Events for the Week of July 1…

Don’t forget that the library will be closed on July 4 in celebration of Independence Day.  Things going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (7/2) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime  on Wednesday (7/3) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (7/5) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

American Savage

In the book American Savage noted sex advice columnist Dan Savage covers topics ranging from the death of a parent to what’s wrong with even the good sex education programs in this country to his dinner encounter with NOM president Brian Brown.  The book is informative & opinionated and will appeal to people who are culturally & politically more liberal.  I would recommend it to everyone. 

History of Highland Park…

The article "Arroyo Library’s Founding Told" (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520211.pdf) was written by Frances Foote & published in the Highland Park News-Herald in November of 1933.  It tells the details of the process whereby the Figueroa/Piedmont lot was secured, money was raised, and the first Arroyo Seco Branch Library was built.  It includes quite a long description of the dedication ceremony.  It is particularly interesting to read this as we approach the 100^th anniversary of the occasion described.

The Arroyo Book Club Pick for July….

July’s book club book will be The Virginian by Owen Wister.  This book, first published in 1902, is credited with creating the pattern for what came to be the “western” novel.  This particular story is set in Wyoming and follows the adventures of “the Virginian” as he strives to fight corruption & prove his love to the woman he desires.  Stop by the library for a copy or, if you prefer, download a copy from Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1298) for your ebook. 

We will meet to discuss the book on July 27 at 3.

Trivia of the Week....

This week’s question:  

What was one of the most severe recorded epidemics of bubonic plague?

Events for the Week of June 24…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (6/25) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime  on Wednesday (6/26) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Luce Puppet Co. on Thursday (6/27) at 4:00
• Computer Basics Class also on Thursday at 6:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/28) at 3:30

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question for the week was who is the Plotosaurus tuckeri named for?  The answer is Fresno State College geologist William Tucker.   

This question (& answer) were found on p. 110 of Dinosaurs and other Mesozoic Reptiles of California by Richard P. Hilton. The book was published by the University of California Press in 2003.

Passage

Connie Willis is an author I keep an eye open for.  She has the most unusual (& interesting) plots and a style of writing that is quite different from what you normally run into.  In Passage she tells a tale that combines psychological aspects of near-death experiences with a scientist who loses perspective as she begins to participate in her own experiments and the mysterious &/or terrifying results of those experiments.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good thriller or a thrilling science fiction novel. 

Owls Well that Ends Well

If you’re a fan of humorous mystery, look no further then Donna Andrews.  Her books feature a sane and sensible blacksmith named Meg Langslow and her insane and far from sensible relatives.  In Owls Well that Ends Well Meg finds herself with a dead antiques dealer at her garage sale.  She manages, of course, to determine who did it while solving a myriad of family caused problems along the way.  Give it, or really any title from the series, a try for some light escapism. 

Websites I Use..

A number of years ago I created a Haunted House in the library as a Halloween event.  Looking around at the time for activities, decorations, etc. I came across a website that had an archive of patterns that could be used to create objects from paper.  The website is called RavensBlight & I spent all my time in the toy shop (http://www.ravensblight.com/papertoys.html).  Here you can find patterns to make a coffin, pirate cutlass, a number of ships, candelabras, and more.  Check it out.

Trivia of the Week...

This week's question:  

Who is the Plotosaurus tuckeri named for?

Events for the Week of June 17…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Monday (6/17) at 4:00
• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (6/18) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event … Tigertainment Stunt Fighting demo … also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime  … One World Rhythm show … on Wednesday (6/19) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Backyard Eats! With the Audubon Center on Thursday (6/20) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/21) at 3:30
• Arroyo Book Club on Saturday (6/22) at 3:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was what is the chemical formula of Nitratine?  The answer is NaNO3.   

This question (& answer) were found on p. 74 of the Cambridge Guide to MineralsRocks and Fossils by Bishop, Woolley, and Hamilton.  The book was published by Cambridge University Press in 1999.

The Draco Tavern

The Draco Tavern by Larry Niven is a series of short stories.  All the stories are set in the same universe and are told by the same principal character, so in the end it is a kind of loosely connected novel.  The narrator is the owner of a tavern that is a way station for aliens visiting Earth.  Each story focuses on a different aspect of this experience.  The stories are quite entertaining and I would recommend the book to any SF fan without reservation.  If you’re not a SF fan but are willing to give a book with aliens a try this would be a very good one to get started with. 

History of Highland Park…

Check out this document (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520246.pdf).  Here we find two photographs of the “Heart of the Highlands” one taken in 1918 and the second in 1959.  I suspect you’ll recognize the corner depicted even before you read the captions.  Anyway… take a look. 

Good Omens

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett has long been a favorite of mine.  It is a book about the end of the world.  It has angels and demons & the antichrist and it answers the question what would happen if the antichrist slipped through the interfering fingers of both heaven & hell and was raised as a normal human?

Both authors are excellent writers & both bring their talents to this tale.  I would recommend it to anyone. 

Trivia of the Week...

This week's question is... what is the chemical formula of Nitratine?

Events for the Week of June 10…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (6/11) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (6/12) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Breakfast Bash on Thursday (6/13) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/14) at 3:30
• Nutrition Workshop & Food Sampling on Saturday (6/15) at 2:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was which two local spiders are considered to have a dangerous bite?  The two local spiders considered to have a dangerous bite are the black widow (Latrodectus Hesperus) and the violin spider (Loxosceles species).  Black widow’s venom is a neurotoxin that may cause debilitating systemic disorders, sometimes leading to death.  Violin spider venom is haemotoxic & while dangerous is rarely lethal.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 364 of Insects of the Los Angeles Basin by Charles L. Hogue.  The book was published by The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in1993.

Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris just published Dead EverAfter.  The book bears on its cover the words “the final Sookie Stackhouse novel.”  I have been reading the Stackhouse series since Harris began writing it a good 14 years ago and have always enjoyed it.  It features an interesting main character and a plethora of amusing eccentrics as supporting cast.  I know that the show True Blood is based on this series but must confess that I’ve never seen that show so I can’t say how it compares to the books.  The books, though, are amusing entertainment and I confidentially recommend them to anyone seeking a day’s diversion. 

History of Highland Park…

This article (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520275.pdf) by Wilfrid Dellquest published on 8/11/1957 tells the history of the Arroyo Seco Library to that point in time.  In it you learn a lot of fascinating things… including the fact that the first branch on our site (6145 N. Figueroa) cost $44,750 in total to construct and equip, was designed by Frederick Ashley, and opened on 2/27/1914.  A couple of pictures are included as well as a plethora of additional facts.  Check it out.

Insect Museum

The book Insect Museum: describing 114 species of insects and other arthropods, including their natural history and environment by Sonia Dourlot is a spectacular book.  It is filled with luscious illustrations … a word you wouldn’t think you could use in reference to insects.  It is also filled with tons of interesting facts about the insects in question.  This is a lovely book to browse through even if you’re not an entomologist and it is accessible to readers of all ages.  I liked it so much in fact that I gave my niece a copy as a gift.  

Trivia of the Week...

This week's question is: 

Which two local spiders are considered to have a dangerous bite?

Events for the Week of June 3…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• The inaugural Teen Summer Reading Meeting on Tuesday (6/4) at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (6/5) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Thor’s Reptile Family (the first event of the Children’s Summer Reading Program) on Thursday (6/6) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/7) at 3:30
• Introduction to Word Processing on Saturday (6/8) at 2:00

You can always check the Branch Page (http://www.lapl.org/branches/arroyo-seco) on the LAPL website for upcoming events or check out the Master Calendar (http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/calendar) where you can search for something specific across multiple branches.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was who is Method Man?  To answer: Method Man (b. Clifford Smith) is one of the members of the hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan.   The question (& answer) were found on p. 237 of The Billboard Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock published by Billboard Books in 2002.