Trivia of the Month (Answer)...

This month’s question was what is the name of the currency of Guatemala, i.e. what is the Guatemalan equivalent of dollars?  Quetzales. 

The question and answer were drawn from p. 439 of The Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: Modern Issues.  The book was published in 2016 by Krause Publications.

Events for the Week of December 30….

The library will be open from 10:00 to 5:00 on Monday the 31st and will be closed all day on the 1st. Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include: 

Monday – 12/31
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00

Wednesday – 1/2
Toddler Storytime at 10:30
STAR Reader at 3:00

Thursday – 1/3
STAR Reader at 3:00
Create-a-Zine workshop at 4:00
Walk-in-Tutoring for Adults from 6:00-7:30

Friday – 1/4
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 1/5
STAR Reader 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 January…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

Welcome the New Year with a resolve to take advantage of librarian programming.  Save money & engage in interesting and educational activities… that ought to tick more than one of your resolutions.  Let me give you a run down of what’s scheduled so you can plan ahead.  Let’s start with the non-repeating events:

- - - - - - - - - - 
1/3 @ 4:00
Zine Workshop
Join us and work on your own personal Zine in this all-ages workshop.

1/7 @ 4:00
Stuffed Animal Sleepover
Bring your favorite stuffed animal along for this overnight in the library preceded by party fun for the two of you.

1/14 from 2:30-4:30
LA DOT Tap Information Table
Ask questions about TAP or just get your card refilled.

1/14 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for some STEAMy fun.

1/15 @ 6:00
Círculo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

1/16 @ 4:00
Teen Program
Teens join us to for some insider fun.

1/19 @ 1:30
Workers’ Comp Essentials
Whether you’re embroiled in a claim or just want to be prepared for the worst join us to learn the basics about workers’ compensation claims.

1/19 @ 3:00
Craft Space
Join us for an hour of crafting.  Bring your ideas for future craft program projects.

1/26 from 9:30-1:30
VITA Tax Prep
Have a professional do your taxes for free. First come first served. There are income limits so check with branch to make sure you qualify.

1/26 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a discussion of Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

1/28 @ 4:00
Make it Monday
Join us for a Neighborhood Science 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. (no session on 1/1)

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

LAPD Read Along - - - Tuesdays at 3:00
Officers from the LAPD read favorite stories with kids.

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Available on Tuesdays at 3:30, Wednesdays at 3:00, Thursdays at 3:00 and 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. 

Walk in Tutoring - - -  Mondays from 6:30-7:30 and Thursdays from 6:00-7:30
Free tutoring for adults (19+). Stop by on a first come first served basis for tutoring in English reading, writing, and conversation skills as well as help with your computer or cell-phone.

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 January Pick…

The Arroyo Book Club will be reading Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life for our January meeting.  This is a book that uses the device of reliving a life to examine a time and place in detail. It seems like it will be an interesting read.  The catalog summary describes it with:

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

Darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original -- this is Kate Atkinson at her absolute best.

So… science fiction, realism with a touch of the magical, deeply philosophical, stop by the library for a copy and decide for yourself.  We’ll be discussing the book on January 26 at 3:00.

Events for the Week of December 23….

The library will be open from 10:00 to 1:00 on Monday the 24th and will be closed all day on the 25th. Events going on at the library during the rest of the week include:

Monday – 12/24
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00

Wednesday – 12/26
STAR Reader at 3:00

Thursday – 12/27
STAR Reader at 3:00
Walk-in-Tutoring for Adults from 6:00-7:30

Friday – 12/28
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

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…

Are you curious about Highland Park’s local newspaper?  Check out this story (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520291.pdf) where the Highland Park News Herald relates its history on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.  The article was published in 1936.

Discover and Go

The library has launched a new program that will let you use your library card to “check out” free or discounted passes to many local cultural institutions.  Just go to Discover & Go (https://lapl.discoverandgo.net/) and log in with your library card.

Some specifics…

This program is open to Los Angeles residents 18 and over with an LAPL card in good standing. To get started:

• Log in with your library card to browse available passes by date or attraction.
• Make your reservation and print or download your pass shortly before your visit. Note: You cannot cancel your reservation once you have printed or downloaded your pass.
• Bring your printed pass with you. The pass is only valid for the name and date on the pass, and valid photo ID is required.

Keep in Mind:

• You can have up to two reservations at a time.
• You can make reservations up to three months in advance.
• All passes are first come, first served.
• New passes are released at the beginning of each month.
• Passes for the Los Angeles Zoo and Kidspace are limited to select zip codes within the City of Los Angeles.

Find more details on the library’s website at https://www.lapl.org/explorela

Events for the Week of December 16….

Events going on at the library during the week include: 

Monday – 12/17
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
Make it Monday at 4:00
Walk in Tutoring for Adults from 6:30-7:30

Tuesday – 12/18
Baby Storytime at 10:30
LAPD Read Along at 3:00
STAR Reader at 3:30
Círculo de Lectores at 6:00

Wednesday – 12/19
Toddler Storytime at 10:30
STAR Reader at 3:00

Thursday – 12/20
STAR Reader at 3:00
Walk-in-Tutoring for Adults from 6:00-7:30

Friday – 12/21
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 12/22
Caroling with Holiday Lights at 1:30
STAR Reader at 2:00
Arroyo Book Club meets 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...

We call our currency dollars.  This month’s question is what is the name of the currency of Guatemala?

The Seeds of Life

Edward Dolnick provides a highly illuminating, slightly horrifying history of the quest to discover where exactly babies come from in The Seeds of Life.  The actual answer as we understand it today was not nailed down until well into the 19th century so there is plenty of history and many stories of false trails for Dolnick to share.  Included we have the somewhat gruesome story of an anatomist who dissected his own father and brother in his quest to know more, a brilliant experimentalist who sewed boxers for frogs to prove something significant about semen and many more similarly interesting tales.  I would recommend it for anyone looking for an interesting histor
y of science.

Holiday Lights

Enjoy a dose of holiday spirit as we head ever deeper into the season.  Holiday Lights, a local chorus group, will be performing on December 22 at 1:30.  They will perform a selection of seasonal music.  Sing along to the songs you know, enjoy the songs you don't know.

Events for the Week of December 9….

Events going on at the library during the week include: 

Monday – 12/10
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
LA DOT Tap Information Table from 2:30-4:30
Make cosmic art at 4:00
Walk in Tutoring for Adults from 6:30-7:30

Tuesday – 12/11
Baby Storytime at 10:30
LAPD Read Along at 3:00
STAR Reader at 3:30

Wednesday – 12/12
Toddler Storytime at 10:30
STAR Reader at 3:00
Teen Henna Program at 4:00

Thursday – 12/13
STAR Reader at 3:00
Walk-in-Tutoring for Adults from 6:00-7:30

Friday – 12/14
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30
Community Birthday Party at 3:30

Saturday – 12/15
Walk Highland Park at 9:30
Financial Empowerment Workshop (sponsored by HHPNC) at 1:30
STAR Reader at 2:00
Wrestling themed Shrinky-Dinks 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

Financial Empowerment

On December 15 at 1:30 HHPNC Culture and Equality Committee Presents "Financial Empowerment: Surviving Student Loans + Library Services" to the NELA/Eastside community at the Arroyo Seco Branch Library. The text on their flyer reads….

Join us for a work shop about personal financial empowerment with a focus on surviving student loans and paths to home ownership for people with high student loan burdens. Parents, students planning to
Take on student loans, AND adults who are in student loan debt will especially benefit from this workshop facilitated by Magaly Zapien.

Our librarian will also be presenting about the amazing FREE services offered by our local library that can help you save money on services you use everyday. Victoria Wagner from the LA Securities and  Exchange Commission will be on hand with information you can take home about avoiding scams and investment fraud. All are welcome! If you have any questions, please reach out to jamie.tijerina@highlandparknc.com

This is part of the #NELearn 2018-2019 Community Learning Series. Future installments will include workshops on Renter's Rights, Neighborhood Councils 101, Environmental Justice, STEM/Cybersecurity, and Health and Wellness.

Winter Reading Challenge

The library will be offering a Winter Reading Challenge this year.  Think of the WRC (or winter reading challenge) as a counterpart to the one we do in the summer, except maybe a bit lower key.  The purpose is to keep everyone reading and engaged across the winter holidays.

The WRC will begin on December 14 and run until January 14.  You can stop by the branch to register and obtain a paper game board or you can register yourself online and use the computer to keep track of your progress. There will be small prizes available for you to win as you work your way through the challenge and completion earns you a ticket in a branch raffle for a $50 Amazon gift card.

Look for the link to the online component of the Winter Reading Challenge on the library’s webpage at www.lapl.org on the 14th.  Go directly there with www.lapl.org/winter.

Make plans to enroll your entire family and see who is first among you to complete the game board!

December eResource of the Month

For all those with food on their minds (and isn’t that just all of us) we have A to Z World Food.  This eResource is a food culture and recipe database.  It features over 174 countries covering six categories:

• National Cuisine
• Regional Cuisine
• Daily Meals
• Dining Etiquette
• Special Occasion Foods
• Food Trivia

Included in this database are recipes for appetizers, soups salads, breads, main courses, side dishes, desserts, and beverages.

This bonanza for your future meal planning is accessible via the Research & Homework link on the library’s web page (https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework), look for it at the top in the A section.

Use this resource to plan some exciting extra touches to this year’s holiday menus.

Events for the Week of December 2….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

Sunday – 12/2
NELA Holiday Parade… march with us… we’ll meet in the library parking lot at 12:40.

Monday – 12/3
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
Make cosmic art at 4:00
Walk in Tutoring for Adults from 6:30-7:30

Tuesday – 12/4
LAPD Read Along at 3:00
STAR Reader at 3:30
Círculo de Lectores at 6:00

Wednesday – 12/5
Toddler Storytime at 10:30

Thursday – 12/6
STAR Reader at 3:00
All Ages Zine Workshop at 4:00
Walk-in-Tutoring for Adults from 6:00-7:30

Friday – 12/7
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 12/8
Make a Tiny Terrarium at 3:00 (limited availability of materials so late comers will be out of luck)

--oOo--

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