Telescope Night…

The ever-popular Telescope Night returns (weather permitting) to the Arroyo Seco Library on Wednesday, November 28.  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.

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.

T. Rex and the Crater of Doom

T. Rex and the Crater of Doom by Walter Alvarez lays out the current thinking on what killed the dinosaurs.  Alvarez provides a detailed history of the thinking on this question over time & how new evidence lead to a change in the answer.  The book is highly readable and very interesting.  The author explains the science in a cogent way that is understandable even by those who don’t have a background in any of the myriad of areas covered.

Recommended for those who like non-fiction and are curious about geology, paleontology, astronomy, physics, etc.

Websites I Use…

From time to time someone will ask for information about a particular professional.  In this case I turn to the California Department of Consumer Affairs License Look Up.  You may use this page to look up a company or individual who has a license issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs in a variety of professions.  The range of professions that require license is quite large and finding out the licensing status of an individual you are about to hire can help in making that decision.

On a related note go the Medical Board of California (http://www.mbc.ca.gov/lookup.html) to look up information about a particular Doctor.  Go to the California State Bar (http://www.calbar.ca.gov/) to look up information on a particular Lawyer.

Trivia of the Week...

So in an election week let’s pick a not so random topic…

Which president did Puerto Rican nationalists Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola attempt to assassinate?

Events for the Week of November 5…

Things going on at the library this week include:

• Baby & Toddler Storytime on Wednesday (11/7) at 10:30
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• LACMA Art Class for Kids and Families on Thursday (11/8) at 4:00
• Seminar on Real Estate Trusts also on Thursday at 6:30
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (11/9) at 3:30
• Desktop Publishing Basics Class on Saturday (11/10) at 2:00

You can always check the searchable calendar of events on our website to keep abreast of programming at any of the branches of the Los Angeles Public Library.

Don’t forget that the library will be closed on Monday (11/12) in honor of Veteran’s Day.

TOW (Answer)…

To answer the question what does hasso refer to we will turn to the Oxford Concise Dictionary of World Religions edited by John Bowker.  There, on page 234, we find that hasso is Japanese for ‘eight aspects’ and the term refers to the eight major events of the Buddha’s life.

The Woman Who Died A Lot

The Woman Who Died A Lot by Jasper Fforde is the next title in his excellent Thursday Next series.  Those of you who haven’t been following this series will want to stop right now and go pick up the first title from the series – The Eyre Affair – and return to this book once you’ve caught up with the series.

This book continues the inimitable series & finds Thursday forced out of Bookworld.  In typical Thursday fashion she moves right on.  Here she picks up the reins as Swindon’s chief librarian, continues to battle Goliath, watches as her family have a large & unexpected impact on events of the world, and generally gets on with saving the world – again.

As a librarian myself I found the “color” of Thursday the librarian strongly appealing.  Let me provide you with a couple of quotes.  The first is from the chapter 14 lead quote (Fforde uses these quotes to paint a picture/provide some history of his world)

The dismantling of SO-27 had some peculiar and unforeseen consequences, not least the legalizing of lethal force within libraries “for the maintenance of the collections and public order.”  Originally intended for deterrent to thieves, the legislation quickly became known as the “Shush Law,” when overenthusiastic librarians invoked a “violent intervention” for loud talking.  Libraries have never been quieter, and theft and vandalism dropped by 72 percent.

The second quote just tickled my funny bone.  Here she is responding to her assistant telling her about an appointment that’s been scheduled:

“Do I have to talk to insane people?”

“You’re a librarian now.  I’m afraid it’s mandatory.”

So in conclusion, this book, and indeed the series it is a part of, are heartily recommended.

Databases...

The library makes a large selection of databases available to our patrons.  Databases aggregate information.  You’ll find general databases that pull information from a wide array of sources and cover a wide array of topics.  An example of this type of database would be Proquest’s Research Library or Gale’s General OneFile.  Both pull from books, magazines, journals, newspapers, etc.  Other databases can be highly specialized, providing in-depth information on a single topic or area of interest.  Examples of this type of database include Chiltonlibrary.com (which focuses solely on automotive repair), Health & Wellness Resource Center (which focuses on health information), Ancestry Library Edition (which helps those seeking to do genealogical research), and many more.

Check out our database page (http://databases.lapl.org/) to find a list of all the databases the library subscribes to.  Looking at the page you’ll see each database listed with a brief description as well as a number (1, 2, or 3). Databases with the number 1 can be accessed from any computer, though you will need to have your library card handy.  Databases with the number 2 can be accessed from any library computer.  Databases with the number 3 can only be accessed from computers at the Central Library. 

I plan to periodically highlight databases for what they do well in these posts… keep an eye open.

Websites I Use…

From time to time I’ll get a question along the lines of “what is the largest blade length knife I can legally carry on my person?” or “I’ve been charged with (fill in a code number here) what exactly is that?” or “I want to browse through the California Penal Code book.”  In these & similar cases I generally refer the patron to this website (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html).  Here you can find all the California Codes updated to include the most recent complete legislative year.  You can browse into a particular code book or search within one (or more) books.  Very handy.

Arroyo Book Club Selection for November…

The book selected for the November meeting of the Arroyo Book Club is Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  This biography of Lincoln explores, in particular, his relationship with his cabinet & his co-opting of the skills and abilities of his erstwhile rivals.

Stop by the branch for a copy of the book and then join us to discuss it on November 24^th at 3:00.  Everyone is welcome.

Trivia of the Week….

Our question this week ... What does hasso refer to?

Events for the Week of October 29…

Things going on at the library this week include:

• Teen Sugar Skulls Program on Tuesday (10/30) at 4:00
• Baby & Toddler Storytime – Special Halloween Edition – on Wednesday (10/31) at 10:30
• Computer Basics Class on Wednesday at 12:00
• LACMA Art Class for Teens also on Wednesday at 4:00
• LACMA Art Class for Kids and Families on Thursday (11/1) at 4:00
• Drop in Computer Lab on Friday (11/2) at 3:30

You can always check the searchable calendar of events on our website to keep abreast of programming at any of the branches of the Los Angeles Public Library.

TOW (Answer)...

The question is – when was the first Indian Head issued?  The answer is in 1859.  This penny does not actually have the image of an Indian head on it, rather it has a representation of Liberty wearing an Indian headdress. 

The question (and answer) came from The Official Red Book: A Guide Book of United States Coins edited by Kenneth Bressett and published by Whitman in 2007.

History of Highland Park...

This “Look back through history” (http://dbase1.lapl.org/webpics/calindex/documents/10/520387.pdf) published in the Metro Herald on 1/10/85 takes a look at the history of Highland Park from its days as a part of the Rancho San Rafael to its annexation into Los Angeles.  Also mentioned are some notable locations to visit (these locations remain notable today).