Arroyo Book Club June Pick….

The Arroyo Book Club book for June is Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal.  Having not yet read the book let me turn to the good folks at Amazon for a description that will hopefully entice you to join us…

“In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending

Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.

Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.

Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.”

It certainly sounds interesting.  Pick up your copy and plan to join us for discussion on June 25 at 3:00.

Trivia of the Month (answer)....

This month's question was what proportion of snakes are venomous?  Less the one-fifth of the world’s approximately 2,700 species are venomous.

The question, and answer, were taken from p. 20 of Snakes of the World by Manuel Areste & Rafael Cebrián.  The book was published in 2003 by Sterling Publishing Co.

Events for the Week of May 29….

Please remember that the library will be closed for Memorial Day on Monday, May 30.  Events going on at the library during the remainder of the week include…

• Zen out with Zentangle or Coloring on Sunday (5/29) at 2:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday (6/1) at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (6/2) at 3:00
• OIC Computer Boot Camp on Friday (6/3) from 1:00-4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (6/4) 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.

Library Events in June…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in June.  As always, I thought I’d take a minute and give you a run down so you can plan ahead.  Let’s start with the non-repeating events:

- - - - - - - - - -
6/3 from 1:00-4:00
LA OIC Computer Boot Camp
This program puts low cost computers in the hands of low income people.  Call or drop by to sign up.

6/6 @ 4:00
Make It Mondays: Building Blocks
Come wow everyone with your solution to the building block challenge.

6/7 @ 6:00
Introduction to Excel
Formulas, functions, and more come on by for this free class on excel basics.

6/7 @ 6:30
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo


6/11 @ 2:00
Classical Guitar
Join us for a performance on the guitar featuring David Margolis.

6/11 @ 3:00
LGBT Poetry Read Aloud
Join us as we celebrate LGBT Heritage Month by reading the poetry of Whitman, Rich, & Lorde aloud and then discussing the works.

6/13 @ 4:00
Magic Show with Tony Daniels
Join us as we kick off the kids’ Summer Reading Program with a magic show!

6/14 @ 10:30
Tai Chi
Our volunteer instructor will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing.

6/14 @ 4:00
Airbrush Tatoos
Join us as we kick off the teens’ Summer Reading Program & get yourself a cool tattoo.

6/17 @ 10:30
Tai Chi
Our volunteer instructor will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing.

6/18 @ 3:00
Made in LA: Culture Shock
Culture Shock Los Angeles is a local Hip Hop dance organization dedicated to Dance Education, Community Outreach, Professional Entertainment, and the preservation of the Hip Hop Culture. Join us for an interactive demo, get your creative juices flowing, and discover dance ... Made in L.A..

6/19 @ 2:00
Zen out… Color or Zentangle
Join us for a relaxing hour of either creating a Zentangle or coloring an intricate picture. For adults.

6/20 @ 4:00
Giant Bubbles
Come learn how to create giant bubbles. Part of the summer reading program.

6/21 @ 10:30
Tai Chi
Our volunteer instructor will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing.

6/21 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading Program

6/21 @ 6:30
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

6/23 @ 6:00
Computer Basics
New to computers?  Have questions? Join us for the basics.

6/24 @ 10:30
Tai Chi
Our volunteer instructor will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing.

6/25 @ 1:00
Movie
Join us for a kids’ movie. Part of the summer reading program.

6/25 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us as we discuss Being Mortal by Gawande.

6/27 @ 4:00
Minute to Win It Extravaganza
Join us for the next summer reading program event.

6/28 @ 10:30
Tai Chi
Our volunteer instructor will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing.

6/28 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading Program

- - - - - - - - - -

Each month the library also has a number of ongoing classes & events.  They are:

Toddler Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30 (no storytime on 6/1 or 6/8)
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games.

Preschool Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 3:00 (no storytime on 6/1 or 6/8)
Get ready for kindergarten with stories, puppets, songs, stretches, and rhymes for children ages 3-5.

Baby Storytime - - - Thursdays at 10:30 (no storytime on 6/2 or 6/9)
Bounces, rhymes and songs for prewalkers (age 0-12 months) and their caregivers.

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Available on Wednesdays at 3:00, on Thursdays at 3:00, & on Saturdays at 2:00 
STAR readers present the fun of storytelling and reading to children one-on-one or in small groups. Kids earn a free book to keep after 3 visits.

Drop in Computer Lab - - - Fridays at 3:30
Bring your questions about computers, tablets, eReaders, or other electronic devices.  We will do our best to help you figure out answers.

- - - - - - - - - -

Please do not hesitate to call the library at 323-255-0537 if you have any questions or would like more information.  Remember that 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.

OIC returns in June...

The OIC of Los Angeles (http://laoic.org/) has a program aimed at putting computers in the hands of low-income individuals & families for a low cost.  The computer in question is a core 2 duo desktop with flat screen monitor and the low cost in question is $149 plus tax.  Participants must provide proof of low-income status.  Such proof includes documentation showing earnings less than $23,000 a year or receipt of Medicaid, SSI, TANF, GA-U, DSHS support, or free school lunches.

The program begins with a 3 hour boot camp.  We are offering those boot camps here at the Arroyo Seco Library.  The next one will take place on Friday, June 3rd from 1:00-4:00.  Call us at 323-255-0537, or stop by, to sign up.

If you have questions about the program please call OIC at 323-754-3116.

Tai Chi Returns

We are fortunate again this summer to have a volunteer to lead us in twice weekly Tai Chi sessions. He will teach you techniques to ease your tension and stress, and improve your balance and breathing. Sessions are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays at 10:30.  The first will be on 6/14 and the last on 7/22.  Please feel free to join us for any session.

The instructor provides us with some information about the characteristics of Tai chi quan…

• Slow and graceful movement which goes on and on.  It is “like the clouds scurrying across the sky and the water flowing down a river or stream.”  It does not stop until the whole exercise comes to a peaceful end.  Choppy movements are anathema to tai chi practitioners.
• Natural and unblocked flow of ch’i, meaning vital energy, in the whole body at all times.  To do that, the tai chi practitioner must focus their mind on their movement, trying in every way to keep themselves from being distracted by a medley of ideas.
• A perfect combination of action and quietness.  The body of the practitioner is moving all the time, but his mind is dominated by a peacefulness that comes only with a lot of exercise.  In appearance, he is sort of restless, at heart, he experiences a serenity which onlookers find difficult to comprehend.  Ultimately, he finds himself at one with the universe.

The instructor also provides eight basic rules to follow:

1. Keeping the upper part of the body straight.  One must not slant forward or backward.  This will ensure the flexibility of the waist, which is the axis of the human body, the starting point of almost every bodily movement.
2. Keeping one’s gravity low.  This might be difficult for first-time learners, but it is highly important because probably more than anything else it contributes to a good bodily balance.
3. When moving forward or backward, do not place one’s feet in the same line.  Only then can one be “as steady and firm as a mountain.” Placing both feet in the same line would most likely lead to the loss of balance.
4. Not moving a foot when the body’s weight is on it.  To move the right foot requires shifting the weight away from it to the left foot; to move the left foot requires shifting the weight away from it to the right.
5. Allowing the shoulders and elbows to hang down naturally.  The term “hand down naturally” means the total relaxation of the muscles in the neck and arms.  Raising the shoulders is a sin.  And even when the arms are moving, the elbows must not unfold like a bird’s wings.
6. Every movement must “round out” in the end, not in an angular fashion.  This applies especially to the movement of the hands.  Slow, continuous, and elegant, it has nothing to do with what is short, sudden and rough.  It is this feature that gives the practice of tai chi a look of elegance.
7. Matching one’s breathing with movement.  As one will find out, tai chi quan consists of open and closed movements.  “when open, breathe in; when closed, breathe out,” that is what one has to remember.  The effort to match breathing with movement will naturally slow down the movement.
8. Control deep breath by the diaphragm, allowing ch’i to go deep into the abdomen instead of the lungs.  While doing this occasionally is easy; it takes all the focused attention that one can give to do it continually.  However, the effort to do it will be amply rewarded.  This is also the secret of an opera singer’s powerful voice.

Adult Summer Reading Program….

This year the library’s summer reading program includes a challenge for adults.  It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3…

1. Sign up. Stop by the branch or sign up online at http://www.lapl.org/adults/reading-challenge/registration 
2. Game board. Pick up a copy of the game board while you’re at the branch or print your own copy from the summer reading site (http://www.lapl.org/adults/reading-challenge) 
3. Write book reviews (& peruse the reviews written by others).  Go here to enter your review (http://www.lapl.org/node/add/patron-review).  Go here to see everyone else’s (http://www.lapl.org/adults/reading-challenge/patron-recommendations)
4. Free book bag.  Complete the game board and return to the library for your own library book bag.
5. Have fun.  Enjoy yourself reading and exploring all the library has to offer. 

The summer reading challenge begins for everyone --- child, teen, and adult ---- on June 13 and ends on August 6.  Get everyone in your household involved!

Events for the Week of May 22….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Make it Monday featuring a building block challenge on Monday (5/23) at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime for those aged 1-3 on Wednesday (5/25) at 10:30
• PreSchool Storytime for those aged 3-5 also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime for those 0-12 months on Thursday (5/26) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Word for Beginners Class also on Thursday at 6:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (5/27) at 3:30
• Poet Luis Rodriguez speaks on Saturday (5/28) at 1:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club meets on Saturday 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.

You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost)

Felicia Day provides a humorous look at her life to date in You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost).  Day is an actor and an online entertainment entrepreneur.  In the book she recounts her experiences growing up --- she and her brother were homeschooled, the refuge she found in the online world, her experiences as an actor, and her experiences as a producer/director/actor in online video projects.  Hers has been a relatable, somewhat geeky life and the book is pleasant to read.

Recommended for those who enjoy memoirs of ordinarily eccentric people.

Music in the Library

Join us for an afternoon of Classical Guitar Music with David Margolis on Saturday, June 11 at 2:00.  

David Margolis is a member of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music faculty. He earned his Bachelors Degree in Classical Guitar from the Cleveland Institute of Music and his Masters Degree from the Conservatorium Maastricht. Recent performances include Concierto de Aranjuez with the Rheinische Philharmonie, “Jason Vieaux and Friends” Concert, Koblenz Guitar Octet, and the Spanish Day musical theatre production.

Trivia of the Month...

This month’s question comes to us from the world of herpetology… what proportion of snakes are venomous?

Events for the Week of May 15….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Make it Monday featuring a craft project on Monday (5/16) at 4:00
• Club de Lectores meets on Tuesday (5/17) at 6:30
• Toddler Storytime for those aged 1-3 on Wednesday (5/18) at 10:30
• PreSchool Storytime for those aged 3-5 also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime for those 0-12 months on Thursday (5/19) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• LA OIC Computer Boot Camp on Friday (5/20) from 1:00-4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab also on Friday at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (5/21) at 2:00
• Wide Awake, a Lummis Day Viva Poetry event, also on Saturday from 3:00-5:00

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.

Primates of Park Avenue

I liked the premise of the book Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin more then I liked the actual book.  The premise is that Martin, an anthropology/primatology researcher, would turn a field working eye on her Upper East Side New York neighborhood.  The reality is that Martin apparently went “native” quite early in her experiment and what we get is the personal reminisces of someone living a rather indefensible style of life.  The book is instructive in the sense that we get a picture of how completely different the lives of these economically rewarded people are from our own lives but I was left with no empathy for their struggles and no respect for the author as a scientist.

Not really recommended though those with a prurient interest in the lives of the women of the 1% might find it interesting.

Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond

Each year we have a Lummis Day Poetry Event at our library.  This year’s event revolves around the book Wide Awake: Poets of Los Angeles and Beyond (http://www.amazon.com/Wide-Awake-Angeles-Beyond-Pacific/dp/1892184036) and features Jawanza Dumisani, Marsha de la O, Conney Williams, with special guest Phil Taggart.  

The event will take place on Saturday, May 21 from 3 to 5 pm.  Please plan to join us for a poetically enriching experience.  

Culture Shock Los Angeles

(A Made in LA Program)

On Saturday, June 18 at 3:00 we will enjoy a performance by Culture Shock at our library.  

Culture Shock Los Angeles is a local Hip Hop dance organization dedicated to Dance Education, Community Outreach, Professional Entertainment, and the preservation of the Hip Hop Culture. Join us for an interactive demo - to get your creative juices flowing and discover dance.

Check out Culture Shock’s website for more information about their organization as well as some video clips of their dance styling (http://cultureshockla.org/). 

Find more information about the Made in LA series of programs taking place in library branches all across the city on the library's page here (http://www.lapl.org/madeinla).

Events for the Week of May 8….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Make it Monday featuring a building block challenge on Monday (5/9) at 4:00
• Manga Art Class of Teens on Tuesday (5/10) at 4:00
• Computer Basic Class also on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime for those aged 1-3 on Wednesday (5/11) at 10:30
• PreSchool Storytime for those aged 3-5 also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime for those 0-12 months on Thursday (5/12) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (5/13) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (5/14) at 2:00
• Shrinky Dink program (in honor of Fahrenheit 451) on Saturday 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.

May’s eResource of the Month…

The electronic resource of the month for the month of May is the Testing & Education Reference Center.  This database is an excellent source of school & career prep tools.  On it you will find over 300 practice tests and courses, information on over 4,000 accredited schools, e-books containing study materials, a scholarship search, a resume builder, and career modules with subjects from career change to salary negotiations.  If you have a test of any kind… standard SAT or GRE, new job placement test, career specific test, and so on, and so on… then this is the resource for you.

The Testing & Education Reference Center is accessible from any computer though you will need to have your library card & PIN handy if you are not on a library computer.  Access it by going to the library’s web page (http://www.lapl.org/), clicking into the Research & Homework section, and then scrolling down the alphabetical list of resources to the T’s (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#T).  

Highland Park History….

This article (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520397.pdf) from 2/26/1986 discusses the early days of Franklin High School and includes (a very blurry) picture of the old building.   Learn that in 1922 the Drill team and the Band both placed first in the all city contest among other facts.

Luis J. Rodriguez Speaks

Luis Rodriguez, best-selling author of Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA and Poet Laureate of Los Angeles will be in our branch to read from both his poetry and prose, and share his thoughts about how his life in LA shaped his creative work.  

Interested in a bit of a preview? Check out this blog entry from Rodriguez about Why Poetry Matters (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/why-poetry-matters).  

The event will take place on Saturday, May 28 at 1:00.  Everyone is invited to attend.