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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!
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.
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. 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 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 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!
Categories: In the Know, Teen Zone, Staff Reads 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 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 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 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 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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