Trivia of the Month (Answer)...

The month’s question asked… what are the 12 zodiac signs?  They are Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

The question (and answer) were taken from pgs 6-17 of The Book of Birthdays by Russell Grant.  The book was published in 1996 by Dell Publishing.

Events for the Week of December 29….

The library will close at 5:00 pm on New Year’s Eve and remain closed for New Year’s Day on the 1st. Events going on at the library during the remainder of the week include:

Monday – 12/30
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
Fruity Storytime and Craft at 4:00

Tuesday – 12/31
Baby Storytime at 10:30

Thursday – 1/2
STAR Reader at 3:00
All Ages Zine Workshop at 4:00

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

Saturday – 1/4
Family Storytime at 1:30

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

Library Events in January…

(Mark your calendars accordingly)

Let’s start with the Winter Reading Challenge.  This year’s challenge runs from December 13 to January 13, so it’s not over yet.  You can still sign yourself up online or swing by the library and have someone sign you up.  There are a number of reading and activity tasks you can choose from to complete the challenge which will earn you a small prize and a ticket in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

Moving on… the library has some interesting events planned in January.  Let me give you a run down so you can plan ahead.  Let’s start with the non-repeating events:

- - - - - - - - - -
1/2 @ 4:00
All Ages Zine Workshop
Create a zine all your own.

1/4 @ 4:00
Family Storytime
Stories and crafts for the whole family.

1/6 @ 4:00
Building Block Club
Show us what you can build.

1/7 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Teentastic fun

1/7 @ 6:00
Círculo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

1/8 from 6:00-7:45
Telescope Night
Come take a look at local astronomical objects through telescopes with the Sidewalk Astronomers.  If it is cloudy on the 8th check with us after 3:00 for program status.

1/11 @ 11:00
Paper Craft Fun
Make cute things from recycled paper with us.

1/13 from 2:30-4:30
LA DOT Tap Information Table
Get your TAP card refilled, ask your metro related questions, and more.

1/13 @ 4:00
Make Slime
Have some slimey fun

1/13 @ 6:30
Philosophy Discussion Group
Everyone is invited to join us as we work our way through Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason. We will be focusing on the introduction in this first meeting of the group.

1/21 @ 3:00
Teen Program
Join us for some teen-riffic fun.

1/21 @ 6:00
Círculo de Lectores
Hay café, pastel casero, ye conversación amena sobre el libro que estamos leyendo

1/25 from 9:30-12:30
VITA Income Tax Preparation & Filing
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.

1/25 @ 3:00
Arroyo Book Club
Join us for a discussion of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.

1/27 @ 4:00
Silly Food Storytime
Storytime for all with a theme.

1/27 @ 6:30
Philosophy Discussion Group
Everyone is invited to join us as we work our way through Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason.

- - - - - - - - - -

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.

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

STAR Volunteer Readers - - - Wednesdays at 3:00 and Thursdays at 3:00.
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.

Philosophy Discussion Group

We are introducing a Philosophy Discussion Group in January. This group will consist of anyone interested… no background in philosophy required. The first session will take place on Monday, January 13 at 6:30 pm.  The group moderator has provided us with the following text about what is planned:

"The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant arguably marks the beginning of modern philosophy. The idea of this discussion is to investigate Kant's work together from an amateur perspective and, by means of planned activities, to inspire creation and thought. The work we will be using is The Critique of Pure Reason by Immanuel Kant. It will not be necessary to own a copy, but having one will benefit the participant. We will begin the first session by looking at and discussing the introduction."

You can stop by the branch to pick up a copy of the book or download a copy for yourself from Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4280)

Events for the Week of December 22….

The library will close at 1:00 pm on Christmas Eve and remain closed for Christmas on the 25th. Events going on at the library during the remainder of the week include:

Monday – 12/23
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
Trolls Holiday Movie at 4:00

Friday – 12/27
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 12/28
Arroyo Book Club discusses Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra 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

Telescope Night…

The ever-popular Telescope Night returns (weather permitting) to the Arroyo Seco Library on Wednesday, January 8.  We will begin at 6:00 and wrap things up shortly before the library closes at 8:00.  Mark your calendar and plan to drop by.  Do note that the event is weather dependent, so if there are clouds on the day give us a call after 3:00 for word on the status of the program.

For those who don’t know what Telescope Night is…  During Telescope Night a group of local astronomers, the Sidewalk Astronomers (http://www.sidewalkastronomers.us/), sets up telescopes outside the library and points them at objects of interest in the night sky.  Everyone is invited to take as many turns as they’d like looking through the telescopes.  The Sidewalk Astronomers are very knowledgeable and will answer your questions & chat about how they made the telescopes.  Bring your questions with you.

History of Highland Park…

Did you know Highland Park was home to the Highland Park Symphony for many years?  Nelda Thompson elegizes the organization in her 7/26/64 article “Highland Park Sympony…A success story”  Check it out for a picture of what looks like a truly impressive organization.

Trivia of the Month...

This month’s trivia question is one you’ll probably be able to get… what are the 12 zodiac signs?

Events for the Week of December 15….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

Monday – 12/16
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
Census Jobs Info Table from 3:00-5:00
Felt Ornament Making at 4:00

Tuesday – 12/17
Baby Storytime at 10:30
LAPD Read Along at 3:00
Teen Fun at 3:00
Círculo de Lectores at 6:00

Wednesday – 12/18
Toddler Storytime at 10:30
STAR Reader at 3:00

Thursday – 12/19
STAR Reader at 3:00

Friday – 12/20
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 12/21
Holiday Caroling with the Holiday Lights 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

Clean Sweep

In Clean Sweep Ilona Andrews gives us an amusing fantasy story featuring vampires & werewolves (really aliens), an intrepid innkeeper who has amazing powers (in order to run her inn), a small dog that is a lot more than that and more.  Dina, the innkeeper, feels compelled to investigate whoever has been eviscerating dogs in her neighborhood and soon discovers a predatory alien run amok who she must deal with. 

This is a light weight story that is quite humorous and is an easy read.  If you’re looking for a bit of diversion and a laugh and like fantasy/sf I’d recommend picking it up.  I liked it enough that I’ve checked out the second in the series.

December’s eMedia Resource

Interested in learning a new language? Want to brush up a language you know but haven’t used in a while? Check out December’s eMedia Resource of the Month… Transparent Language Online.  This language learning tool provides access to lesson plans at all levels for more than 120 languages.  These lesson plans are designed to help with all aspects of a language; speaking, listening, reading, and writing.  They include pronunciation practices, speech analysis, grammar, writing activities, and vocabulary-building activities.

Transparent Language Online is free to use with your library card.  Access it from the library website’s Research & Homework page (https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-and-homework#T). Find it alphabetically in the T’s.  The first time you use it you will need to create an account using your library card under register.  This is an RBDigital product so if you already have an account for accessing eAudiobooks, just use that.  There is also an app you can download and install on your phone to learn anytime, anywhere.

So get a jump start on the New Year’s resolution of learning a new language and check out Transparent Language Online.

Events for the Week of December 8….

Events going on at the library during the week include:

Monday – 12/9
Grupo de apoyo para la familia at 10:00
LA DOT Tap Info Table from 2:30-4:30
Building Blocks Club at 4:00

Tuesday – 12/10
LAPD Read Along at 3:00

Wednesday – 12/11
Toddler Storytime at 10:30
STAR Reader at 3:00

Thursday – 12/12
STAR Reader at 3:00

Friday – 12/13
Drop in Computer Lab at 3:30

Saturday – 12/14
Shrinky Dink Fun 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

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 21 at 1:00.  They will perform a selection of seasonal music.  Sing along to the songs you know, enjoy the songs you don't know.

Arroyo Book Club’s December Pick

The Arroyo Book Club will continue our tradition of the past 3 years and read one of William Shakespeare’s plays for our December meeting.  This time the play selected is Antony and Cleopatra.  As always I will turn to the synopsis produced by the PBS program In Search of Shakespeare to describe it:

He is a Roman general, handsome and brave. She is the Queen of Egypt, beautiful, and proud. Together they will defy the power of an Emperor. Together they will destroy that which they strive to uphold.

"Anthony and Cleopatra": Love kills.

Stop by the library for a copy and make plans to join us for our discussion on December 28 at 3:00.

History of Highland Park…

Here (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520342.pdf) we have a 1975 reprint of a 1935 article that discusses the first Yule Parade in Highland Park.  A notable detail mentions the planned decoration of a 25 foot Christmas tree to be set in the “island” at York and Figueroa.  Take a look for yourself.