Events for the Week of April 1….

The library will be closed on Sunday, April 1.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (4/2) at 10:00
• Stop Motion Animation Class on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (4/3) at 10:30
• Circulo de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (4/4) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (4/5) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (4/6) at 3:30
• Community Birthday Party on Friday at 3:30
• VITA Tax Assistance on Saturday (4/7) from 9:30-12:30 (last of the tax season)
• 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

Trivia of the Month... Answer

This month’s question was what was the first general anesthetic and when was it used?  The first general anesthetic was sulfuric ether and it was used in December of 1841 by Dr. Crawford Williamson Long to remove a tumor from the back of his patient’s neck.

The question (& answer) were found on p. 331 of Famous First Facts by Kane, Anzovin, & Podell.  The book was published by The W.W. Wilson Company in 1997.

All About Terrariums

Curious about terrariums? Join us for a workshop on Sunday, 4/15 at 3:00 and learn all about them.  This presentation will teach you

• All about terrariums... Their design, use of soil & rock, watering, & plant choice
• How to prepare a terrarium using drought tolerant plants
• How to care for a terrarium

The workshop will be conducted by Louis Easton a local garden designer.

The terrarium constructed in class will be raffled off to a lucky participant.

Library Events in April…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

The library has some interesting events planned in April.  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:

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4/2 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for a stop motion animation class.  First in a series. Sign up at the Information Desk.

4/3 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

4/6 @ 3:30
Community Birthday Party
Join us for birthday party fun, celebrating the birthdays of under 12’s born in April.

4/7 from 9:30-12:30
VITA Tax Assistance
The good folks from VITA offer Free Income Tax Preparation & Filing for those who qualify. Find more details: http://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/vita-free-income-tax-preparation-filing-3

4/9 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for a stop motion animation class.  Second in a series. Sign up at the Information Desk.

4/9 from 2:00-4:00
LA DOT TAP Information Table
Questions about the transit system and TAP cards? Want to fill up your card? Swing by and talk to the folks from LA’s Department of Public Transportation.

4/10 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Join us for teen tastic fun.

4/14 @ 3:00
Puppet Workshop
The Arroyo Arts Collective will be conducting a puppet-making workshop… Making puppets to fit the theme “Critters of the Arroyo”

4/15 @ 3:00
All about Terrariums
Learn all about terrariums... Their design, use of soil & rock, watering, & plant choice.

4/16 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for a stop motion animation class.  Third in a series. Sign up at the Information Desk.

4/17 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

4/21 @ 3:00
Shrinky Dink Crafts
Join us to create a small dangle to your taste & watch it turn into a plastic marvel.

4/23 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for a stop motion animation class.  Fourth in a series. Sign up at the Information Desk.

4/28 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a discussion of Citizen by Claudia Rankine.  This is part of NEA’s Big Read Program.

4/30 @ 4:00
Drum Performance
Join us for a drum performance by Chazz Ross.

- - - - - - - - - -

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

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

Baby Storytime - - - Tuesdays at 10:30
Stories, songs, and rhymes await babies up to 18 months (no session on 4/10)

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 4/11)

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.

Arroyo Book Club’s April Pick…

The Arroyo Book Club will be participating in the NEA’s Big Read in the month of April.  We will be reading Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine.  To quote from the NEA’s book materials:

Citizen is a genre-bending work of art combining lyric prose with internal monologues, visual art, slogans, photographs, quotes, a screen grab from YouTube, and film scripts. It is a touchstone for talking candidly about racism. And it is a time capsule of contemporary headlines and key figures, with references to, among other things, Hurricane Katrina, the tennis champion Serena Williams, the 2006 World Cup, and the fatal shooting of Florida resident Trayvon Martin.

Find more book information as well as author information and a selection of discussion questions at https://www.arts.gov/partnerships/nea-big-read/citizen-an-american-lyric

As always, with Big Read books the book will be yours to keep (while supplies last) so stop by the Information Desk to pick up a copy and join us for discussion on April 28 at 3:00.

Events for the Week of March 25….

The library will be closed in honor of Cesar Chavez’s Birthday on Monday.  Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (3/27) at 10:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (3/28) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (3/29) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (3/30) at 3:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday (3/31) 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

Critters of the Arroyo - Puppet Making

Come join the Arroyo Arts Collective for a family friendly paper bag puppet workshop on Saturday 4/14 at 3:00. Even though we live in the big city of Los Angeles we have many animal neighbors. Learn about the raccoons, possums, coyotes, fence lizards and other inhabitants of Northeast LA and make an animal puppet to take home.

Then… On Sunday, June, 3, 2018, there will be an animal puppet parade to begin the festivities of Lummis Day. We hope you’ll bring your puppet and march with us in the Critters Gotta Crawl Parade.

Are Numbers Real?

Brian Clegg takes us on a beautiful tour of the relationship between mathematics and the physical world in his book Are Numbers Real? 

The book begins with the theories about the origin of counting numbers and moves forward in time from there to conclude with a look at quantum physics and questions about the nature of the universe.  The writing is straightforward and fascinating and his examples can be followed even by those without a math background.  I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Events for the Week of March 18….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Sunday Afternoon Movie on Sunday (3/18) at 3:00
• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (3/19) at 10:00
• Building Block Challenge on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (3/20) at 10:30
• Circulo de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (3/21) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (3/22) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (3/23) at 3:30
• VITA Tax Assistance on Saturday (3/24) from 9:30-12:30
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Arroyo Book Club 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 to us from the world of medicine.  What was the first general anesthetic and when was it used?

History of Highland Park...

Train or trolley enthusiast? Check out this document (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520253.pdf) a "History of the "W" Car Line".  This is essentially a timeline that lists important dates in the life of the Los Angeles & Pasadena Railway.  A few pictures are included.

Events for the Week of March 11….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (3/12) at 10:00
• LA DOT Tap Information Table on Monday from 2:30-4:30
• St Patrick’s Day Crafts on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (3/13) at 10:30
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (3/14) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (3/15) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (3/16) at 3:30
• Women’s History Documentary on Saturday (3/17) at 2:00
• 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

Invisible Planets

If you’re a fan of science fiction and are interested in exploring the genre from a different perspective try Invisible Planets.   Invisible Planets is an anthology of contemporary Chinese short Science Fiction translated by Ken Liu.  It includes a wide range of writers and styles and concludes with some academic pieces examining the state of Science Fiction in China. 

The book is quite enjoyable and I would heartily recommend it.  You will find works from a number of different authors, across a wide selection of styles with the added interest of an entirely different (at least for me) cultural perspective.

March’s eResource of the Month

Do you have a preK – 3rd grader in the house?  If so you’ll want to check out the March eResource of the Month --- BookFlix.  BookFlix allows you to read, watch, and listen to books and book videos. Its features reinforce reading skills for early readers, reluctant readers, and English language learners.  Books and book videos are available in English and Spanish.  

BookFlix is available from any computer with your library card.  Find it via the library's web page in the Research & Homework section (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#B).   

Events for the Week of March 4….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Sunday Afternoon Movie on Sunday (3/4) at 3:00
• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (3/5) at 10:00
• Gish Bac talks Oaxacan Food on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (3/6) at 10:30
• Teen program on Tuesday at 3:00
• Circulo de Lectores on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (3/7) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (3/8) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (3/9) at 3:30
• VITA Tax Assistance on Saturday (3/10) from 9:30-12:30
• 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

Women’s History Month

Join us on March 17 at 2:00 as we select a documentary from Kanopy and explore an aspect of feminism to celebrate Women's History Month.  The films we will choose among are:

• Girls in the Band: a film that tells the poignant, untold stories of female jazz and big band instrumentalists and their fascinating, history-making journeys from the late 30s to the present day. 
• Pink Ribbons, Inc.:  A film that goes inside the story to reveal those who have co-opted what marketing experts have labeled a "dream cause."
• Perfect 36: When Women Won the Vote:  A film that explores the last battle in the fight for a woman's right to vote in the United States.
• Killing Us Softly: A film that explores how advertising traffics in distorted and destructive ideals of femininity. 

Everyone is welcome.