Events for the Week of October 1….

Events going on at the library this week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (10/2) at 10:00
• Make it Monday Building Block Challenge on Monday at 4:00
• Teens come play loteria on Tuesday (10/3) at 3:00
• Lectores meets on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (10/4) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (10/5) at 3:00
• LA OIC Computer Bootcamp on Friday (10/6) at 2:00 (in Spanish)
• STAR Reader on Saturday (10/7) at 2:00
• Print Making Workshop 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 - Answer

This month’s question was how would you say harbinger (one of my current favorite words) in Spanish? Let me quote the entry for harbinger from p.749 of The American Heritage Spanish Dictionary directly:

Harbinger : I. S. (herald) heraldo; (omen) presagio; (forerunner) precursor m II. tr. anunciar, presagiar.

The American Heritage Spanish Dictionary was published in 2001 by Houghton Mifflin.

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:

- - - - - - - - - -
10/2 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
This week’s program features a building block challenge.

10/3 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Celebrate Latino Heritage Month with a rousing round of Loteria.

10/3 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

10/6 from 2:00-5:00
LA OIC Computer 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.

10/7 @ 3:00
Print Making Workshop
Self Help Graphics and their Barrio Mobile Art Studio will be coming for a screen printing workshop.  Workshop participants will be creating silkscreened posters incorporating Oaxacan imagery. This is part of the Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A. project.

10/8 from 3:00
Sunday at the Movies
Join us for a classically funny good time.

10/14 @ 3:00
Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles
Join us for an exciting performance of Mexican-American folk dance by local troupe Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles.

10/16 @ 4:00
Make it Monday: Puppet Show
Join us for a rollicking sea adventure as Luce Puppet Company presents their puppet show, "The Splashy Sea Saga of Sailor Sam"

10/17 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Join us for a fun activity just for teens.

10/17 @ 6:00
Club de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

10/20 @ 3:00
October Birthday Party
Join us as we celebrate those (0-12) who were born in the month of October.

10/21 @ 11:00-1:30
Residential Turf Removal Workshop
Green Media Creations presents a free class which promotes grass-free, sustainable garden designs that require minimal water. Residents will learn to remove the turf from their yard and replace it with drought-tolerant plants. (Sign up online at: https://www.greenmediacreations.com/noturf-resident.)

10/22 @ 1:00-3:30
Residential Turf Removal Workshop
Green Media Creations presents a free class which promotes grass-free, sustainable garden designs that require minimal water. Residents will learn to remove the turf from their yard and replace it with drought-tolerant plants. (Sign up online at: https://www.greenmediacreations.com/noturf-resident.)

10/24 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
This week’s program features a building block challenge.

10/28 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a lively discussion of Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers.

10/30 @ 4:00
Storytime & Craft
Join us for a special Halloween themed storytime and craft.

- - - - - - - - - -

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

Grupo de apoyo para la familia - - - Mondays at 10:00

Toddler Storytime - - - Wednesdays at 10:30
Little Ones’ 3 and under & their grownups are invited to join us for stories, music, & games. (No session on 10/18).

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Available on Wednesdays at 3:00, on Thursdays at 3:00, and 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 Arroyo Book Club’s October Pick….

The Arroyo Book Club will be reading Behind All the Beautiful Forevers by Katharine Boo for our October meeting.  As always I haven’t yet read this book so let me provide you with the catalog description:

In this brilliant, breathtaking book by Pulitzer Prize winner Katherine Boo, a bewildering age of global change and inequality is made human through the dramatic story of families striving toward a better life in Annawadi, a makeshift settlement in the shadow of luxury hotels near the Mumbai airport. As India starts to prosper, the residents of Annawadi are electric with hope. Abdul, an enterprising teenager, sees "a fortune beyond counting" in the recyclable garbage that richer people throw away. Meanwhile Asha, a woman of formidable ambition, has identified a shadier route to the middle class. With a little luck, her beautiful daughter, Annawadi's "most-everything girl," might become its first female college graduate. And even the poorest children, like the young thief Kalu, feel themselves inching closer to their dreams. But then Abdul is falsely accused in a shocking tragedy; terror and global recession rock the city; and suppressed tensions over religion, caste, sex, power, and economic envy turn brutal. With intelligence, humor, and deep insight into what connects people to one another in an era of tumultuous change, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, based on years of uncompromising reporting, carries the reader headlong into one of the twenty-first century's hidden worlds--and into the hearts of families impossible to forget.

Sounds like an interesting, personalized, exploration of a topic we don’t consider enough.  Stop by the library for a copy of the book and plan to join us on October 28 at 3:00 to discuss it.

Events for the Week of September 24….

Events going on at the library this week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (9/25) at 10:00
• Join us for a Spanish heritage themed storytime & craft on Monday at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/27) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (9/28) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/29) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/30) 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

Waterwise Gardening

(or Residential Turf Removal Training)

If you’ve been thinking for a while that you’d like to get your home landscaped in a water wise fashion then our upcoming workshop is just the ticket.  The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and bewaterwise.com have teamed up with Green Media Creations to present a series of free workshops across the city designed to help people convert their landscaping to one that has a grass-free, sustainable design that requires minimal water.  Topics covered in the workshop include:

• Removal of existing grass
• Design considerations
• Soil preparation
• Irrigation systems
• Planting
• Garden maintenance

We will be offering the FREE workshop at the Arroyo Seco Branch twice.  Once on Saturday, October 21 beginning at 11:00AM and a second time on Sunday, October 22 beginning at 1:00PM.  The class will run 2.5 to 3 hours.  Pick the more convenient date & time and sign yourself up.  You can register yourself online at www.greenmediacreations.com/no-turf-resident

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Silvia Gutierrez / noturf@greenmediacreations.com / 747-241-8555.

The View From the Cheap Seats

The View from the Cheap Seats is a collection of Neil Gaiman’s non-fiction writing.  It ranges from the text of speeches he has given to introductions he has written for other books to commentary on trends in writing & the media. I found it quite fascinating… particularly for the parts where he writes about the influence other writers have had on him.  More than one of his essays has resulted in the addition of a title on my “planning to read” list.  

The book is quite long but it is well worth a perusal.  Give it a try.

Ballet Folklorico Performance

The Los Angeles Library’s LA Made series offers excellent cultural programming at branches across the city.  Programs range from music, dance, and theater performances to conversations with local entertainers.  Check out their page (http://www.lapl.org/lamade) for the when, what, and where of what is going on.

Let’s talk specifically about the Arroyo Seco Branch.  We will be having an exciting performance of Mexican-American folk dance by local troupe Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles.  Join us on October 14 at 3:00 for their performance.

Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles was founded in 2011 by Kareli Montoya. Though young, the dance company has already distinguished itself as the nation's premier Mexican folk dance company. They have performed in world-class venues such as the Nokia Theater, Greek Theater, John Anson Ford Amphitheater, Santa Barbara Bowl, Valley Performing Arts Center and the Staples Center.  The dance company has been accompanied by various mariachi bands including Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Los Camperos, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan, world-famous Mariachi Vargas and Mariachi Divas. Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles has shared the stage with celebrities such as Lila Downs, Beatriz Adriana, Paquita la del Barrio, and Armenian pop star Lilit Hovhannisyan. This amazing dance troupe is the first folklórico company in the country to accompany a symphony: the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra and the Marina del Rey Symphony Orchestra, both conducted by Frank Fetta.

Definitely not something to miss, so mark your calendar.

Events for the Week of September 17….

Events going on at the library this week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (9/18) at 10:00
• Join us for a Ninjango Party on Monday at 4:00
• Lectores meet on Tuesday (9/19) at 6:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday (9/20) at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (9/21) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/22) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/23) 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 comes from our Spanish reference collection, though I will be posing it in English…. How would you say harbinger in Spanish?

A Grab Bag of Library Resources

Now that schools are back in session and the summer is receding behind us I thought I’d take a moment of your time to talk about education related assistance the library can provide.  Let me cover just a few of our resources….

We provide live online help with schoolwork for grades K-12 and adult learners each day from 11am to 11pm via tutor.com.  Tutoring is available in English and Spanish and includes help with AP and intro level college coursework.  You can also call upon this site for career help like resume evaluation or basic skills refreshers.  (http://www.lapl.org/onlinetutor)

Don’t have your high school diploma?  Then take advantage of the library’s Career Online High School program to earn it.  This program, available to city residents over the age of 19, leads to an actual diploma. (http://www.lapl.org/diploma)

The library provides student zone hours each day, here at Arroyo Seco they are from 3pm-6pm Monday through Thursday, during which students can take advantage of help from a tutor, free printing of schoolwork, time on a computer, a place to get things done, and all the library’s resources.

High school students can take advantage of the library’s Student Smart program which yearly offers workshops to help in SAT/ACT test prep as well as the practice exams with feedback. (http://www.lapl.org/teens/college-career)

Two databases, LearnExpress Library and Testing & Education Reference Center offer help preparing for tests and exams you might encounter, from the standard school testing through career and certification exam prep.  Both will also offer online courses and ebooks in these areas and this does include all aspects of the job hunt.  Find them on the library's Research & Homework page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework).

Use your library card to access online courses for self-improvement or career improvement.  You can take advantage of Gale Courses, Lynda.com, Universal Class as well as Mango Languages and PoweSpeak Languages.  There is also VIP Learning which offers creative skills and technical courses in Spanish.  You can find a class on virtually any topic by looking across these various tools.  Find them on the library's Research & Homework page (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework)

Of course the library also has books on all kinds of topics.  Books that will help you with whatever classwork you are currently working on.

So in conclusion check out the library’s website for all these tools or swing by the branch to chat with a librarian about this or any other topic.  We welcome you.

Print Making Workshop

The Library Foundation of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Public Library are running an exhibition and programming series called Visualizing Language: Oaxaca in L.A.  The exhibition is ongoing through January 31, 2018 at Central Library and programs will be offered at a variety of branches across the city.  Check out the Foundation’s website (http://oaxaca.lfla.org/) for details about the whole program.

Let me focus on the related program we will be having here at the Arroyo Seco Branch on October 7 at 3:00.  It is an exciting print making workshop.  Self Help Graphics and their Barrio Mobile Art Studio will be coming for the workshop where participants will be creating silk-screened posters incorporating Oaxacan imagery.  

It sounds like an excellent chance to learn how to silkscreen and to make something truly magnificent for your own use.  Mark your calendar and plan to join us.

Events for the Week of September 10….

Events going on at the library this week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (9/11) at 10:00
• LA DOT Tap Card Info Table on Monday starting at 2:30
• Make it Monday features a building block challenge at 4:00
• Teen Program (Candy Sushi) on Tuesday (9/12) at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/13) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (9/14) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/15) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/16) 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

Crush

In Crush by Cathy Alter and Dave Singleton a number of writers share, in essay form, the story of their first celebrity crush.  Contributing writers include Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Roxane Gay, Emily Gould, and more.  The book itself is full of tales of the awkward moments of late childhood & early adolescence and is sure to send you back to that period in your own life.

This is a quick easy read for anyone vaguely nostalgic.

September’s eResource of the Month

_________________________________________________

Looking for that little bit of help that will put you over the top in your coursework?  Consider the September eResource of the Month.  The September eReource is Tutor.com.  Tutor.com provides free online tutoring every day from 11AM to 11PM.  It can be accessed on your home computer with your library card. Find it in a variety of places on the library’s website.  One specific access point is via the Kids & Parents Page in the Homework Help section (http://www.lapl.org/kids/homework-help). 

This resource is designed to provide assistance to K-12 students, college students, and adult learners.  You can take advantage of their tutoring service as well as their 24/7 SkillsCenter ™.  One-on-one tutoring with professional tutors is available for all levels of math, science, social studies, and English subjects from elementary to advanced and AP.  Tutors use interactive whiteboard, file sharing, and instant messaging to work with you through your problems.  You can also submit your resume for feedback, take assessment quizzes, or find full-length practice tests for the SAT or ACT.  

The SkillsCenter ™ Resource Library makes a variety of resources available.  These include study resources, text prep resources, and career resources.  The site provides Spanish speaking tutors as well, features easy to use tools, and records tutoring sessions so you can review them as needed.


Take a look at tutor.com

_________________________________________________

Events for the Week of September 3….

Remember that the library will be closed for Labor Day on September 4.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Lectores meeting on Tuesday (9/5) at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (9/6) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (9/7) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (9/8) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (9/9) at 2:00
• Emotional Freedom Workshop 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