February 5, 2009

Vineland Branch Library can help readers keep resolutions

By Carine Risley, librarian
Special to the Times

Live Teen Bands
Join us for our monthly music event where we feature outstanding talent. Listen to rock and pop bands and hang out with friends. This program is for teens, by teens. Sets are about 30 minutes long; typically at least five bands perform. Check out one of the coolest free music scenes in San Jose.

This event takes place in the Community Room. Ayhan Erman, Vineland teensReach reporter reviewed two of the January bands (Undergone and Hope for AM) as follows: “Undergone: With a rowdy lead singer like that you can’t go wrong. Undergone’s got it all; they could go far. Their rhythmic melodies and hard rock combined to form a blast of good music. I give them 8 out of 10. Hope for AM: They were fantastic! The drummer was mind blowing and had really cool effects. They were like a fuse of rock indie and hyphy haha. I give them the 10 out of 10.”

Lunar New Year celebration
Please join us in the Community Room for this very special performance featuring Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo. Eth-Noh-Tech is a kinetic story theater and has been performed for NPR and PBS.

At this event, we will be celebrating the Lunar New Year by listening to traditional Chinese/Asian folk tales performed with spoken word, dance, music, and mime.

Everyone is welcome to explore Chinese/Asian culture and the delights of performing arts. We will be hosting this program in the place of our regularly scheduled Family Story Time and Stay and Play.

Dr. Frank shows you some really fun things you can do with science. Need an idea for science projects? This is the place for you on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 2 - 3 p.m.

Art in the dark
“The Life and Art of Georgia O’Keeffe.” Please join us for a fascinating introduction to the art and mind of Georgia O’Keeffe, co-presented by the San Jose Museum of Art on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 4 to 5 p.m.

Enjoy museum quality slides, multimedia, and engage in vibrant conversation. A San Jose Museum docent will share insights, review approximately 40 pieces of art, and employ Visual Thinking Strategy—allowing attendees to discover their own ideas through discussion. An essential primer for art lovers, those who desire additional context for an upcoming museum visit, and art students.

California Wild!
A live animal event will be held Saturday, Feb. 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Stretching from the mighty Sierra Nevada through the farmlands of the Central Valley to the stunning coastal regions, California is one of the most environmentally diverse areas in the nation.

Our guests for this event include a porcupine, a red fox, a great horned owl, an opossum and a red-tailed hawk. These intriguing animals will spark your curiosity and increase your knowledge of California’s wonderful natural history. You will gain insights into the secret lives of the intelligent and ecologically important animals that live around us. This Wildlife Associates program will be offered in the place of our regular story time. Everyone is welcome!

Special-Needs Story Time
There will be a special-needs story time on Saturday, Feb. 21 from 2 – 3 p.m.

Special-needs children who need to practice their circle time skills are more than welcome at this special story time. Please join us for a few stories, songs, and fingerplays; all geared for the special-needs child aged 3-8. A special craft for fine-motor skills will follow.

Battle of the Bands
Listening Parties will be held on Monday, Feb. 23 and Tuesday, Feb. 24 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. All teens are invited to hang out in our community room, listen to the local contestants, and vote.

Battle of the Bands is our second annual competition for teen musicians 12-18. Teens are invited to submit online music submissions to sjplbattleofthebands@gmail.com by Feb. 14. Win awesome prizes! Perform live! Find out more details on our Web site or at any San Jose Public Library.

Book Clubs
- Saturday Sci-Fi Book Group will meet Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2 p.m.

Join us as we read “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley. We usually meet the second Saturday each month. Guests are welcome.

- Adult Mystery Book Club will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 6:45 p.m.

Join us as we read “A Whole New Life” by Betsy Thornton. We welcome guests and newcomers. Light refreshments are provided courtesy of the Friends of the Vineland Branch Library. All mystery fans are invited to attend the second Wednesday of each month. Visitors are always welcome.

- Evening Book Discussion Group will meet Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. This month we read “Not a Genuine Black Man” by Brian Copeland. The evening book group usually meets the third Tuesday each month. We welcome guests and newcomers. This is our Silicon Valley Reads events, so everyone from the community is invited to discuss and explore this work. Refreshments will be served.

- Morning Book Discussion Group will meet Thursday, Feb. 19 at 10:15 a.m. This month we read “Audition: A Memoir” by Barbara Walters. The morning book group meets the third Thursday each month. We welcome guests and newcomers.

Story times
- Mother Goose Story Time features short rhymes, songs, fingerplays and books to create a gentle language enrichment experience to bond children and their caregivers. Mother Goose is for infants-2 year olds and is offered every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m., followed by Stay and Play.

- Wednesday Preschool Story Time for ages 3-5 is at 11:30 a.m., followed by stay and play. We have a new play tunnel, be sure to check it out. Both the story time and Stay and Play are now held in the picture book area.

- Family Story Time is held on Saturdays at 11 a.m. in the picture book area. All ages are welcome and are invited to play after the reading and dancing. Special programming will be offered in lieu of Family Story Time on Feb. 7 and 21.

- Story Time for Twos is held on Fridays at 11 a.m. followed by Stay and Play.

- Chinese/English Story Time is held on the first and third Wednesdays every month. This month the dates are Feb. 4 and 18 at 7 p.m.

- Spanish/English Story Time is on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. Stories, music, and fun!

Please note, San Jose Public Libraries will observe a holiday closure on Monday, Feb. 16.

Vineland Branch Library is located at 1450 Blossom Hill Road. Regular hours are Mondays, 2 -7 p.m.; Tuesday–Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For questions please call (408) 808-3000 during business hours. E-mail may be sent at any time: vl.sjpl@sjlibrary.org.