – Preschool Story time followed by Stay and Play
Fridays at 4 p.m. – Fun for Youth activities
(Jan. 13 & 27 – Game Day; Jan. 6 and 20 – Crafts)
Fridays, Jan. 13, 20 and 27, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Cambodian Cultural Dance

Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. – Family Story times
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to noon – Cambodian language class
Saturdays, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Vietnamese language class
Saturday, Jan. 28, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Tet Festival (Vietnamese/Chinese New Year)

For Young Adults and Adults
Sundays, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Integral Tai Chi class

Tuesdays, 5 p.m. - Computer tutoring
Tuesdays at 6 p.m., and Wednesdays at noon – Conversation Groups

Wednesdays, Jan. 4, 11 and 25, 6 p.m. – Beginning Internet classes in Vietnamese

Saturdays, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. – Citizenship classes
Saturdays, Jan. 7 and Feb. 4 - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Big Book Sales

Monday, Jan. 9, 4:30 p.m. – Citizenship information session
Monday, Jan. 9, 6 p.m. – Friends of Tully Library meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 18, 3:30 p.m. – Movie for Teens
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6 p.m. – TeensReach meeting and orientation
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 7 p.m. – Book Discussion, “The Joy Luck Club”

Library Closures
Dec. 29 – Jan. 2: New Year
Jan. 15 – 16: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day