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NOVEMBER 20, 2009
Buy Local

The City of Monterey is currently promoting a “Buy Local” campaign to encourage residents to make their purchases in Monterey this holiday season. Buying locally not only boosts tax revenue for the City, which translates into services for you, such as police protection, fire prevention and suppression, tree trimming, clean streets and public restrooms, beautiful parks, recreation activities for all ages, a library that’s open on weekends and evenings.  Spending your money close to home also helps support local businesses which struggle just like the rest of this during times of economic uncertainly, yet continue to bring goods and services to us and keep our many shopping districts viable and vibrant.  And don’t forget that many non-profit organizations, museums, historic sites, and (ahem) libraries have gift shops, too, where you’ll find special delights for everyone on your gift list. Happy shopping, and keep it close to home!

 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: In the Know

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NOVEMBER 18, 2009
Pay Your Fines Online!

Pay NowYou can now pay overdue fines and other Library charges when it is convenient for you using a Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card:

  • Sign in to your account and click on the "unpaid fines and bills" link. The list of charges outstanding on your account will display
  • Click on the "Pay Now" button.
  • A payment form will open. Enter your billing and credit card information, then click on the "Submit" button.
  • A confirmation window will open. Verify that the information is correct, then click on the "Submit" button.
  • Once the payment is confirmed by the processor, a receipt will be displayed. Click on the "Print" button to make a copy for your records.
  • A receipt will also be e-mailed to you if you have an e-mail address set in your account or you entered an email address in the payment form.

Your credit card information is encrypted using an industry-standard SSL Web Server Certificate. This information is immediately forwarded to the Payflow Pro secure payment gateway to complete your transaction. No credit card information is stored in the Library computer.

Charges will appear on your credit card statement as CITY OF MONTEREY LIBRA. Overdue fines and other charges for Monterey Public Library books and other items are received by Monterey Public Library. Fines and charges for Pacific Grove Public Library items are received by Pacific Grove Public Library.

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Doug

Category: Catalog Blog

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NOVEMBER 7, 2009
Brooklyn A Best Bet for Book Groups

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín begins in the early 1950s in a small Irish village, where we meet Eilis Lacey, a young woman on the brink of adulthood, living with her widowed mother and her older sister, Rose.  Contented, unassuming, and compliant, Eilis expects to live her life among her friends and family in the small village. But her well-meaning and high spirited sister is ambitious for her younger sister, so with the help of a former parish priest who has emigrated to the U.S., Rose arranges for Eilias to resettle in Brooklyn, New York. There she takes a room in a boarding house run by an Irishwoman with links to the old village. The priest lines up a job for Eilias as a sales girl in a department store, and helps her enroll in a business college, so that she can eventually get a more lucrative job as a bookkeeper.

At first, Eilias is homesick and heartsick, but she dutifully makes her way in small, careful steps, holding her own against the other young roomers, helping out at the Church, making good at her job, and attending classes at night. In time, her life in Ireland seems like a distant dream, and after becoming involved with an attentive young man from a close-knit Italian family, Eilias reluctantly makes plans to put down roots in America.
 
Almost as soon as Eilias has committed to marrying her young man, tragedy calls her back to Ireland where she finds herself happy again in familiar surroundings and with old friends. Suddenly her life in Brooklyn seems like a distant dream.  Now straddling two worlds Eilias has to decide whether to continue on a path that she took reluctantly or to follow her heart’s desire.   The reader knows Eilias to be an intelligent, adaptable young woman, who will quietly cope with whatever life throws her way, but the bittersweet truth is that we also know that she can never be completely happy in either of her two worlds.
 
This beautifully written coming of age story is a gold mine of possible discussion topics, so if you belong to a book group, put Brooklyn on the top of your “must read” list. 
 
 
 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: Staff Reads

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NOVEMBER 5, 2009
Kim Bui-Burton Takes New State Honor

New CLA President  On Halloween weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the annual California Library Association (CLA) conference in scenic Pasadena. Public, school and academic library staff from around the state gather each fall to learn about new library trends, upcoming book releases, and customer service techniques.

But, for me, one of the best moments of this year's conference was the inauguration of Kim Bui-Burton, Monterey Public Library's director, as CLA President. Among her duties for the next year are planning the annual conference and working with statewide committees to advocate for a variety of library services, resources and scholarships. Kim has worked in local libraries since she was a teenager, and for her hard work, she deserves the honor of leading the California association for one year.  

After she received the gavel (see above, Kim is on the right), she spoke excitedly about her hopes for the future of libraries and the need for librarians and community residents to work together in strengthening library services at every level. She also read one of her own poems about her Vietnamese heritage.

The Monterey Bay region and California are lucky to have such an energetic and creative library leader. Congratulations and good luck!

 

Add a comment  (1 comment) posted by Catrina

Category: In the Know

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NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Do you like to play?

If you like to play games, consider coming out Sunday, November 15th, to play games in the Library. National Gaming Day in Libraries is a American Library Association annual event that began in 2008, with Libraries across the country hosting games and game-players for a day of sharing and connecting with your peers.

This year, Monterey Public Library is celebrating with a Games Fair featuring board games, card games, and video games! Our volunteer experts will bring their favorites to share with you, and the Library will provide information about the latest trends and news in the world of gaming. This event is for beginners and experts, families and individuals, young and old alike. If you would like to volunteer to teach a game for our Games Fair, please contact Ben (gomberg@ci.monterey.ca.us), or call the reference desk for more information at 831.646.3933 

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Categories: In the KnowTeen ZoneLibrary Tech

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OCTOBER 31, 2009
Happy Birthday Bookmobile!

The Library's new bookmobile will be turning one year old in December! To celebrate, we will be having refreshments and party favors at each Bookmobile stop during the first two weeks of December. If you would like to make a birthday card for the Bookmobile with a special message about what the service means to you, we would love to have it, to display on board for the birthday celebration. You can design your own card, or come on board the Bookmobile at any stop in November and pick up a piece of construction paper to use. You can drop off your card at any Bookmobile stop or at the Youth Services Desk at Monterey Public Library. And don't forget to come on board in early December to help us celebrate!

Add a comment  (1 comment) posted by Joanne

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OCTOBER 27, 2009
We Have a Winner!

Six year old Liam Swick is the winner of the Bookmobile's Giant Pumpkin Contest.  There were 432 pumpkin seeds in the jar on board the Bookmobile. Liam's guess was the closest at 406. Congratulations Liam and Happy Halloween to all.

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Joanne

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OCTOBER 24, 2009
Puppy Love

If you love dog stories, you'll love Come Back Como; Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Dog by Steven Winn. 

Nobody ever said that love and compassion have much to do with logic.  That’s certainly true in this delightful and often funny memoir about the fulfillment of pre-teen Phoebe Winn’s lifelong desire to have a dog.  For all the usual reasons – noise, mess, chewing, inconvenience, expense, and being tied down – Phoebe’s parents, Steven and Sally had been putting off acquiring a dog since Phoebe was a toddler.  Fresh out of excuses, the Winn’s search for the perfect pup began. 

They had all agreed in advance that the dog had to be rescued from a shelter, but other than that, the Winns didn’t have any fixed ideas about what might make a perfect dog.  The family dragged itself all over the San Francisco Bay Area, weekend after weekend, from animal shelter to animal shelter, viewing dogs that were too big, or too lethargic, or too rambunctious, or too dangerous, or whose fur didn’t have the right feel, until at last Phoebe spotted a cute, little terrier mix.  Como was cute all right, but he had a few problems.  Their first clue was when Como wouldn’t come out from under the desk in the “get acquainted” room at the shelter.  But the Winns were assured that all Como needed was love and patience, and Phoebe was up to the task. Sally and Steven, on the other hand, had been reading up on dogs.  They were doubtful, but they went ahead and adopted Como on a 30-day approval. 

On the first night home, Sally arranged a cozy corner in the dining room where Como would feel safe and sound sleeping in his sturdy night-time crate. But the crate turned out not to be Como’s idea of cozy, safe, or sound.  After hours of piteous howling, Como simply ate his way out of the crate – metal parts and all. In addition to having the gnawing ability of a beaver, Como, it turned out, wasn’t house broken.  He had a touchy tummy, he occasionally nipped, he earned  all F’s at obedience school,  and he had a sneaky and dangerous habit of hanging around the front door and making a getaway whenever possible, leading  Steven on wild chases all over the Sunset District of San Francisco.  And, if all that weren’t enough, Como hated men, all men, including Steven, who then proceeded to develop a probable dog-related allergy.

By the time the 30 day “return with no questions asked” period was up, Como’s behavior was only somewhat improved and he still distrusted Steven.   Will Como go or will Como go?  Read Come Back Como and find out how one family sets about winning the heart of a reluctant little dog. 

 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: Staff Reads

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OCTOBER 22, 2009
Hidden History: Untold Stories of the Naval Postgraduate School

 

 
John Sanders, Special Collections Manager, at Dudley Knox Library, Naval Postgraduate School, will give a talk entitled Hidden History: Untold Stories of the Naval Postgraduate School at the Monterey Public Library, Saturday, October 24 from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Learn about the origins and pioneers of the Naval School, and the history of how Monterey’s world-famous Hotel Del Monte became the NPS campus. 
This event is the first in a series of four lectures funded with a grant from the Monterey Pacific Rotary Club. 
Admission is free. No reservations needed. So, mark your calendar.
 

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Category: In the Know

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OCTOBER 17, 2009
Teen Read Week an Opportunity for Grandparents

Celebrate Teen Read Week October 18-24.  This is not only a great time for teens to discover the joys of reading, but an opportunity for grandparents to share the joy with their grandchildren.  Read what my friend Dr. Catherine Al-Meten has to say on the subject and be inspired!

http://www.examiner.com/x-26070-SF-Grandparenting-Examiner~y2009m10d14-Share-favorite-books-during-Teen-Read-Week?cid=email-this-article

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Categories: In the KnowTeen ZoneStaff Reads

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OCTOBER 13, 2009
Goodbye, Gourmet

I used Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking when I was learning to cook back in the mid-1970s, and I think of her now, not only because she was my cooking guru, but because I am reminded that as a newbie cook my other constant guide and inspiration was Gourmet magazine, which will cease publication next month.

During the honeymoon phase of my life as a self-trained cook, I looked forward each month to finding my copy of Gourmet in the mailbox, with its beautifully photographed cover, and its rich variety of ideas and recipes ready to challenge my growing culinary skills. Like Julia’s recipes, Gourmet’s were obviously well-tested and re-tested, because I can’t recall any real failures, and I certainly can recall creating some deliciously memorable dishes.  
 
Thanks to Gourmet, I even have a recipe for a unique steamed plum pudding that (mercifully) does not include suet in the list of ingredients - the making of which has established an annual family tradition. The guys go hiking in Big Sur, while I spend the day plumping raisins in sherry, chopping, grating, grinding, and mixing the rest of the ingredients, pouring it all into a buttered mold and dropping it into a kettle of gently simmering water until the men return at sundown to a delicious-smelling house, windows streaked with condensation. 
 
The November and December issues of Gourmet, were always fat and filled with new ideas to shake up the traditional holiday menus and table settings, and they were always the most eagerly anticipated issues of the year. I still have a notebook stuffed with recipes clipped from those editions. In more recent years, my husband has become quite an accomplished cook in his own right, and as a result, I usually don’t get to see my monthly copy of Gourmet until he has finished poring over it and dog-earring all the pages containing “must try” recipes. 
 
Thanks for the memories, Gourmet! Fortunately, the Library will continue have some back issues of the venerable magazine available for cooks and foodies, as well as a large assortment of Gourmet cook books, including the recently-released Gourmet Today by the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichel.  Alas, all that’s left to do now is to put on my best oven mitt and wave goodbye to an old friend. I shall miss you, Gourmet!

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Categories: In the KnowStaff Reads

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OCTOBER 10, 2009
Don't Miss the 6th Annual Monterey House Tour

The Friends of the Monterey Public Library will host their annual Monterey House Tour: places from the past on Sunday, October 18, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. This year, the Friends have some lined up some fascinating properties to show. There are four private residences on the tour, one beautiful Bed and Breakfast Inn with a fascinating history, a Mexican era adobe, and special tours of the Royal Presido Chapel, Museum, and Heritage Center and Monterey’s historic El Estero Cemetery, final resting place of many of the most interesting and colorful characters in Monterey’s history. Tickets are $20 each or 2/$35 in advance at the Library Check-out Desk, and $25 on tour day. More

 

 

 

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Category: In the Know

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OCTOBER 6, 2009
Memories and Miracles

Eleven years ago, the Library began a project called Shades of Monterey, which started out as a State-wide project funded in 1998 by the California State Library, and has continued thereafter in Monterey with local funding. The idea is to collect images of day-to-day life in a community from the family albums of local residents, and add them to historic photo archives. Each Shades of Monterey project included an exhibit component where selected images were enlarged, framed, and displayed in community settings. Dozens of the framed photos enlargements from the Shades of Monterey exhibits remain on display throughout the Library and a few in the Monterey Conference Center where they are enjoyed by visitors and residents alike.

This past week we received an extraordinary note in our suggestion box from a 78 year old woman who had donated a photograph of her mother to the Shades of Monterey project several years ago.  Recently she was visiting the Library, and was having a blue day, feeling lonely, and missing her many loved ones who are no longer living.  Feeling teary, she ventured into a niche in the Library to be alone, and found herself face- to -face with a large photograph of her mother! She said, “At first I thought I was dreaming. I had my mother to comfort me!” She described it as “a miracle.”
 
This is just one of the many reasons why the Library continues to collect, preserve, and exhibit photos depicting daily life in Monterey over the years.  It is the one of the ways that we help preserve community memory, honor those who came before us, and validate the idea that every individual plays a role in the development of local history and contributes to our community’s unique identity. When this results in remembrance, delight, a stronger sense of community, or in this case a small miracle, then our efforts in this regard have been successful beyond measure. 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: In the Know

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OCTOBER 2, 2009
Great Pumpkin Contest

The Giant Pumpkin Contest has begun on board the Library's Bookmobile.  If you can guess the correct number of pumpkin seeds in the jar, or are close to the correct number, you could win a giant pumpkin to put on your doorstep for Halloween.  The Bookmobile also has a wide variety of items to check out for all ages. Check us out at a Bookmobile stop near you.

 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Joanne

Category: In the Know

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OCTOBER 2, 2009
Invisible Bookshelves

Meet the Library's newest bookshelves. One part optical illusion, one part recycling, and one part teen craft project, these creations have taken up residence along the wall of the Teen Zone. The project used books donated specifically for this purpose, and re-purposed them to create these unique shelves.

If you'd like to make your own floating bookshelf, instructions can be found here.

Do you have a great idea for a Library craft project? Let us know about your favorites in the comments.

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Ben

Category: Teen Zone

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2009
New Collection for Parents of Young Children!

Did you know that over the last two years we have been developing a special collection of books, CDs and videos just for you? As part of a grant, Early Learning with Families (ELF), that we received from the California State Library, we have been able to purchase the most current information about parenting for you to check out. Do you have questions about immunizations or concerns about breastfeeding? Are you curious to learn about the latest findings about infant brain development or are you looking for fun activities for your preschooler? Come and check out the Family Collection, located by the Picture Book Room in the Youth Area.

I have recently been reading two books from the Family Collection that caught my eye with their striking titles. The first is Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup written by two pediatricians, Laura A. Jana and Jennifer Shu who are also mothers with young children. The book is full of helpful ideas to deal with the behavioral issues surrounding food, covering topics from picky eaters to making healthy choices in restaurants and child-care centers. Written with a light touch, it contains practical and reassuring advice.   

The second book is called Honey, I Wrecked the Kids: When Yelling, Screaming, Threats, Bribes, Time-Outs, Sticker Charts and Removing Privileges All Don’t Work. It is written by psychotherapist Alison Schafer. She writes about the “discipline-resistant child” and parents who would like to be respectful of their children but find they default to punitive measures or bribes when more kindly methods fail. Her solution is a new kind of discipline called, Democratic Parenting, which she says, “leads to truly co-operative families that thrive together and support one another.” Best of all, her book is full of real-life tactics to help you pull it off.

Click here to browse the titles in the Family Collection. If you have other titles or topics to suggest for this collection, let us know at the Youth Desk. We intend to keep this collection growing!

 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jane

Categories: In the KnowLets Talk Books

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2009
Jazz and Much More

I spent most of last weekend at the Monterey Fairgrounds attending the 52nd annual Monterey Jazz Festival. There was a fantastic musical line up and we had great weather. I love the convenient, new (as of last year) park-and-shuttle arrangement, the increased quantity of sawdust in the arena was most welcome to those of us prone to dust-borne asthma attacks, and there were some great new vendors. One downside, for the third year in a row, was the annoying “thumpa-thumpa-thumpa” beat from the Disco in Lyons’ Lane being heard all the way inside the arena. And most unusual sightings - lots of little dogs being carried around in tote bags (a first, so far as I am aware), and a gentleman hawking subscriptions to the New York Times. 

This year’s highlights for me (how do I pick?) would have to be the spectacular musicianship of the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars featuring Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, and Russell Malone, the opportunity to sing along with 90-year old Pete Seeger who performed with grandson Tao Rodriguez and his band, a delicious lobster roll from the “Chowder-mobile”, and the guilty pleasure of eating my annual hot dog.
 
Well, it’s over until September 2010, but you don’t have to wait for next year to listen to great jazz. Check out the Library’s music collection on CD and search for recordings by your favorite artists. 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: In the Know

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SEPTEMBER 24, 2009
Fall Books and Giving Dan Brown a Break

About three weeks ago, I read a newspaper article with an “editor’s choice” preview of the publishing world’s fall 2009 releases, that listed title, author, publisher, and a one-sentence description of each book. These lists are great for people like me who like to anticipate our next batch of “good reads”, and I pored over it gleefully with uncapped highlighter pen in hand! First, the September Fiction. I highlighted Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow…”The author’s latest historical novel…” and Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery, “…looks back at the life of a famous chef.”  Audrey Niffenegger’s Her Fearful Symmetry, “…London’s Highgate Cemetery is the setting of Niffenegger’s follow-up to The Time Traveler’s Wife.” Then I got to author Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol followed by the question, “Will this be the novel that finally gets this guy some attention?”  

The remark was meant to be humorous, I guess. But I still get the feeling that poor Mr. Brown has become the Rodney Dangerfield of the publishing world. Despite selling over 80 million copies of his blockbuster 2003 book, The DaVinci Code (which stayed at the top of the best seller list for almost 3 years), selling the rights to it for a movie adaptation, and attracting similar star-quality treatment for his previously unnoticed book Angels and Demons, Dan Brown still doesn’t seem to get any respect.  
 Literary critics have been having a field day with Dan Brown’s writing ever since he hit the big time. They pan his punctuation, his pacing, his plotting, his character development, his knowledge of geography, and even take exception to his choice of subject matter. Historians have accused (even sued) Brown for borrowing from their research – and I even read that his books have caused a stir among those in the highest echelons of the Catholic Church. Yet, the books continue to sell and sell, and Dan Brown has become a veritable cash cow for Doubleday. 
Say what you will about Dan Brown and his books, the fact is, he is a wildly successful author and millions of people (including me) find his books hugely entertaining. I pre-ordered my copy of The Lost Symbol months ago and it arrived by U.S. Mail, as promised, about a week ago. I would have started reading it right away, but my college-age son got to it first. And that’s OK. The waiting list at home is much shorter than the one for this book at the Library!
This past weekend, I read a post-release commentary on The Lost Symbol in which the writer felt compelled to gloat that the book had sold only 1 million copies in its first week, and compared it to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which sold 8 million copies in its first week. I could almost hear the “Nyah, nyah, nyah!” spurting between the printed lines! I don’t know where all this venom is coming from, but I say, let’s not be so hard on poor Dan Brown. It’s popular fiction, after all. And if he gets millions of people reading - and he does - he’s OK in my book.

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Jeanne

Category: Staff Reads

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

 

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 26−October 3, 2009
Banned Books Week (BBW): Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where the freedom to express oneself and the freedom to choose what opinions and viewpoints to consume are both met.
 
Although they were the targets of attempted bannings, most of the books featured during BBW were not banned, thanks to the efforts of librarians to maintain them in their collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

 

Add a comment  (0 comments) posted by Victor

Category: In the Know

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2009
Missing May...and Marion, Mr. Pape, Martha...and others

One of my favorite "true deep down" books is Missing May, a young reader's chapter book by Cynthia Rylant.  It's the story of twelve year old Summer, her Aunt May and Uncle Ob, who take her in when she is sent from relative to relative as though she was someone's "homework assignment".  Summer is made welcome and able to recognize and connect with the "lesson in love"  she has buried inside since the loss of her mother.

The books begin with May's death; Summer's memories light up the story, along with the pain of death and grief.  I thought of that book at the end of these past couple weeks that brought news of the loss of three area residents who each graced the Monterey Public Library with their presence.

One of the most important ways a public library serves its community is as a shared community space; a place for people old, young and in-between to gather, learn and seek respite, information and inspiration.  We welcome all, and encourage an ongoing relationship through all our services - programs for all ages, checking out and returning hundreds of thousands of books and other library materials per year and answering a multitude of questions every day.

Over the weeks and months of working at a public library, we come to know the Library's regular customers - by name, by reading preference, through their stories, joys and woes.  And when a familiar face isn't seen for a while, we can only wait to hear whether he or she will return.  Sometimes, we never know.  And sometimes, we read a familiar name in the newspaper obituaries, or hear from another customer, and know sadness.  

Marion S. Wilson's jaunty cap and beaming smile were a familiar sight over the years at the Library. We still expect her bright presence through the door, or on the phone.  Mr. Joe Pape, a Bookmobile customer at Park Lane, graciously posed for photos used on the Library's new Bookmobile, debuting last December.  His kind face is memorialized as the Bookmobile travels to parks, schools and neighborhoods, continuing the "door to door" service that he so appreciated.  

And for 17 years Martha Draper, former Assistant Librarian and Director of Public Relations for the Library, helped promote the Library's many services to the community.  She worked from 1961 to 1978, and laid the groundwork for the outstanding public relations program we have today.

As I write these words my mind is filled with faces and voices no longer here - customers, Board and Friends members, staff.  All are missed, and all have helped make the Library - and our city - a warmer, more colorful and vibrant shared place. For these everyday "lessons in love" and in community at the Library, I am truly grateful.

 

 

 

 

Add a comment  (1 comment) posted by Kim BB

Categories: Director's BlogIn the Know

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SEPTEMBER 8, 2009
What Our Children's Librarians are Reading

Yesterday at the Youth Services staff meeting, we shared some of our favorite new books:

Sarah mentioned The Shepherd's Granddaughter, a story about a modern Palastinian girl with a desire to take on a traditional vocation.

Jane talked about a young (10 year old?) boy who raved about Nick of Time. She and Karen both think that The Heart of a Shepherd is one of the best novels of the year.  It's about a boy whose rancher father leads the local national guard into Iraq.  He's left with his aging grandparents to run the ranch.  He is a thoughtful, religious boy who learns a lot about himself the year that his father is away.  Karen is thrilled with a new read-aloud-chapter-book for young children, Emmaline and the Bunny.  Every sentence is a special use of language.

When Karen talked about Operation Redwood, an exciting environmental adventure for older kids, Sarah brought up the new format in  Redwoods by Chin - an innovative  nonfiction book with the pictures of a fictional story.We hope you will enjoy these books as much as we have.  What do YOU recommend we read next?

Add a comment  (2 comments) posted by Karen

Categories: Lets Talk BooksStaff Reads

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