History of Highland Park…

Are you curious about Highland Park’s local newspaper?  Check out this story (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520291.pdf) where the Highland Park News Herald relates its history on the occasion of its 30^th anniversary.  The article was published in 1936.

The Arroyo Book Club Pick for August…

Well August is the quintessential road trip month (at least most of the really long trips I’ve taken have been in August) so I figured what better book then one about a serious road trip.  Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck details Steinbeck’s quest to find America along with his French Poodle Charley.  It details what he found when he went looking from coast to coast.  

Stop by the library for a copy of the book and give it a try, then plan to join us on 8/24 at 3:00 to discuss what you’ve read and share stories of your own road trips. 

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question: 

Can you name a Pacific coast subtidal marine invertebrate?

Events for the Week of July 29…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Monday (7/29) at 4:00
• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (7/30) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (7/31) at 10:30
• Computer Basics Class also on Wednesday at 12:00
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Welcome to Wonka’s Factory (a party) on Thursday (8/1) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (8/2) 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)...

This week’s question was where did Marcel Proust’s favorite cakes get their name? Marcel Proust’s favorite cake was the Madeline.  The Madeline, in France, is a small sponge cake in the shape of a seashell.  “According to legend they were first baked in the nineteenth century by Madeline Paulmier, a pastry cook from Lorraine.”  The legend is doubtful.

The question (& answer) were taken from p. 109 of the book Wellingtons, Watts & Windsor Knots: How the Names Became the Words by Andrew Sholl.  The book was published by NTC Publishing Group in 1997. 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Neil Gaiman writes a mythic tale his slim new novel The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  This book is difficult to describe since it has things going on on all sorts of levels.  Essentially it tells the tale of a boy, some figures (that the adult reader realizes are) out of myth, and a triumph over destruction.  In other words it’s a fairy tale.  It is an engaging book that I would recommend to anyone.

Interestingly, it left me wanting to look up both the poetry from Alice in Wonderland and the lyrics to Gilbert & Sullivan works.  

Websites to Play With…

Looking for legal information?  This can be very difficult.  One source you can explore is the Public Library of Law (http://www.plol.org/Pages/Search.aspx).  Their mission is to gather whatever legal information is made freely available on the web into one place for easy access.  Here you can find:

• Cases from the U.S. Supreme Court and Courts of Appeals
• Cases from all 50 states back to 1997
• Federal statutory law and codes from all 50 states
• Regulations, court rules, constitutions, and more.

Give them a look-see.

The Heist

The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is pure, light-hearted summer fluff.  We follow the adventures of FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare and Nicolas Fox a con man extraordinaire as they plot to bring a corrupt investment banker to justice.  The book is a quick read and is reasonably enjoyable.  I will confess that I did not like the character of Nicolas Fox which can be a problem in a book like this that does not have much to offer beyond characters interacting around an implausible plot. 

Nevertheless, fans of Evanovich will enjoy this book too. 

(Cover courtesy of Amazon.com since the library's cover shot is still "coming soon" so disregard the click to look inside verbiage). 

LAPL Research Guide (History of Your House)

Have you ever wondered about your house before you came into its life?  Do you enjoy doing a bit of research?  Well... LAPL has a number of Research Guides available for your assistance on their website including one on finding the "History of Your House" (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides/history-your-house).  It provides a number of ideas of things you can do and places you can go (literally & virtually) to find out all about your house. 

Check it out. 

By the way, find a complete list of available resource guides at http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides. 

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is where did Marcel Proust’s favorite cakes get their name?

Events for the Week of July 22…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Monday (7/22) at 4:00
• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (7/23) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime on Wednesday (7/24) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Bubble Mania Show on Thursday (7/25) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (7/26) at 3:30
• Arroyo Book Club meeting on Saturday (7/27) 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 meant by the phrase Prairie School?  Prairie School refers to an architectural style typified by the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright.  Conceptually they are houses with a horizontally oriented structure & rooms that flow into one another. 

The question (& answer) were found on p. 207 of The Culture Vulture by Carol Dunlap.  The book was published in 1994 by Preservation Press.

Hoopla

Hoopla is yet another electronic media source the library can provide access to.  Hoopla is a source for video.  It is a “digital streaming platform that provides access to digital entertainment content.”  This includes full length films, TV episodes, music albums, and e-audiobooks.  You can access Hoopla from the eMedia section of LAPL’s homepage (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/e-media).  Click on over and take a look at their offerings. 

Fire with Fire

Charles E. Gannon’s book Fire with Fire is an interesting Science Fiction novel.  Clearly the first in a series it ends by exploring Earth’s encounter with a loose alliance of aliens.  It begins in a vaguely political thrilleresque way.  The most interesting thing about the book was the way the plot kept making unexpectedly dramatic changes in direction.  On the other hand I did not care that much for the actual characters & actively dislike the main character. 

While this is not a book that I would whole-heartedly recommend it is also not a book that I would steer people away from.  I guess in the end I would recommend it to people who are fans of SF and who like plot over characters. 

Events for the Week of July 15…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Monday (7/15) at 4:00
• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (7/16) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime, featuring Garbage Trucks, on Wednesday (7/17) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Thursday (7/18) at 4:00
• Library Web Tools & the Internet Class also on Thursday at 6:30

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.

Trivia of the Week...

This week’s question is what is meant by the phrase Prairie School?

History of Highland Park…

Check out this 20 page Urban Field Study (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/11/520734.pdf) prepared in 1952 by Helen Gorian.  The report includes general background facts; a history; information about local businesses, industry, & transportation; a list of places to visit in Highland Park; and more.  Take a look at it.  

(It does leave you wondering who might be reading one of your school reports 61 years on...)

TOW (& Answer)...

This week's question was what book provides a guide to the many (street) staircases in L.A.?  I asked it mainly to have a chance to pitch the really cool book at you.  Moving on to the answer...

The book that provides a guide to the many (street) staircases in L.A. is Secret Stairs: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles by Charles Fleming.  The book was published by Santa Monica Press in 2010.  It’s worth taking a look at so you can plan some nice walks with added cardio component. 

The Hot Zone

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston tells the true tale of an outbreak of Ebola in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.  In the course of relating what actually occurred Preston provides a lot of information about the history of infectious diseases (notably Ebola) & their interaction with mankind. This is a fascinating book that does a wonderful job of scaring its readers.  Check it out.  

Long War

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter team up to continue the saga they began in The Long Earth with a second book, The Long War.  The second book is just as exciting & engaging as the first was.  As the first book begins an invention is posted on the Internet for anyone to access & use.  The invention is a device that allows people to “step” to alternate Earths and to keep stepping to, eventually, millions and millions of alternate Earths.  These alternate Earths are essentially just Earth where something went a bit differently at some earlier point in history, though on all the worlds covered in the books the things that went wrong went wrong before the arrival of humankind so all these alternate worlds are empty of human life.  From that starting point the novels go on to explore people’s expansion into & exploration of these many worlds.  Both authors have a way of creating engaging characters & telling interesting stories. 

I would recommend the series quite heartily & recommend starting with the first. 

Events for the Week of July 8…

Things going on at the library during this week include:

• LACMA Art Class for Kids & Families on Monday (7/8) at 4:00
• Kids’ Movie Screening on Tuesday (7/9) at 12:30
• Teen Summer Reading event also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Little Ones’ Storytime  on Wednesday (7/10) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• Magic of Rafael & Katia Performance on Thursday (7/11) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (7/12) at 3:30
• Desktop Publishing Class on Saturday (7/13) at 2:00
• eMedia Workshop also on Saturday 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.

Trivia of the Week...

This is kind of a trick question since I’m posing it more to have a chance to reference a specific book then because I expect anyone to have an answer; so let me proceed, What book provides a guide to the many (street) staircases in L.A.?

History of Highland Park…

The article titled “Bears, Bandits and Bridges Highlight Arroyo Story” (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520274.pdf) appeared in the August 4, 1957 News Herald & Journal.  Written by Wilfrid Dellquest it paints a vivid picture of the early days of the Arroyo Seco.  Just check out the section titles: 

• Primeval Hunting Ground
• Hideout
• The Camels Were Coming
• The Bandit Vasquez
• Bears and Bulls
• Sin Comes to the Arroyo
• Bridges over the Arroyo

If these titles intrigue you, read the article.

TOW (& Answer)...

The question was: What was one of the most severe recorded epidemics of bubonic plague?  The answer is the Persian Plague of 1772-73.  This outbreak killed an estimated two million people in Persia & Persian controlled lands to the west.

The question (& answer) were found on p. 239 of The Encyclopedia of Plague and Pestilence edited by George C. Kohn and published by Facts on File, Inc. in 1995.