Trivia of the Month (Answer)...

The question this month what is scandium?  Scandium is an element.  It is a soft-silvery white metal which tarnishes in air and burns easily once ignited.

The question, and answer, were found on p. 184 of The Elements by John Emsley.  The book was published by Oxford University Press in 2000.

Events for the Week of July 31….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Summer Reading for Kids featuring the LA Kings on Monday (8/1) at 4:00
• Teen Summer Reading Wrap Party on Tuesday (8/2) at 4:00
• Club de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (8/3) at 10:30
• Preschool Storytime also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (8/4) at 10:30
• LA OIC Computer Boot Camp on Friday (8/5) at 1:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• Summer Reading Club for kids finale party on Saturday (8/6) at 1:00
• STAR Reader 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.

History of Highland Park….

This 2/7/1981 article, Historic Miller’s Hall…Was Victim of Progress by Roger Swanson gives us a look at a building that had been torn down some 20 years before the article was written.  In the article, Swanson gives us a look at the rich history of Miller’s Hall and laments its demise at the hands of those who think newer is better.  The article includes a photograph of the building which was located on York Boulevard near Avenue 63.

Library Events in August…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in August.  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:

- - - - - - - - - - 
8/1 @ 4:00
Summer Fun for Kids
Join the L.A. Kings for a read-a-long.

8/2 @ 4:00
Teen Reading Club Wrap Party 
Featuring pizza & prizes!

8/2 @ 6:30
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

8/5 from 1:00-4:00
LA OIC Boot Camp
This program puts low cost computers in the hands of low income people.  This session is in Spanish. Call or drop by to sign up.

8/6 @ 1:00
Kids’ Summer Reading Fun
Join us for the summer reading wrap party.  There will be games, food, & prizes.

8/8 @ 11:30
Dodgers Storytime
Join us for a very special Dodgers Storytime with Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts

8/13 @ 2:00
Classical Guitar with Margolis
Spend an hour enjoying the classical guitar styling of David Margolis.

8/16 @ 6:30
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

8/18 @ 6:00
Zumba with Marly
Local Zumba instructor Marly Gomez comes by to provide a free sampling of the exercise style.

8/27 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a discussion of Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction.

- - - - - - - - - -

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

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

Preschool Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 3:00 (No session 8/10)
Get ready for kindergarten with stories, puppets, songs, stretches, and rhymes for children ages 3-5.

Baby Storytime - - - Thursdays at 10:30 (No session 8/11)
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.

The August Arroyo Book Club Book

The Arroyo Book Club pick for August is The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.  This book is subtitled “an unnatural history” and explores the impact the human race is having on other species and the world.  The book describes itself as…

A major book about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes.

Over the last half a billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In" The Sixth Extinction," two-time winner of the National Magazine Award and "New Yorker" writer Elizabeth Kolbert draws on the work of scores of researchers in half a dozen disciplines, accompanying many of them into the field: geologists who study deep ocean cores, botanists who follow the tree line as it climbs up the Andes, marine biologists who dive off the Great Barrier Reef. She introduces us to a dozen species, some already gone, others facing extinction, including the Panamian golden frog, staghorn coral, the great auk, and the Sumatran rhino. Through these stories, Kolbert provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy; as Kolbert observes, it compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Stop by the library to pick up a copy and plan to join us for discussion on August 27 at 3:00.

Events for the Week of July 24….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Summer Reading for Kids featuring Library Olympics on Monday (7/25) at 4:00
• Teen Summer Reading Program on Tuesday (7/26) at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (7/27) at 10:30
• Preschool Storytime also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (7/28) at 10:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (7/29) at 3:30
• Summer Reading Club for kids featuring a movie on Saturday (7/30) at 1:00
• STAR Reader 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.

Between You & Me

Mary Norris, long time copyeditor for the New Yorker, takes us on an engaging journey through grammatical concerns in Between You & Me. She looks at spelling, the lack of a gender neutral third person singular pronoun, use of a myriad of punctuation types, and more.    She keeps it from devolving into a dry and boring lecture about grammar by interjecting stories from her own life and work experience as illustration.

Pick up this book for a refresher on some points of language usage delivered with a side serving of entertaining anecdote.

Curious about Zumba…?

Interested in spicing up your fitness routine with Zumba?  Want to try a class before finding a gym or fitness center that offers it?  You are in luck… local Zumba instructor Marly Gomez will be offering a class here at the library on August 18 at 6:00.  Come by for a free session & see if it is a routine that will work for you.  Everyone is welcome though you exercise at your own risk.  

Find Marly’s online schedule here: http://mgomez.zumba.com/.  

Events for the Week of July 17….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Summer Reading for Kids features a Puppet Show on Monday (7/18) at 4:00
• Tai Chi session on Tuesday (7/19) at 10:30
• Teen Summer Reading Program featuring Musical Chairs of Death also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Club de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (7/20) at 10:30
• Preschool Storytime also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (7/21) at 10:30
• Computer Basics Class also on Thursday at 6:00
• Tai Chi session (the last one) on Friday (7/22) at 10:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• Summer Reading Club for kids has Olympic themed stories & crafts on Saturday (7/23) 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.

Trivia of the Month....

This month’s question is what is scandium?

Music in the Library (Encore Presentation)

Join us for an encore afternoon of Classical Guitar Music with David Margolis on Saturday, August 13 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.

UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic

The UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic will be visiting the branch on August 2 and August 11.  Their ophthalmologists perform free basic eye examinations to determine the need for prescriptive lenses and to rule out the need for further treatment of any eye condition or disease.  If it is determined glasses are needed they are provided, free, for pick up from the library after they have been made.  Their goal is to provide free eye care services and glasses for underserved communities in Los Angeles County.

If you would like to make an appointment please call (323-255-0537) or stop by the Library’s Information Desk to sign up.  Appointments will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis so don’t dawdle.

Curious?  Want more details?  Visit the UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic’s website (https://uclamobileeyeclinic.wordpress.com/) or give them a call at 310-825-2195.

The Upright Thinkers

In The Upright Thinkers Leonard Mlodinow traces the development of scientific thought.  He starts right at the beginning tracing our species evolution into the curious, big-brained creatures that we are and then branches into detailed looks at specific developments in the fields of science as well as the principal people involved.  

The book in interesting and engaging but dense --- it is not a quick read.  The author writes in an approachable first person and interjects anecdotes from his own life by way of illustrating points being made.  Recommended for those interested in a history of science.

Events for the Week of July 10….

Events going on at the library during the week include…

• Summer Reading for Kids features a Yoga Class on Monday (7/11) at 4:00
• Tai Chi session on Tuesday (7/12) at 10:30
• Teen Summer Reading Program featuring Scratch Art also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (7/13) at 10:30
• Preschool Storytime also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Introduction to Publisher Class also on Wednesday at 6:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (7/14) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Tai Chi session on Friday (7/15) at 10:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• Summer Reading Club for kids Movie showing on Saturday (7/16) at 1:00
• STAR Reader 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.

OIC Computer Boot Camp

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 on the first Friday of each month from 1:00-4:00.  Months alternate between classes in   English and Spanish.  The August class will be in English. 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.

July’s Electronic Resource of the Month….

Looking for a way to keep up with the news?  Look no further then the Electronic Resource of the Month for July --- NewsBank.  Newsbank includes full-text coverage of 134 California newspapers and 27 national news magazines.  The database provides news enthusiasts and students with detailed media coverage at the local, state, national, and international level.

Access Newsbank from any computer with your library card.  You’ll want to start from the library’s Research and Homework page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#N). 

Find a flyer with more information about Newsbank here: http://www.lapl.org/sites/default/files/articles-and-information/pdfs/7-16-newsbank-flyer.pdf 

Events for the Week of July 3….

Please remember that the Library will be closed on 7/4 for Independence Day.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include…

• Tai Chi session on Tuesday (7/5) at 10:30
• Teen Summer Reading Program featuring Loteria---for prizes also on Tuesday at 4:00
• Club de lectores on Tuesday at 6:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (7/6) at 10:30
• Preschool Storytime also on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (7/7) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Tai Chi session on Friday (7/8) at 10:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• Summer Reading Club for kids Family Storytime on Saturday (7/9) at 1:00
• STAR Reader 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.