Trivia of the Month... Answer

The month’s question was what is a bozze?  A bozze is a Libyan measure of liquid volume equivalent to 2.835 liters.

The question (& answer) were found on p. 152 of For Good Measure by William D. Johnstone.  The book was published in 1975 by Holt, Reinhart and Winston.

Library Events in October…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in October.  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:

- - - - - - - - - - 
10/3 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Activity
Join us fun for a fun, science themed activity.

10/4 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

10/7 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 English. Call or drop by to sign up.

10/8 @ 3:00
Stress Relief Techniques Class
Feeling stressed? Join us for a class where you will learn simple techniques to help you alleviate that stress.

10/11 @ 4:00
Teen Program
Join us for our monthly teen program.

10/15 from 10:00-2:30
Student Smart (ACT Practice Test)
Take a practice ACT test and follow up in subsequent weeks with seminars addressing specific areas of the test.  Participation in all four sessions & advanced sign up required.

10/17 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Make a Mexican Rag Doll
Join us and make a Muñeca de Trapo.

10/18 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

10/22 from 10:00-12:00
Student Smart
Join us for the first of our targeted workshops aimed at the ACT. This session will be focused on the English section of the test. Participation in all four sessions & advanced sign up required.

10/22 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a lively discussion of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me.

10/24 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Building Block Challenge
Join us fun with building blocks.  What can you make?

10/29 from 10:00-12:00
Student Smart
Join us for the first of our targeted workshops aimed at the ACT. This session will be focused on the Mathematics section of the test. Participation in all four sessions & advanced sign up required.

10/31 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Halloween Fun
Celebrate Halloween with us with some spooky fun.

- - - - - - - - - -

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

Toddler Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30 (no session on 10/19)
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games.  

Baby Storytime - - - Thursdays at 10:30 (no session on 10/20)
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.

Arroyo Book Club Pick for October

The Arroyo Book Club book for October is Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me.  To quote the LAPL catalog description (as I always do) this book is…

A bold and personal literary exploration of America's racial history by "the single best writer on the subject of race in the United States" (The New York Observer)

"This is your country, this is your world, this is your body, and you must find some way to live within the all of it."

In the one hundred fifty years since the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, the story of race and America has remained a brutally simple one, written on flesh: It is the story of the black body, exploited to create the country's foundational wealth, violently segregated to unite a nation after a civil war, and, today, still disproportionately threatened, locked up, and killed in our streets. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all--regardless of race--honestly reckon with our country's fraught racial history and free ourselves from its burden?

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates's attempt to answer those questions, presented in the form of a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son--and readers--the story of his own awakening to the truth about history and race through a series of revelatory experiences: immersion in nationalist mythology as a child; engagement with history, poetry, and love at Howard University; travels to Civil War battlefields and the South Side of Chicago; a journey to France that reorients his sense of the world; and pilgrimages to the homes of mothers whose children's lives have been taken as American plunder. Taken together, these stories map a winding path toward a kind of liberation--a journey from fear and confusion to a full and honest understanding of the world as it is.

Masterfully woven from lyrical personal narrative, reimagined history, and fresh, emotionally charged reportage, Between the World and Me offers a powerful new framework for understanding America's history and current crisis, and a transcendent vision for a way forward.

Stop by the library to check out a copy and join us on October 22 at 3:00 for discussion.

Events for the Week of September 25….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Make it Monday featuring a building block challenge on Monday (9/26) at 4:00
• Fun with Shrinky-Dinks Program on Tuesday (9/27) at 3:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/28) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (9/29) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/30) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (10/1) 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.

The Dark Forest

Cixin Liu continues the story begun in The Three-Body Problem in The Dark Forest.  This, the second in the trilogy, takes the story 200 years into the future.  The book picks up where the previous one left off and we find the world planning out how to react to the invading aliens who have total access to our communication & technology.  Realizing that if an idea is never shared it can’t be overheard the UN embarks on a plan where 4 men are given both the extraordinary power to order anything they want done with few, if any, questions and the task of coming up with and executing a plan that will defeat the aliens when they arrive.  The story then follows the actions of these men and the reactions in the world at large.  The world of the time does have hibernation technology so the story is able to jump from its starting point to 200 years in the future with many of the same characters.  The book ends in a very final sort of way which leaves me wondering what lies in store in book 3.

I liked this book just as much as I liked the first and would heartily recommend it, though if you haven’t read the first you will definitely want to get it before trying this one.

Do you feel stressed?

…Join us…

Saturday, October 8 at 3:00 

For a class on 

STRESS RELIEF TECHNIQUES

We’ve all experienced stress, and these days it seems to be worse than ever. It’s not just unpleasant, it can negatively affect your health, your relationships and your success.

But the good news is, stress is very manageable. As a certified hypnotherapist and Emotional Freedom Technique practitioner, the instructor has been teaching easy, all-natural and very effective techniques to her clients with great success for several years.

In this class, we'll be learning a series of quick, simple and very effective techniques, most of which can be done just about anywhere and which will have a positive impact on your life.  Everyone is welcome.

I Work at a Public Library

As a librarian there was no way I wasn’t going to try a book titled I Work at a Public Library.  In this book Gina Sheridan collects and shares a number of anecdotes about life in a public library.  The stories are all incredibly true to life.  In many cases I’ve taken part in or witnessed the exact situation described.  

Stylistically the stories are very short.  It is very clear that they had their origins in social media.  So this is a very quick read that I would recommend to those interested in seeing what life in a library is like.

Events for the Week of September 18….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Make it Monday features activities all about Energy on Monday (9/19) at 4:00
• Club de Lectores meets on Tuesday (9/20) at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/21) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (9/22) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/23) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/24) at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club meets (& celebrates its 10^th anniversary) 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 a bozze?

Fearless

Elliott James continues his Pax Arcana series with Fearless.  In this volume John and his growing group of colleagues take on the plight of Kevin Kichida.  While investigating a murder by supernatural creature they discover that Kevin was the intended victim and set out to both find out who wants Kevin dead and disrupt that villain’s plan.  The investigation takes them into the depths of a supernatural fight club and gives us (the reader) a crash course in Japanese mythical monsters.

The book is straight forward adventure with a supernatural overlay and is on par with previous entries in the series (Charming / Daring).  I would recommend it to readers who like battle scenes, learning about scary mythological beings they were previously unaware of, and action.

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 October 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. 

Events for the Week of September 11….

Events going on at the library this week include…

• Make it Monday features a building block challenge on Monday (9/12) at 4:00
• Teen Program featuring Loteria on Tuesday (9/13) at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/14) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (9/15) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/16) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/17) 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.

Good Mourning

Good Mourning by Elizabeth Meyer with Caitlin Moscatello tells the story of one women’s time spent working at a funeral home, a funeral home for the rich in New York City.  Meyer, a self-described wealthy, party girl is left lost at the death of her father.  Having put together a successful funeral for him she lands a job as a receptionist at the home her family used with the idea of becoming a funeral planner.  The book includes stories of a few of the funerals she worked on and the reactions of the people in her life, both her family who can’t see why she is doing this and her co-workers many of whom (understandingly) take a dislike to her as a representative of the type of people who treat those who provide them with service with disdain.

I must admit I came away from the book with the feeling that Meyer was a rather self-involved dilettante.  She is self-aware enough to realize this and deals with it in the postscript – principally by saying she doesn’t care what others think of her.  I would cautiously recommend it.  The stories are interesting but the story teller is not and she does inject herself into the stories and awful lot.

September’s eResource of the Month

The eResource of the Month for September is The New York Times Historical Archive (found in Proquest).  Quoting from the flyer…

This archive provides students, genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable media coverage of politics, society and events of the time. It provides the full image (Full-Text PDF format) of articles published from its first issue (when it was originally titled The New York Daily Times) in 1851 through 2012. Articles published in 1995 and after are available in both “Full-Text” and “FullText PDF” format.

This is a fun database to play around in.  With only a little effort I was able to pull up a full page view of the front page of the New York Times from the date of my birth.  Set yourself that challenge and see what the New York Times had to say to the world on the day of your birth.

You can access The New York Times Historical Archive from any computer though you will need to have your library card and PIN handy if you are not using a library computer.  From the library’s Research & Homework page find the alphabetical listing (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#N).  

Events for the Week of September 4….

Remember that the library will be closed on Monday for Labor Day.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include…

• Club de Lectores on Tuesday (9/6) at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/7) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• Baby Storytime on Thursday (9/8) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Thursday at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/9) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/10) 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 September…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in September.  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:

- - - - - - - - - - 
9/2 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 English. Call or drop by to sign up.

9/6 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo


9/12 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Building Block Challenge
Join us fun with building blocks.  What can you make?

9/13 @ 4:00
Teen Program
Join us for our monthly teen program.

9/19 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Activity
Join us for a surprise activity that is sure to be oodles of fun.

9/20 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

9/24 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a book club meeting where we both celebrate the club’s 10th anniversary and discuss Clark’s The Ox Bow Incident.  The party is a pot luck so bring something delicious to share.

9/26 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Building Block Challenge
Join us fun with building blocks.  What can you make?

- - - - - - - - - -

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

Toddler Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games.  

Baby Storytime - - - Thursdays at 10:30
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.