President's Day Holiday, February 15, 2010

The Santa Clara City Library will be closed today, February 15, in observance of President's Day.

Come back Tuesday, February 16, for regular library hours; Central Park Library opening at 9:00 a.m. and closing at 9:00 p.m. and Mission Library and Family Reading Center opening at 10:00 and closing at 6:00 p.m.

posted by mb

Upcoming Computer Classes at the Library

Bring a friend or family member and come to a free computer class. All classes are held in the Technology Center, located on the first floor of the library. Sign up when you are in the library or call (408) 615-2900 during regular library hours. Check the library calendar to get more details and see other events.

• Email Basics, Thursday, February 18, 9:30 - 11:00
• Introduction to Facebook, Tuesday, February 23, 9:30 - 10:30
• Tips on Searching Ancestry Library Edition, Thursday, February 25, 9:30 - 11:00
• Medical Research Using Medline Plus, Thursday, March 4, 9:30-10:30
• Internet/Catalog Basics, Friday, March 5, 9:30-10:30
• Internet Search Strategies, Thursday, March 11, 9:30-10:30
• Learning Express Library, Tuesday, March 16, 9:30-10:30
• Quilting Resources, Thursday, March 18, 9:30-10:30 and more
• Email, Beyond the Basics, Thursday, March 25, 9:30-10:30

posted by mb

Technology Aide Employment Opportunity

Do you enjoy working with the public? Do you have good computer skills? Santa Clara City Library is currently recruiting for a Technology Aide as needed position. The Technology Aide provides assistance to the public with the use of library computers, electronic resources and audio visual equipment. Other responsabilities include helping the public connect to the wireless network, help with Microsoft Office documents, help with room setups and maintaining the public computers.

This is an hourly position with no benefits with approximate 15-19 hours per week including weekend, night and some holiday work. Please check the Library's website for more information, deadline and application forms.

http://library.santaclaraca.gov/index.aspx?page=670

Celebrate Teen Tech Week and Enter to Win an iPod Touch!

"Read This Book!" Commercial Contest

(for students in grades 7-12 who possess a Santa Clara City Library Card)

Create a video advertising a book. The most creative and persuasive (see rules for more details) commercial will win an iPod Touch and $50.00 gift card. All eligible entries, except the first place winner, will be entered into a drawing for one iPod Touch and $25.00 gift card. The deadline to enter is March 15. Winners will be announced on March 16th at 7 p.m. at a reception where all winning videos will be shown. Videos will also be posted online. Rules, guidelines and all forms available below.

Need a way to film your commercial? Make an appointment or drop by on Friday, March 12 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Appointments will be given priority.

For more information, contact Nan Choi at nchoi@santaclaraca.gov or call 408.615.2920. This program is generously supported by the Michael J. Kirsch Foundation.

Contest Rules and Guidelines (pdf)

Contest Entry and Release Form (pdf)

Posted by wk, text from the teen site.

Geoffrey Chaucer: Patron Saint of Florists and Cardmakers, Scourge of the Lonely

"Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark holiday." Not true! Well... actually it is kind of true but not really. Let me explain.

The historical Saint Valentine is something of a cipher. Seems there were a number of martyrs with the name Valentine (or Valentinus as it would have been in Latin). At the time of their deaths, not a lot was documented about them. They must have done something to become saints, but to paraphrase Pope Gelasius I, God only knows what. So when the name starts popping up later in history, the stories are divergent about who he was and what he did. But one thing is for certain, romance was not his gig. Not yet at least.

That can be pinned directly to Geoffery Chaucer. You know, the Canterbury Tales guy? The one who wrote things in an imaginatively spelled form of "English?" (As my high school literature teacher told me, "standardized spelling is the price of technology"... Chaucer obviously had few expenses in that regard.) Anyhow, he must have been a popular writer in his time since it only took him two lines in a poem to forever change the perception of Saint Valentine and his feast day. Those two lines being:
"For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make."
Doesn't it just make the heart flutter? Yeah, me neither.

But thanks to Chaucer's dodgy knowledge of English birds and their mating habits (doesn't happen much in February), the concept stuck. And with it came greeting cards. Well, not in Chaucer's day, but in the Victorian era it was all the rage. They were handmade, elaborate, and sentimental objects of meaning. Then the Americans got the greeting card bug. But, as per usual, we like efficiency and started cranking out generic cards by the thousands to meet demand (some statistics put Valentine's Day cards in the billions per year... a curious amount considering the generalized disdain most people hold for the "holiday"). So now Valentine's Day cards are like "sweetheart candies," they are tacky and tasteless yet absolutely expected.

And all of this was brought on by a man who couldn't even spell "Valentine" properly. Go figure.
posted by jw

Find a Good Read

Are you looking for a good book to read and are out of ideas? Try NoveList Plus to find a good title.

If you have an author whose writing you enjoy, see - if he/she is listed in the Author Read-alikes section of NoveList Plus. For example if you enjoy David Sedaris's humorous writing style, read his listing in Author Read-alikes. Within his listing you will find other authors you might enjoy.

If you don't find an Author Read-alike for your author, browse the Award Winners, Recommended Reads, or What We're Reading section for more book suggestions.

If you would like to find a book for your teenager or younger child, try NoveList K-8 Plus. Look in the Recommended Reads and Award Winners sections, for books which might captivate your young reader.

You will find NoveList Plus and NoveList K-8 Plus on the Library's Electronic Resources web page. To get to the Electronic Resources page begin at our home page. From our home page click on the Research/Resources link. From the drop-down menu, choose Electronic Resources.

Posted by MLG

Heart Smarts for Healthy Heartbeats

February is "National Heart Month." Did you know that your heart is a muscle the size of your fist and that you need to exercise it just like you would exercise your arms or legs? Exercise helps keep your heart muscle strong so that it can keep pumping blood to and from all your body parts. Every day, try to be active for at least an hour, which can be broken into 15-minute blocks. Here are some fun activities that give your heart a workout, whether you're at recess, at home, or at a park:

• Play tag
• Do push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks
• Have a relay race
• Play on the jungle gym
• Play soccer
• Ride your bike
• Jump rope
• Make up your own obstacle course
• Play kickball
• Play basketball
• Go swimming

In addition to daily exercise, it's also important to eat healthy grains, fruits, vegetables, and protein so that your body gets all of the essential nutrients. Try to avoid unhealthy fat found in lots of junk food and typical fast food.

Don't forget to drink water! Drinking water regularly (6 to 8 glasses or 1.5 to 2 liters per day) keeps your heart working properly and keeps your energy up.

Learn more about keeping your heart healthy by visiting The American Heart Association's website or http://www.kidshealth.org or by visiting our "On the Path to Good Health" display, which is supported by Kaiser Permanente and the Library Foundation and Friends. Come to the Youth Services desk for help finding books or DVDs related to heart health.

Posted by wk