Dora and Thomas and Berenstain Bears, Oh My!

Is your toddler or preschooler obsessed with famous classic (Beatrix Potter, Berenstain Bears, and Babar the Elephant, etc.) and/or modern TV or storybook characters (Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Tank Engine, Froggy, etc.)? If so, have we got a place for you!

Take a look at our character wall. It's located in Youth Services next to the cushioned seating in the picture book section. Hint: Look for the large Arthur and Clifford cutouts on top of the shelves. We've grouped characters together so that your little ones can easily find their favorites.

• Angelina Ballerina
  
• Arthur
• Babar
• Beatrix Potter
• Berenstein Bears
• Bob the Builder
• Clifford
• Curious George
  
• Dora the Explorer
• Froggy
• Madeline
• Thomas the Tank Engine
  

So, next time your child wants to see his or her favorite characters, visit our character wall.


Posted by wk

Amish Quilts and Quilting Resources

Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown is a book and an exhibit currently showing at the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco through June 6, 2010. The quilt image pictured was copied from a postcard purchased at the exhibit.

Ellin Klor, librarian and quilter, will talk about the quilts on Thursday, March 18th following a quilting computer resources class taught by Mary Boyle, also a librarian and quilter. In the hands-on computer class, using the Internet, you will learn how to find quilting friends, quilt stores, fabric, tools, and classes both locally and nationally. The presentations are free and begin at 9:30 in the Technology Center and will continue at 10:30 in the Sycamore Room. Sign up when you are in the library in the Technology Center or at the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor or call (408) 615-2900 during library hours.

posted by mb

Learn to Use ReferenceUSA Database

Would you like to learn to use the library's ReferenceUSA database? A ReferenceUSA employee will teach the basics of using the database. The class will be held on Monday, March 22nd at 9:30 a.m. at the library. If you would like to attend, please call or come to the 2nd floor Reference Desk to sign up. The phone number is (408) 615-2900.

When: Monday, March 22nd, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Where:
Library Technology Center
Santa Clara City Library
2635 Homestead Rd.
Santa Clara, CA

ReferenceUSA is an electronic business directory. You can use it to find the top managers of a company, create lists of companies in the same industry, or research companies. A company listing typically includes:

- Company contact information
- A narrative description of the company
- List of the top managers
- List of competitors
- and more

If you would like to search ReferenceUSA, go to our Electronic Resources web page and click on the ReferenceUSA link. You can search the database remotely or within the library. You will need your library card number.

You can also access our Electronic Resources page by beginning at our home page. Click on the Research/Resources link and then select Electronic Resources from the drop-down menu.

Posted by MLG

Last Train from Hiroshima Author Duped

Author of The Last Train from Hiroshima, Charles Pellegrino, admitted to being duped by Joseph Fuoco, who claimed to have substituted at the last minute for James R. Corliss, as the Enola Gay's flight engineer. Fuoco, who died in 2008 at age 84 never flew on the bombing run and he never substituted for Corliss. He had claimed to the author that there was an accident before the bomb was dropped that was kept secret in which an American was killed and others irradiated. The real flight engineer's family, scientists, historians and veterans are denouncing the book and calling Fuoco an imposter. Corliss died in 1999, but his family preserved the documentary evidence of his participation in the historic flight.
"I am stunned," Pelligrino said. "I liked and admired the guy. He had loads and loads of papers, and photographs of everything." Pelligrino will rewrite parts of the books for paperback and foreign editions. Read more in the New York Times article.

Learn more about the Enola Gay and the bombing of Hiroshima with this book and DVD.

Enola Gay DVD 940.5425 E59
Get a look inside the bomber that helped bring World War II to a stop.
Duty: a father, his son and the man who won the war by Bob Greene
Journalist Greene learns what World War II meant to men of that generation. He becomes friends with Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay and comes to understand his father, also a World War II veteran.

posted by mb

I Want To Learn About...Everything!

Does the new reader in your family have a desire to learn everything possible about puppies? Baseball? Trucks? Volcanoes? Amelia Earhart? Unlike our Easy Reader collection of fiction books located under the large "Cat in the Hat" character, our nonfiction (aka "true books") are mixed into the rest of the Juvenile Nonfiction collection and are categorized by subject. Each subject is assigned a special Dewey Decimal Number.

The best way to find one appropriate for your new reader is as follows:

• Pick a topic of interest.
• Either search the catalog for that topic to get the number of the section or ask a Librarian for help.
• Once in the right section, scan the shelf and look at the bottom edge of each book's spine (that's the side of the book that has the title printed sideways).

You are looking for books with one of four different colored labels: blue, green, yellow, or red.

If you see a book with a blue label, it means that the book is generally appropriate for those just beginning to read. The words and sentences are short to give them a good reading foundation. For an example of a "blue" book about puppies, try the book called Puppies by Kelly Doudna.

If you see a book with a green label, it is meant for a child who is ready for two-syllable words and short stories. An example of a "green" book about puppies is Puppies by Alice Twine.

The books with a yellow label are for more practiced readers who are ready for short chapters. For a "yellow" book about puppies, try Puppy, a DK "Watch Me Grow" book.

Finally, the books with a red label are the most sophisticated of the Easy Readers. They contain concepts and words for those who are just about ready to read longer chapter books. An example of a "red" book about dogs is Dogs by Kathryn Stevens.

If you want more Easy Reader nonfiction book suggestions about a certain topic, please remember that the Youth Services Librarians are always here to help. Just ask.

Posted by wk

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