Community Grant Event

The Santa Clara City Library Foundation & Friends is pleased to announce that $23,750 in funds raised through book sales have been awarded to eleven Santa Clara City Library programs serving children, families, literacy students, young mothers, and adults. These programs were selected by a vote of 100 donors, volunteers, and Friends members during our International Party and Community Grant Event on September 22nd.

Many thanks to all those who support the Foundation & Friends in bringing additional services to our library.

Maria Daane

Executive Director
Library Foundation & Friends

posted by kks

If you like Patrick O'Brian's books

Try Cochrane: the real master and commander by David Cordingly, 2007. Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald, was more heroic and daring than Jack Aubrey, the fictional character in Patrick O'Brian's tales of the battles between the British fleet and Napoleon. Author David Cordingly uncovers new details of Cochrane's exploits in the battles against the French navy and his later role in the liberation of Chile, Peru and Brazil in this latest book.

Cordingly also wrote Pirates: Fact or Fiction 1992 available through Link+ and gives a tour of an actual pirate ship in the special features found on the DVD Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl which can be found in the library's collection.

mb

New Citizenship Test October 1, 2008

The new Naturalization test coming into use on October 1, 2008, is generating a lot of questions. Find answers on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website. You can also try out the new 100 questions. a brochure, and new vocabulary lists. Common questions are answered on the USCIS ombudsman website.

Free to borrow from the library is the brand new book, Pass the U.S. Citizenship Exam from Learning Express with information about the new redesigned test. Call (408) 615-2900 and we can hold it for you or come in and ask.

mb

Magic Dan

Do you love to be amazed and mystified? Then you'll want to make plans to see "Magic Dan," a special magician that Youth Services has invited to entertain children and their families at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, October 7 in the Redwood Room. It is very important to note that this program is for children who are AT LEAST FOUR YEARS OLD. Children who are younger than four years of age will NOT be admitted.

Plan to arrive early, as parking might be difficult. The Youth Services staff will begin stamping the hands of those who wish to attend the program at 6:30 p.m. Doors will open shortly before 7:00 p.m. and will close when the room reaches capacity. No one will be admitted after the program has begun.

Please check our on-line Children's Calendar to find out about programs for children of all ages. Our storytimes, book discussions and special events are geared to be of interest specifically for the ages of the children for which they are advertised. Please see the Youth Services staff to find a program that is appropriate for your child.
posted by jtb

Over-the-Counter Medications Overview

Join pharmacists from Kaiser Permanente on Saturday, September 27, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in the Cedar Room, discussing various over-the-counter treatments for ailments including pain, allergies, cough & cold and digestion problems.

Presenters will be Dr. Thomas Moran, Dr. Charisse Lacuesta and Dr. Tina Hsieh
mb/jh

Picture Books for Older Readers

Goin' Someplace Special, by Patricia McKissack, is just one of the books that can be found in our new "Picture Book for Older Readers" section in Youth Services. In this book, you'll meet 'Tricia Ann, who lives in a segregated, 1950s southern town. Follow her as she makes her way to the only place in town where ALL are welcome: the Public Library!

Located at the end of the regular Juvenile Fiction section, the books in "Picture Books for Older Readers" are beautifully illustrated. They offer sophisticated stories that will interest competent young readers. Many are excellent "read aloud" choices for families to enjoy together. Here, you'll find classic literature, such as Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle and Eric Kimmel's adaptation of Don Quixote and the Windmills.

Find yourself in another time and another place with The Making of a Knight by Patrick O'Brien. Imagine yourself in 1933 as you join the First Lady and a daring pilot as Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride.

Take a trip to The Disappearing Island where 9-year-old Carrie spends a happy day with her grandmother exploring the beach and splashing in the surf. The "Picture Books for Older Readers" section is filled with surprises and glimpses into other cultures. Pay a visit to Youth Services and see for yourself.

posted by jtb

Bank Ratings

Would you like to know your bank's financial strength and stability rating?

Below are some bank rating services which you might consult. Private companies publish these services.

Disclaimer: This list should not be construed as an endorsement or confirmation by the Santa Clara City Library of information provided by these companies.

Printed Rating Services

TheStreet.com Ratings' Guide to Banks and Thrifts,
Jupiter, FL : TheStreet.com Ratings
This is a quarterly compilation of financial institutions' ratings and analyses.
It is available at Santa Clara City Library, Business Reference 332.1 T41 2008 Summer.

LACE Quarterly Financial Institution Ratings,
Frederick, Md. : LACE Financial Corporation
It is available at Cupertino and Saratoga Public Libraries within their reference departments.

Web-based Rating Services

Bankrate.com
Bankrate.com's Safe & Sound (tm) service measures and rates the strength of financial institutions. Bankrate.com evaluates the health of institutions and assigns a 1-to-5 rating, with five stars representing the highest rating. The rating service is free.

BauerFinancial, Inc.
All U.S. banks and federally insured credit unions are rated by BauerFinancial, Inc. No bank pays for this service, nor can they elect to avoid it. The star ratings can be viewed for free via its website. Financial institutions are rated from 0 to 5 stars, with five stars the highest. Reports, however, carry a fee.

Posted by mlg

The Good New and the Bad News

In movies, one never just gets good news. There is always good news and bad news. Moreover, there is always a choice as to which comes first. “Do you want the good news or the bad news?” So my question to you is that: Do you want the good news or the bad news?

THE BAD NEWS:
[This one comes first because, in movies, everyone chooses the bad news first. Feel free to skip this section and come back to it after the good news, or skip it entirely if you like.]

Last Friday, author David Foster Wallace died. While not a prolific writer nor a household name, the books Wallace wrote left an impression on the reader (or to the very least, gave them a bad back- Infinite Jest weighed in at over a thousand pages. It was also recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best novels… since 1923… in the English language. It is really much more prestigious a prize than it sounds.)

His unique voice and aesthetics* will be missed.

THE GOOD NEWS:
Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, will be speaking in San Jose on Saturday. Considering the event is free and his book was, like, kind of popular, you may want to get there early. I can almost assure you there will be an odd section in the evening’s Q and A where a question about former Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo will be followed up by someone asking what level wizard Diaz is in Dungeons and Dragons.

*His use of footnotes to carry on a tangent of the story was epic. Even his audiobooks employ efforts to use footnotes. Other writers have used this technique as well, but not with the same effect as Wallace.

posted by -jw-

Ron Hansen Book Talk

Do you like to read historical fiction? Adult Services invites you to hear local author Ron Hansen discuss his new novel, Exiles, and talk about his books and writing at Central Park Library on Wednesday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Cedar Room. A graduate of Creighton University, Hansen also attended the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and was a Wallace Stegner Creative Writing Fellow at Stanford University. He is the author of a number of books, including Atticus, Hitler’s Niece, The Assassination of Jesse James, and Mariette in Ecstasy. Ron Hansen currently is the Gerard Manley Hopkins Professor in the Arts and Humanities at Santa Clara University, where he teaches writing and literature. Sign up for this free author program at the Reference Desk, or call (408) 615-2900.
jb

20 Best Websites to Download Free E-books

August 2008 annotated list of websites where you can download books for free. Some sites listed focus on computer programming, Shakespeare, government texts, technology, and other subjects. Reader comments provide suggestions of additional sources. From a blog with tips for tech users, designers, and bloggers.

20 Best Websites to Download Free E-books

URL: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/20-best-websites-to-download-free-e-books/

av

Consumer Reports Available Online

May be you heard the September issue of Consumer Reports magazine has an article on protecting yourself online. You would like to learn how to protect your computer from spyware and viruses but you do not have time to come to the library. If you have a home computer with Internet access, you can read articles from Consumer Reports magazine via our General OneFile magazine database.

To browse articles from Consumer Reports magazine click on the General OneFile link on our Research Databases web page. Then click on the Publication Search option and search on the publication title Consumer Reports.

When you do have time to visit the Library, come up to the second floor and explore our Consumer Table. Here you will find Consumer Reports magazine, Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK, and many other consumer publications. Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK rates local service businesses. In its current issue you will find ratings of veterinarians, electricians, and automobile repair shops.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is another resource for evaluating businesses. Check their website for a company's rating and to see if the company is a BBB member.

ConsumerSearch, ConsumerGuide, and Epinions.com are additional sites for researching products. ConsumerSearch and ConsumerGuide contain reviews of products. At Epinions.com you will find individuals' opinions about products. If you would like to explore more consumer websites, search Librarians' Internet Index under the topic Consumer Research & Advocacy.

Posted by mlg

Storytimes Return Next Week!

Santa Clara City Library Storytimes return next week.

A copy of the complete Youth Services Calendar for the month of September is just a click away. Visit our Library website at http://library.santaclaraca.gov/ . Click on "Calendar of Events." Then click "Children's Calendar." A small, pdf version of our monthly calendar will be displayed. Click on the displayed calendar to enlarge it and print it.

Our storytimes are designed specifically for children of various ages. Please attend the program that is appropriate for the age of your child. Programs are usually held on the following dates:

Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Preschool Storytime, Ages 3-5
Wednesday, 7:00 p.m., Family Storytime, All ages
Friday, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., Toddler Storytime, Ages2-3
Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Family Storytime, All ages

In addition, we offer a series of Baby Lapsit programs, for infants 0-12 months old, on selected Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. A series of Young Ones programs, for babies 12-24 months old, also are held on selected Thursdays at 10:30 a.m.

PLEASE CHECK THE CALENDAR EACH MONTH TO CONFIRM PROGRAM TIMES AND DATES.
posted by jtb

California Admission Day

Tomorrow, September 9, is California Admission Day. California was admitted as the 31st state in the United States on that date in 1850.

Mexico's claim on California ended in February 1848 when Mexico and the United States ended the Mexican War. With the arrival of thousands of immigrants following the discovery of gold in 1848, there was a need for civil government. In 1849, Californians called for statehood and after much controversy, it was admitted to the union as a free, nonslavery state by the Compromise of 1850. (This link shows the primary document from the Library of Congress's website explaining the details of the admission of California to the Union. Just follow the link California entered the union.)

Read more about Admission Day and see some historical images at the California State Parks website or try these books:

Bear Flag Rising: the conquest of California 1846 by Dale L. Walker

El Dorado : the California Gold Rush by Dale L. Walker

The library will be closed and re-open Wednesday at 12 noon with our usual hours.

mb

Program by Denise Roy, Family Therapist

Youth Services invites you to a special presentation on Monday, September 8, at 7:00 p.m. in the Cedar Room, by Denise Roy, award-winning author and licensed marriage and family therapist. Ms. Roy, who lives in Santa Clara, will be offering suggestions for parents who are seeking to achieve balance and compassion in their busy lives. Her website states that she "specializes in issues of personal and spiritual growth, particularly in the area of mindfulness in family life." Ms. Roy is a nationally-recognized speaker at schools, parenting groups, churches, women's gatherings and community organizations.

Ms. Roy's presentation, for ADULTS ONLY, is part of a Youth Services series of parent education programs. Please call Youth Services at 615-2916 for program reservations.

Two of Ms. Roys books are available from the Santa Clara City Library:

MOMfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion and Grace, offers some ideas for helping busy, on-the-go moms achieve balance and peace in their hectic lives.

My Monastery Is a Minivan : Where the Daily is Divine and the Routine Becomes Prayer : 35 Stories from a Real Life seeks to highlight the beauty, wisdom and humor that can be found in ordinary events in the everyday life of busy parents.

posted by jtb

Wasn't Childhood Wonderful?

Some people would prefer not to talk about embarrassing childhood memories. Better to forget that you fell off the roof thinking you were a superhero. Better to pass off your constant wearing of red vinyl pants as part of a fad... that no one else joined. Others have made an entire night of entertainment out of such memories.

If you belong to that last group, grab your old diary and head up to San Francisco Friday or Saturday night to take part in Mortified. Within a low-lit bar (where else), you'll have the opportunity to take the stage and spill your guts about every painfully overwrought moment of your adolescence and have perfect strangers laugh with you (or at you depending on your perspective). It doesn’t sound like much fun, but apparently it is all the rage.

I'd imagine fans of awkward comedy would like this very much. But for those who might find it too uncomfortable to watch, they have made a home version for you.

posted by -jw-