JANUARY 23, 2010
Congratulations, New Readers!
In case we haven’t mentioned it lately, the Library’s mission statement is what we like to call the Library IDEA: “To Inspire, Delight, Educate All”. This is the road map that we refer to as we make many of our decisions about services, collections, events and other library activities.
Today we host our annual I Can Read Party celebrating the new reading skills of First Graders. This is a very special time that we set aside each year to acknowledge that important milestone in a child’s life when he or she has gained the tools for literacy and lifelong learning. And so, this event would easily fall under that part of our mission to “Inspire” and “Educate”. But equally important, the I Can Read event is a party – a festive occasion complete with balloons, entertainment, a cake, party favors, and lots of laughter. The idea is to make a happy memory marking a wonderful achievement and to celebrate the joy of reading. All this adds up to another part of our mission: to delight!
Congratulations, First Graders, and welcome to the community of readers!
Category: In the Know
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JANUARY 23, 2010
Retool your career
Do you need to learn new strategies to make career changes that are right for you during this time of economic uncertainty? If so, you’re not alone. Many people are looking for ways to apply their knowledge, skills and experience to find employment in a different job market and find a satisfying new career. And the Library is here to help. We have invited Executive Career Coach Mary Jeanne Vincent to show you the way in a hands-on workshop where you will learn, network, and have fun on Saturday.
Category: In the Know
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JANUARY 6, 2010
Tax Forms @ Monterey Public Library
Looking for tax forms? Federal and state tax booklets and selected forms are on display near the Reference Services Desk. If you need assistance finding a form, librarians can download and print forms from the Internet. The cost is $.10 a page. While staff cannot answer tax questions, we can direct you to agencies that provide assistance.
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DECEMBER 19, 2009
Civic Center Stroll
It’s always very rewarding to eat a small, quick lunch and spend the rest of my mid-day break strolling through the neighborhoods adjacent to the Library and Civic Center. Heading up the hill on Madison Street you’ll find an assortment of modest, well-kept homes probably built in the first decade of the 20th century. Turn north on Larkin and it becomes clear that Monterey’s residential style is quite eclectic with tiny cottages, handsome Victorians, and multi-unit apartment houses living alongside one another on this peaceful, pretty stretch. Crossing Jefferson, I had a chance meet and greet an old acquaintance, a welcome event, although not surprising when you consider that Monterey is still a relatively small town.
I turned east on Franklin, at the DiMaggio Apartments, where the fishing boat carved into its wooden sign serves as reminder that much of this neighborhood was built and inhabited by families of fishermen during the sardine heyday. I turned south on Van Buren, where the old Mission Revival-style Carnegie Library still stands, incorporated now into the much expanded library that serves the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Right across from the library is something I’ve never seen before, the “Our Green Thumb Garden” which is a parcel perhaps one-quarter or so of an acre-large and that, according to its sign, is tended communally by MIIS students. Today it was tousled in its post-harvest condition, a few withered cherry tomatoes hanging from a mostly brown vine, and many of the remaining beds overgrown with something that looks like wild cucumber but probably isn’t. Now that I’ve discovered this lovely little treasure, I have to remember to take this route again in spring and hopefully see this garden restored to life.
Rounding quickly through the historic buildings on Dutra and past Colton Hall, I made a quick retreat back to the library, with just enough time left to jot down a quick entry about my stroll. This outing reminded me why I love it when someone asks me what there is to see in Monterey. Apart from the wonderful attractions on Cannery Row, the Wharf, museums, and a gorgeous waterfront, there are homes, gardens, and history all around us! Just put on your walking shoes, take to the sidewalks, and keep your eyes open!
Category: In the Know
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DECEMBER 12, 2009
Happy Birthday Bookmobile
This month we are celebrating the Bookmobile's first birthday. There will be a party at The Classic Residence by Hyatt in Monterey (formerly known as The Park Lane) on Tuesday at 2 p.m., and then there will be goodies and prizes on board at the other regularly scheduled stops. Come on board and help us celebrate at a Bookmobile stop near you.
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DECEMBER 3, 2009
A Huge Pile of Books
After 4 days with the doors closed over Thanksgiving weekend, Library staff were greeted Monday morning by a wondrous sight. Nearly 4,000 books, movies, magazines, and audio materials were returned over the weekend, filling a large portion of the front lobby. How unusual is this? Well, on a normal Monday, library staff check in around 1,000 items.
Adding to the busy circulation day, the Library received over 1,600 visitors in 8 hours Monday, more than 150% of normal! It was a full day for staff, and a day full of energy throughout the building.
Category: In the Know
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NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Buy Local
The City of Monterey is currently promoting a “Buy Local” campaign to encourage residents to make their purchases in Monterey this holiday season. Buying locally not only boosts tax revenue for the City, which translates into services for you, such as police protection, fire prevention and suppression, tree trimming, clean streets and public restrooms, beautiful parks, recreation activities for all ages, a library that’s open on weekends and evenings. Spending your money close to home also helps support local businesses which struggle just like the rest of this during times of economic uncertainly, yet continue to bring goods and services to us and keep our many shopping districts viable and vibrant. And don’t forget that many non-profit organizations, museums, historic sites, and (ahem) libraries have gift shops, too, where you’ll find special delights for everyone on your gift list. Happy shopping, and keep it close to home!
Category: In the Know
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NOVEMBER 18, 2009
Pay Your Fines Online!
You can now pay overdue fines and other Library charges when it is convenient for you using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card:
- Sign in to your account and click on the "unpaid fines and bills" link. The list of charges outstanding on your account will display
- Click on the "Pay Now" button.
- A payment form will open. Enter your billing and credit card information, then click on the "Submit" button.
- A confirmation window will open. Verify that the information is correct, then click on the "Submit" button.
- Once the payment is confirmed by the processor, a receipt will be displayed. Click on the "Print" button to make a copy for your records.
- A receipt will also be e-mailed to you if you have an e-mail address set in your account or you entered an email address in the payment form.
Your credit card information is encrypted using an industry-standard SSL Web Server Certificate. This information is immediately forwarded to the Payflow Pro secure payment gateway to complete your transaction. No credit card information is stored in the Library computer.
Charges will appear on your credit card statement as CITY OF MONTEREY LIBRA. Overdue fines and other charges for Monterey Public Library books and other items are received by Monterey Public Library. Fines and charges for Pacific Grove Public Library items are received by Pacific Grove Public Library.
Category: Catalog Blog
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NOVEMBER 7, 2009
Brooklyn A Best Bet for Book Groups
Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín begins in the early 1950s in a small Irish village, where we meet Eilis Lacey, a young woman on the brink of adulthood, living with her widowed mother and her older sister, Rose. Contented, unassuming, and compliant, Eilis expects to live her life among her friends and family in the small village. But her well-meaning and high spirited sister is ambitious for her younger sister, so with the help of a former parish priest who has emigrated to the U.S., Rose arranges for Eilias to resettle in Brooklyn, New York. There she takes a room in a boarding house run by an Irishwoman with links to the old village. The priest lines up a job for Eilias as a sales girl in a department store, and helps her enroll in a business college, so that she can eventually get a more lucrative job as a bookkeeper.
At first, Eilias is homesick and heartsick, but she dutifully makes her way in small, careful steps, holding her own against the other young roomers, helping out at the Church, making good at her job, and attending classes at night. In time, her life in Ireland seems like a distant dream, and after becoming involved with an attentive young man from a close-knit Italian family, Eilias reluctantly makes plans to put down roots in America.
Almost as soon as Eilias has committed to marrying her young man, tragedy calls her back to Ireland where she finds herself happy again in familiar surroundings and with old friends. Suddenly her life in Brooklyn seems like a distant dream. Now straddling two worlds Eilias has to decide whether to continue on a path that she took reluctantly or to follow her heart’s desire. The reader knows Eilias to be an intelligent, adaptable young woman, who will quietly cope with whatever life throws her way, but the bittersweet truth is that we also know that she can never be completely happy in either of her two worlds.
This beautifully written coming of age story is a gold mine of possible discussion topics, so if you belong to a book group, put
Brooklyn on the top of your “must read” list.
Category: Staff Reads
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NOVEMBER 5, 2009
Kim Bui-Burton Takes New State Honor
On Halloween weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the annual California Library Association (CLA) conference in scenic Pasadena. Public, school and academic library staff from around the state gather each fall to learn about new library trends, upcoming book releases, and customer service techniques.
But, for me, one of the best moments of this year's conference was the inauguration of Kim Bui-Burton, Monterey Public Library's director, as CLA President. Among her duties for the next year are planning the annual conference and working with statewide committees to advocate for a variety of library services, resources and scholarships. Kim has worked in local libraries since she was a teenager, and for her hard work, she deserves the honor of leading the California association for one year.
After she received the gavel (see above, Kim is on the right), she spoke excitedly about her hopes for the future of libraries and the need for librarians and community residents to work together in strengthening library services at every level. She also read one of her own poems about her Vietnamese heritage.
The Monterey Bay region and California are lucky to have such an energetic and creative library leader. Congratulations and good luck!
Category: In the Know
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NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Do you like to play?
If you like to play games, consider coming out Sunday, November 15th, to play games in the Library. National Gaming Day in Libraries is a American Library Association annual event that began in 2008, with Libraries across the country hosting games and game-players for a day of sharing and connecting with your peers.
This year, Monterey Public Library is celebrating with a Games Fair featuring board games, card games, and video games! Our volunteer experts will bring their favorites to share with you, and the Library will provide information about the latest trends and news in the world of gaming. This event is for beginners and experts, families and individuals, young and old alike. If you would like to volunteer to teach a game for our Games Fair, please contact Ben (gomberg@ci.monterey.ca.us), or call the reference desk for more information at 831.646.3933
Categories: In the Know,
Teen Zone,
Library Tech
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OCTOBER 31, 2009
Happy Birthday Bookmobile!
The Library's new bookmobile will be turning one year old in December! To celebrate, we will be having refreshments and party favors at each Bookmobile stop during the first two weeks of December. If you would like to make a birthday card for the Bookmobile with a special message about what the service means to you, we would love to have it, to display on board for the birthday celebration. You can design your own card, or come on board the Bookmobile at any stop in November and pick up a piece of construction paper to use. You can drop off your card at any Bookmobile stop or at the Youth Services Desk at Monterey Public Library. And don't forget to come on board in early December to help us celebrate!
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OCTOBER 27, 2009
We Have a Winner!
Six year old Liam Swick is the winner of the Bookmobile's Giant Pumpkin Contest. There were 432 pumpkin seeds in the jar on board the Bookmobile. Liam's guess was the closest at 406. Congratulations Liam and Happy Halloween to all.
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OCTOBER 24, 2009
Puppy Love
If you love dog stories, you'll love Come Back Como; Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Dog by Steven Winn.
Nobody ever said that love and compassion have much to do with logic. That’s certainly true in this delightful and often funny memoir about the fulfillment of pre-teen Phoebe Winn’s lifelong desire to have a dog. For all the usual reasons – noise, mess, chewing, inconvenience, expense, and being tied down – Phoebe’s parents, Steven and Sally had been putting off acquiring a dog since Phoebe was a toddler. Fresh out of excuses, the Winn’s search for the perfect pup began.
They had all agreed in advance that the dog had to be rescued from a shelter, but other than that, the Winns didn’t have any fixed ideas about what might make a perfect dog. The family dragged itself all over the San Francisco Bay Area, weekend after weekend, from animal shelter to animal shelter, viewing dogs that were too big, or too lethargic, or too rambunctious, or too dangerous, or whose fur didn’t have the right feel, until at last Phoebe spotted a cute, little terrier mix. Como was cute all right, but he had a few problems. Their first clue was when Como wouldn’t come out from under the desk in the “get acquainted” room at the shelter. But the Winns were assured that all Como needed was love and patience, and Phoebe was up to the task. Sally and Steven, on the other hand, had been reading up on dogs. They were doubtful, but they went ahead and adopted Como on a 30-day approval.
On the first night home, Sally arranged a cozy corner in the dining room where Como would feel safe and sound sleeping in his sturdy night-time crate. But the crate turned out not to be Como’s idea of cozy, safe, or sound. After hours of piteous howling, Como simply ate his way out of the crate – metal parts and all. In addition to having the gnawing ability of a beaver, Como, it turned out, wasn’t house broken. He had a touchy tummy, he occasionally nipped, he earned all F’s at obedience school, and he had a sneaky and dangerous habit of hanging around the front door and making a getaway whenever possible, leading Steven on wild chases all over the Sunset District of San Francisco. And, if all that weren’t enough, Como hated men, all men, including Steven, who then proceeded to develop a probable dog-related allergy.
By the time the 30 day “return with no questions asked” period was up, Como’s behavior was only somewhat improved and he still distrusted Steven. Will Como go or will Como go? Read Come Back Como and find out how one family sets about winning the heart of a reluctant little dog.
Category: Staff Reads
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OCTOBER 22, 2009
Hidden History: Untold Stories of the Naval Postgraduate School
John Sanders, Special Collections Manager, at Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School, will give a talk entitled Hidden History: Untold Stories of the Naval Postgraduate School at the Monterey Public Library, Saturday, October 24 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Learn about the origins and pioneers of the Naval School, and the history of how Monterey’s world-famous Hotel Del Monte became the NPS campus.
This event is the first in a series of four lectures funded with a grant from the Monterey Pacific Rotary Club.
Admission is free. No reservations needed. So, mark your calendar.
Category: In the Know
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OCTOBER 17, 2009
Teen Read Week an Opportunity for Grandparents
Celebrate Teen Read Week October 18-24. This is not only a great time for teens to discover the joys of reading, but an opportunity for grandparents to share the joy with their grandchildren. Read what my friend Dr. Catherine Al-Meten has to say on the subject and be inspired!
http://www.examiner.com/x-26070-SF-Grandparenting-Examiner~y2009m10d14-Share-favorite-books-during-Teen-Read-Week?cid=email-this-article
Categories: In the Know,
Teen Zone,
Staff Reads
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OCTOBER 13, 2009
Goodbye, Gourmet
I used Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking when I was learning to cook back in the mid-1970s, and I think of her now, not only because she was my cooking guru, but because I am reminded that as a newbie cook my other constant guide and inspiration was Gourmet magazine, which will cease publication next month.
During the honeymoon phase of my life as a self-trained cook, I looked forward each month to finding my copy of Gourmet in the mailbox, with its beautifully photographed cover, and its rich variety of ideas and recipes ready to challenge my growing culinary skills. Like Julia’s recipes, Gourmet’s were obviously well-tested and re-tested, because I can’t recall any real failures, and I certainly can recall creating some deliciously memorable dishes.
Thanks to Gourmet, I even have a recipe for a unique steamed plum pudding that (mercifully) does not include suet in the list of ingredients - the making of which has established an annual family tradition. The guys go hiking in Big Sur, while I spend the day plumping raisins in sherry, chopping, grating, grinding, and mixing the rest of the ingredients, pouring it all into a buttered mold and dropping it into a kettle of gently simmering water until the men return at sundown to a delicious-smelling house, windows streaked with condensation.
The November and December issues of Gourmet, were always fat and filled with new ideas to shake up the traditional holiday menus and table settings, and they were always the most eagerly anticipated issues of the year. I still have a notebook stuffed with recipes clipped from those editions. In more recent years, my husband has become quite an accomplished cook in his own right, and as a result, I usually don’t get to see my monthly copy of Gourmet until he has finished poring over it and dog-earring all the pages containing “must try” recipes.
Thanks for the memories,
Gourmet! Fortunately, the Library will continue have some back issues of the venerable magazine available for cooks and foodies, as well as a large assortment of
Gourmet cook books, including the recently-released
Gourmet Today by the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichel. Alas, all that’s left to do now is to put on my best oven mitt and wave goodbye to an old friend. I shall miss you,
Gourmet!
Categories: In the Know,
Staff Reads
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OCTOBER 10, 2009
Don't Miss the 6th Annual Monterey House Tour
The Friends of the Monterey Public Library will host their annual Monterey House Tour: places from the past on Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This year, the Friends have some lined up some fascinating properties to show. There are four private residences on the tour, one beautiful Bed and Breakfast Inn with a fascinating history, a Mexican era adobe, and special tours of the Royal Presido Chapel, Museum, and Heritage Center and Monterey’s historic El Estero Cemetery, final resting place of many of the most interesting and colorful characters in Monterey’s history. Tickets are $20 each or 2/$35 in advance at the Library Check-out Desk, and $25 on tour day. More
Category: In the Know
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OCTOBER 6, 2009
Memories and Miracles
Eleven years ago, the Library began a project called Shades of Monterey, which started out as a State-wide project funded in 1998 by the California State Library, and has continued thereafter in Monterey with local funding. The idea is to collect images of day-to-day life in a community from the family albums of local residents, and add them to historic photo archives. Each Shades of Monterey project included an exhibit component where selected images were enlarged, framed, and displayed in community settings. Dozens of the framed photos enlargements from the Shades of Monterey exhibits remain on display throughout the Library and a few in the Monterey Conference Center where they are enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.
This past week we received an extraordinary note in our suggestion box from a 78 year old woman who had donated a photograph of her mother to the Shades of Monterey project several years ago. Recently she was visiting the Library, and was having a blue day, feeling lonely, and missing her many loved ones who are no longer living. Feeling teary, she ventured into a niche in the Library to be alone, and found herself face- to -face with a large photograph of her mother! She said, “At first I thought I was dreaming. I had my mother to comfort me!” She described it as “a miracle.”
This is just one of the many reasons why the Library continues to collect, preserve, and exhibit photos depicting daily life in Monterey over the years. It is the one of the ways that we help preserve community memory, honor those who came before us, and validate the idea that every individual plays a role in the development of local history and contributes to our community’s unique identity. When this results in remembrance, delight, a stronger sense of community, or in this case a small miracle, then our efforts in this regard have been successful beyond measure.
Category: In the Know
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OCTOBER 2, 2009
Great Pumpkin Contest
The Giant Pumpkin Contest has begun on board the Library's Bookmobile. If you can guess the correct number of pumpkin seeds in the jar, or are close to the correct number, you could win a giant pumpkin to put on your doorstep for Halloween. The Bookmobile also has a wide variety of items to check out for all ages. Check us out at a Bookmobile stop near you.
Category: In the Know
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OCTOBER 2, 2009
Invisible Bookshelves
Meet the Library's newest bookshelves. One part optical illusion, one part recycling, and one part teen craft project, these creations have taken up residence along the wall of the Teen Zone. The project used books donated specifically for this purpose, and re-purposed them to create these unique shelves.
If you'd like to make your own floating bookshelf, instructions can be found here.
Do you have a great idea for a Library craft project? Let us know about your favorites in the comments.
Category: Teen Zone
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