Events for the Week of July 1….

Please remember that the library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4^th to celebrate Independence Day.  Events going on at the library during the remainder of the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (7/2) at 10:00
• Play with slime on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (7/3) at 10:30
• Shrinky dink fun on Tuesday at 4:00
• Círculo de lectores on Tuesday at 6:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (7/5) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (7/6) at 3:30
• Tai Chi on Saturday (7/7) at 10:00
• 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

Trivia of the Month Answer...

This month we asked if American spent 77,200 million dollars on personal consumption in the year 1929, how much of that total was spent on food, beverages, and tobacco?  The answer is a straightforward 27.5 million dollars.

The question and answer were found on p. 319 of The Historical Statistics of the United States put out by the US Department of Commerce. We were looking at the Bicentennial Edition which was published in September of 1975.

Arroyo Seco Book Club’s July Pick

The Arroyo Seco Book Club will be reading 1984, George Orwell’s classic portrait of government overreach, for our July meeting.  I last read this book in the actual year 1984 but unfortunately the book seems ever more relevant as time marches forward.  Below is the book description as found in the library’s catalog…

Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell's chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, his dystopian vision of a government that will do anything to control the narrative is timelier than ever...

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."

Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thought crimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can't escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching...

A startling and haunting vision of the world, 1984 is so powerful that it is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the influence of this novel, its hold on the imaginations of multiple generations of readers, or the resiliency of its admonitions--a legacy that seems only to grow with the passage of time.

Swing by the library for a copy and plan to join us for discussion on July 28 at 3:00.

Library Events in July…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

Summer Reading continues through July so there are plenty of interesting activities going on.  Let me give you a run down so you can plan ahead.  Let’s start with the non-repeating events:

- - - - - - - - - - 
7/2 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Today’s craft is all about slime.

7/3 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading
Featuring fun with Shrinky Dinks

7/3 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

7/7 @ 10:00
Tai Chi
De-Stress from your week with a tai chi session taught by our longtime volunteer.

7/8 @ 3:00
Sunday at the Movies
Join us for the screening of an 80’s era comedy featuring Lily Tomlin and Bette Midler

7/9 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.

7/9 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Picture yourself in an exotic locale.  This week’s program features green screen fun.

7/10 @ 4:00
Teen Program
This week we are having fun with candy sushi.

7/13 @ 9:30
Walk Highland Park
Join us for a bit of exercise, some congenial company, and a chance to explore the sights of Highland Park.

7/14 @ 10:00
Tai Chi
De-Stress from your week with a tai chi session taught by our longtime volunteer.

7/14 @ 3:00
Guitar Concert
Featuring the performances of Taro Wayama & Tom Foster

7/16 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Calling all Potter enthusiasts. Join us for a Party!

7/17 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading
Join us for some teen centered crafting fun.

7/17 @ 6:00
Circulo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

7/21 @ 10:00
Tai Chi
De-Stress from your week with a tai chi session taught by our longtime volunteer.

7/23 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Meet children’s book illustrator Courtenay Fletcher

7/24 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading
Come play loteria. Prizes!

7/28 @ 10:00
Tai Chi
De-Stress from your week with a tai chi session taught by our longtime volunteer.

7/28 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a lively discussion of Orwell’s 1984.  

7/30 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Magic show featuring Allen Oshiro.

7/31 @ 4:00
Teen Summer Reading
Join us for a Henna Tattoo program 

- - - - - - - - - -

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

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 7/4).

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.

Events for the Week of June 24….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (6/25) at 10:00
• Build a mini-city with us on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (6/26) at 10:30
• Teen Summer Reading program on Tuesday at 4:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (6/27) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (6/28) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/29) at 3:30
• Tai Chi on Saturday (6/30) at 10:00
• 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

Other Minds

In Other Minds Philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith explores questions of consciousness by examining the evolution and life of the octopus and the cuttlefish.  These animals have large and complex nervous systems particularly in terms of their body size putting them in the company of the more intelligent mammals and birds.  The genetic ancestor they share with us lived more than 600 million years ago (in contrast the last common genetic ancestor we share with birds lived 320 million years ago). This means evolution had to come up with two different ways to build an intelligent brain.  We can use those different answers to examine questions about intelligence, self-awareness, perception and the like.

The book was quite interesting.  I picked it up because I am fascinated by octopuses but I am also interested in questions of how brains form a sense of self and interact with the world.  Despite being written by a philosopher with a stated goal of examining philosophical questions I felt the book remained pretty firmly in the observational and scientific world.  Written in non-scientific terms the book is easily accessible to the lay person.  I would recommend it.

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day

Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day is a bit different from Seanan McGuire’s usual book.  Principally because she seems to take it as an excuse to try for a more lyrical voice.  In this book we follow the tale of Jenna.  Jenna is dead, died in the early 70’s after her sister committed suicide.  After her death (she’s a ghost) she went to New York where she has lived quietly since then.  As the story opens the ghosts of New York, with the exception of Jenna and her landlady, have vanished and Jenna must team up with a witch (not a being trusted by ghosts) to save them.

I liked the book though I think the author was trying too hard for the lyrical voice she wanted and wavered across the line into pretension from time to time.    It is a bit short on action as a lot of the story time had to be devoted to explaining the whys and wherefores of ghosts and their world.  Nevertheless I would recommend it to anyone interested in urban fantasy.

Events for the Week of June 17….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (6/18) at 10:00
• Jurassic Fun Dino Crafts & Games on Monday at 4:00
• Baby Storytime on Tuesday (6/19) at 10:30
• Teen Summer Reading program on Tuesday at 4:00
• Circulo de Lectores meets on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (6/20) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (6/21) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/22) at 3:30
• Tai Chi on Saturday (6/23) at 10:00
• 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 we ask if American spent 77,200 million dollars on personal consumption in the year 1929, how much of that total was spent on food, beverages, and tobacco?  Just ballpark it...

Unexpected Music...

We are having an unexpected music performance tomorrow at 1:00.  Join us as David Margolis performs on the guitar.  Margolis, who is with the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, has performed at our branch in the past so we know he can bring the musical chops. 

Plan to take a long lunch, get out of the heat, and enjoy some delightful music!  We will see you there.

The Collapsing Empire

The empire in John Scalzi’s The Collapsing Empire is formed by a series of interdependent star systems connected by a phenomena called the “flow” that allows for faster than light transportation between them.  As our story opens it has been discovered by a few physicists that the flow is not stable and is in fact in the process of drawing down which will leave all the star systems isolated.  The story follows the newly coronated Emperox as she learns about this and deals with the political reality in her empire, one of the physicists knowledgeable about the problem and his struggle to get to the Emperox, and a merchant influential in the empire’s very stratified power structure. After a lot of universe building and hectic plot shenanigans the book ends very abruptly in a way that pretty much guarantees that it is the first of a series. 

The book was a quick read and fairly enjoyable though I found the characters way less likeable than I’ve come to expect from Scalzi.  Recommended for those looking for a quick read who don’t mind hating the characters and can live with an irresolute conclusion.

Events for the Week of June 10….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (6/11) at 10:00
• LA DOT Tap Information Table on Monday from 2:30-4:30
• Wildlife Wendy’s Tropical Bird Show on Monday at 4:00
• Teen Summer Reading featuring Airbrush Tattoos on Tuesday (6/12) at 4:00
• STAR Reader on Wednesday (6/13) at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (6/14) at 3:00
• Walk Highland Park Group meets on Friday (6/15) at 9:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday at 3:30
• Community Birthday Party on Friday at 3:30
• Tai Chi on Saturday (6/16) at 10:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• Journal Making Session 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

eResource of the Month…

Looking for career help of any kind?  Then look no further than the Career Transitions database.  Career Transitions has self-paced online resources that walk job-seekers through the entire job hunting process from discovering interests and exploring careers through preparing a resume and improving interviewing skills to so much more.

Access Career Transitions from any computer with your library card.  Start from the library’s Research & Homework page in the “c” section (http://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#C)

Reading Takes You Everywhere – Guitar with Taro Wayama & David Lee Ruest

(This Year’s Summer Reading Program)

Join us for a concert featuring an enchanting mix of guitar music… a mix that spans the centuries and combines traditional classical repertoires with contemporary world music.  The concert will take place on July 14 at 3:00.

Events for the Week of June 3….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

• Grupo de apoyo para la familia on Monday (6/4) at 10:00
• Build a signal horn for Make it Monday at 4:00
• Baby storytime on Tuesday (6/5) at 10:30
• Circulo de lectores meets on Tuesday at 6:00
• Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (6/6) at 10:30
• STAR Reader on Wednesday at 3:00
• STAR Reader on Thursday (6/7) at 3:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (6/8) at 3:30
• Tai Chi on Saturday (6/9) at 10:00
• STAR Reader on Saturday at 2:00
• LGBT Documentary Screening 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

Reading Takes You Everywhere – Make a Journal

(This Year’s Summer Reading Program)

Join us on June 16 at 3:00 as we create our own personalized journals.  Have fun expressing yourself artistically then use your journal to note down the details of your travels…. Or for any purpose you like.