When my child was little, I wanted to be sure that she heard The Night Before Christmas. However, Claude the Dog by Dick Gackenbach was always my favorite for learning that Christmas is about giving. I loved to use books with illustrations of songs, like The Little Drummer Boy, Silent Night, and The Friendly Beasts. These are books that can be appreciated by children from 18 months up to - well, she is 13 now, and with holiday nostalgia will still sit with me for these classics.

Almost every year librarians from around the world meet here in Monterey to learn about the latest developments in web searching, tools and design. This year I attended workshops on developing wikis, blogs, and podcasting. Some libraries involve young people in creating and broadcasting book reviews. I also attended a workshop on MySpace and online risks. I liked learning about Leetspeak. I was surprised to learn that most young people never bother to set the privacy level on their Myspace profile! (The default sets no limits.) Now I am much more aware of how I can help our Library customers set home limits on chat rooms, create wiki's for homework, or find the podcasts of their choice. It's a continual challenge to keep up with web developments, but the Internet Librarian Conference is a great opportunity. And all the librarians love Monterey!

Did you ever feel like just skipping the excesses of the holidays - the list-making, shopping, gift wrapping, tinsel-hanging, hall-decking; the planning, baking, cooking, partying, and spending of a small fortune? Well, so did the Kranks in John Grisham's Skipping Christmas, a satirical and often hilarious send up of commercialized Christmas in suburban America. Luther and Nora Krank decide to spend their $6,000 holiday budget, that would have otherwise been spent on the aforementioned excesses, and take a 10-day Caribbean luxury cruise. What the Kranks didn't count on was the angry reaction to their non-conformist scheme from disappointed friends, co-workers, and especially the neighbors.

Skipping Christmas is a compact, little holiday story that has a message, lots of snow, and a happy ending. With only 177 pages, it's the perfect length for reading at this time of year when we're so busy making lists, shopping, wrapping gifts, hanging tinsel, decking the halls, planning, baking, cooking, going to parties and spending a small fortune. Check it out!

From all of us here at the Monterey Public Library we'd like to wish you Happy Holidays!

In the hustle and bustle of the season, don't forget we're here to help with:

• Recipe ideas for your big family meals
• Craft instructions to spice up your decorations
• Cd's with your favorite festive songs
• Storybooks to share with the kids
• Internet access so you can order those last minute hard-to-find gifts
• And as always, books and movies to fill up any of your remaining free minutes!

As part of the Library's strategic planning process, the Library Board of Trustees recently adopted a new Monterey Public Library Mission statement, and a Vision statement. We'd like to share these with you.

Mission: The Monterey Public Library is a welcoming community, cultural and learning center for people of all ages. Our collections and services inspire, delight and educate, preserve Monterey's memory and link the community with the knowledge and cultures of the world. Our staff members encourage discovery, share the joy of reading and protect the right to know.

Vision: The Library Inspires, Delights & Educates All. The Library IDEA!

The Library offers reference and referral service to guide you to resources for all your information needs. You can reach the Reference Services Desk by posting a question on our online form, emailing refdesk@ci.monterey.ca.us, phoning (831.646.3933), or stopping by the Library during open hours. In addition to answering your questions, reference staff can help you access magazine and newspaper articles online, assist you with local research, and make reading recommendations.

Monterey's six-foot tall Christmas angels are now aloft, decorating lampposts and City buildings around town - including the Library. The angels were originally commissioned in 1956 by the City of Monterey to brighten up the downtown area during the festive season. The artist, Erica Franke, worked under the direction of a committee of downtown merchants, earning a commission of $12 per angel.

The angels were immediately controversial. Many people didn't like their dark complexions and dour expressions. Franke defended the angels, which she said were inspired by Spanish representations of angels in early California.

In the years immediately following the unveiling of the angels, the annual controversy resulted in a series of changes. A bit of color was added here and there to brighten the angels, and in 1959 tinsel and pieces of shiny aluminum were added to give them a shimmering effect.

Over the years, the angels became faded and battered, and in 1971, the City disposed of most of them. The few that were still in fair condition were auctioned off, fetching prices between $75 - $100.

In 1972, Erica Franke (Haba) was commissioned to create 40 new angels. The new angels were similar in size and design, but the colors were lighter and brighter. When they were unveiled in 1973, they provoked criticism from those who had grown to love the original angels!

Whether you like them or dislike them, the Monterey Christmas angels are a Monterey institution. Drop by the Library during the month of December and check out the lobby display about the history of the angels, complete with news clippings