March 19, 2009

Check it Out!

Silicon Valley Reads at the Almaden Branch Library

By Ed Koetitz, Almaden Youth Services Librarian
Special to the Times

On Wednesday, March 25, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. join the Almaden Library and Community Center in welcoming this year’s Silicon Valley Reads author, Brian Copeland. “Not a Genuine Black Man” is a heartfelt memoir on racism, fitting in and “a powerful contemplation on the meaning of race, and a thoughtful examination of how our surroundings make us who we are.”

Join us on Saturday, March 28 from 2-4 p.m. as we celebrate the festive Norooz holiday, featuring music and dance from the Persian Cultural Club.

Copeland will be signing books after the appearance, but books will not be available for sale at the event. This presentation will be the last of Copeland’s San Jose Public Library appearances. It takes place in the large community room.

Celebrate Norooz (Persian New Year)
Join us on Saturday, March 28 from 2-4 p.m. as we celebrate the festive Norooz holiday. This free event will feature music and dance from the Persian Cultural Club. Performances include: the Beshkan Dance Academy, the Niosha Dance Academy and the Shahrzad Dance Academy. There will be traditional music by the Hamavazi Group and a delightful musical play in Farsi by children from the Dehkhoda Persian School. There will also be a traditional holiday craft for children. This event is co-sponsored by the Almaden Library/Community Center, the Friends of the Almaden Library and the Persian Cultural Club. This event will be held in Almaden’s large community room.

For more information, call (408) 808-3040.

Bargain hunters you won’t want to miss the Almaden Branch Library’s spring book sale, which will be held Saturday, April 18 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This hugely popular event is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and will be staged in the large community room next to the library’s entrance. At this book sale, there will be a large selection of gently used and sometimes new books covering a wide range of topics and interests. Entertainment videos, DVDs, CDs and cassettes will also be available for purchase. There will be a special “Bag of Books” sale from 2 to 3 p.m. All proceeds benefit Almaden Branch Library programs and services. If you love books, you won’t want to miss this event. For more information, call (408) 808-3040.

Events

- Family Story Time will be held on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s program room. There will be fun stories, songs, and finger plays geared for the whole family.

- Preschool Story Times will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:15 a.m. in the library’s program room. “Mr. K” will be sharing stories, finger plays, songs and puppets, for children ages 3-5 and their caregivers.

- Toddler Story Times will be held on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. There will be stories, songs, finger plays geared for children (ages 24 to 35 months) and their caregivers.

- Mother Goose Story Time is held on Fridays at 10:30 a.m. Barbara Gilbert, children’s librarian, will present nursery rhymes, finger plays, stories and songs for children (12 months to 2 years) and their caregivers.

- Almaden Book-aneers - Almaden Book-aneers is a new book discussion group for ages 9-12 that will meet on Friday, March 27, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the library’s program room. This month we will be reading “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen, a mystery involving burrowing owls and a boy who is new in town. He has the adventure of his life. A snack will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Almaden Library. Contact Barbara Gilbert, (408) 808-3040, if you have any questions.

- On Friday, April 3 at 4 p.m., teens (ages 13-18) are invited to participate in our monthly Teens Reach meeting held in the library’s program room. Community service credits are given to participating students. This meeting is held in the program room. Light refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Almaden Library.

- Almaden Book Buddies Book Club – On Tuesday, April 7, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. the Almaden Book Buddies will discuss “Crossing to Safety” by Wallace Stegner. This work is about loyalty and survival in its most everyday form—the need to create bonds and the urge to tear them apart. This group meets in the library’s program room. All readers are invited to attend.

- History Book Club - Join the History Book Club on Tuesday April 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for their discussion of Nathaniel Philbrick’s lauded work, “Mayflower: a Story of Courage, Community, and War.” This book discussion group will meet in the library’s program room. All history enthusiasts are invited to attend.

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

Almaden Branch Library is located at 6445 Camden Avenue. Please note: the library will be closed Monday, Sept. 1 for Labor Day. Regular hours are Monday 2 – 7 p.m.; Tuesday – Wednesday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Thursday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. For questions, please call (408) 808-3040 during business hours. E-mail may be sent at any time: ab.sjpl@sjlibrary.org.