TWO FREE TECHNOLOGY CLASSES

Tuesday, September 24 - 7:00 pm
& Sunday, October 20 - 3:30 p.m.

What good is that electronic gadget you’re carrying around if you can’t make it work? Do you own an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or android device that baffles and aggravates you? Help is on the way at Crowell Library! An eager group of tech-savvy students from San Marino High School has volunteered to meet with people to try to help them figure these gadgets out. The sessions are unstructured and the students will try to democratically divide their time in helping attendees overcome obstacles with these devices. Time may be limited on your particular question, depending on the number of people who attend.

The class is well suited for seniors or anyone who needs help. Be sure to bring your device and go to the Thornton Conference Room upstairs at the Library.

Brain Aerobics Returns to Crowell Library -- Lip Reading Made Fun with Francine Katz

Mondays & Tuesdays starting September 23

Challenge your memory, improve your language skills, and ease the burden of hearing loss by learning to lip read. In these fun and stimulating classes, students will enhance their verbal skills by analyzing how language looks and sounds. Instructor FRANCINE KATZ challenges the class to memorize sentences, play word games and focus on lip-reading skills. She has taught this class at various locations for over 45 years and students rave how their mental agility has improved after participating.

Francine Katz, MA, SLP, CCC, is a graduate of Northwestern University and a licensed speech-language pathologist and lip reading specialist. Mrs. Katz was with Pasadena City College for over twelve years. She was “Teacher of the Year” at PCC in 2005. She was also listed in “Who’s Who in America,” Western Section.

Get your brain in shape with a free weekly two-hour workout in the Barth Community Room at Crowell Library in a relaxed atmosphere with rewarding results. Choose either Mondays from 12:30p or Tuesday mornings at 9:30a. No obligation visits are also welcome.

Boosting your brain power can only help you age with grace!

HEALING COLORS with Jeanette Chasworth

Monday, September 16, 7:00 p.m.

The colors around us affect how we feel, think, and what we do. There are many places that health is being affected by the colors in the environment. Some colors help with emotions or the physical body. Find out how to use the colors in the home to increase good health. This program will demonstrate how color can improve sleep, decrease depression, fight overeating and much more. JEANETTE CHASWORTH has been an interior designer in the San Gabriel Valley for 17 years. She is past-president of the Pasadena chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and is a fully certified interior designer both by ASID and CID. She has taught interior design at Citrus College, Mount San Antonio College, and UC Riverside.

Jeanette speaks to people who love their homes and seek to improve their lives. Her program is recommended for those interested in interior design trends, psychology, art and the healing arts. She has spoken for an array of diverse audiences including professional and student designers (FIDM, ASID Northern California chapter), community organizations such as the South Pasadena Kiwanis and Pasadena Women's City Club, and has prepared special programs in color for many groups and organizations, as well as several internet radio shows.

Color is a powerful tool that is often overlooked. Learn how to make the power of color work for you and improve your quality of life during this free program. Light refreshments will be served.

LA Opera Talk: Georges Bizet’s Carmen

Sunday, September 15, 2:00 p.m.

No man can resist Carmen’s gypsy charms, but when she’s ready to move on, watch out! A riveting drama of love and jealousy, filled with famously alluring melodies and captivating dances, Carmen is one of the world’s most popular operas. With dazzling bursts of color, the thrilling production brings the sights and sounds of Seville to life, from the dusty town center to the clamor of the bullring. Bizet’s immortal score overflows with one delight after another, a music lover’s hit parade of opera’s most intoxicating melodies.

LA Opera Community Educator GEOFF KUENNING will present the background and important facts about this classic opera and then, as a special treat, attendees will hear opera singer ADRIEN RAYNIER sing a few selections from Carmen. Ms. Raynier has performed numerous times with LA Opera as well as the Santa Monica Symphony, the Orange County Master Chorale, the Ventura Symphony and many others. You won’t want to miss this Opera Talk with a live singer that will demonstrate the passion and excitement of Bizet’s famous work.
Opera is not just magnificent music, dance and theater with astounding sets on a beautiful stage; opera can sweep you away to foreign lands, take you back in time, dazzle you with pageantry and bring history to life. It is literature, social studies, cultural diversity, multiple languages and most of all, it is exciting! Come explore the world of opera which has something for everyone.
This introduction to opera with a live performance is absolutely free. Mark this date on the social calendar as Crowell Library welcomes LA Opera’s 2013/2014 season on a high note. Light refreshments will be served.

Lumps, Bumps & Spots: Harmless or skin cancer?

Thursday, September 12 - 7:00 p.m.

Most brown spots, rough bumps and persistent lumps on the skin are not skin cancer. Some are related to sun exposure and some merely represent normal skin aging. Education regarding signs and symptoms of skin cancers can help people identify suspicious skin lesions. DR. PHILLIP LEE will discuss the typical features of skin cancers and features of the most common types of harmless spots, bumps, and growths. He will also discuss the various options available for treatment of these skin lesions.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer. It is estimated that over 3.5 million non-melanoma cases are diagnosed every year.* The three most common types of skin cancer are basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer, and melanoma. While melanoma is the least common of the three, it is the most deadly. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 76,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed and over 9000 people are expected to die of melanoma in 2013. Diligent sun protection can help prevent skin cancers and screening for skin cancers can help diagnose skin cancers at their earliest stages.

Phillip H. A. Lee, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in medical, surgical and cosmetic dermatology. Nominated by his local peers, he received the Pasadena Magazine Top Doctors Award in Dermatology. Born in Glendale and raised in Pasadena, Dr. Lee earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, graduating summa cum laude in biology. He earned his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He received a laboratory research fellowship at the VA Medical Center in La Jolla, CA after which he went on to complete dermatology residency at the UC San Diego Medical Center. He served as chief resident during his final year of residency. Dr. Lee is part of the volunteer faculty of University of Southern California, Department of Dermatology. For his teaching, the dermatology residents awarded him the Outstanding Teaching Award in Medical Dermatology. In addition to English, Dr. Lee, who happens to be half Chilean, also speaks fluent Spanish.

Light refreshments will be served.
* http://www.cancer.org/research/index

What are Colleges Looking for?

Sunday, September 8, 3:00 p.m.

As students work their way through a tough high school curriculum, they often feel unsure about where to start the college process. PATTI BRUGMAN and JOYCE SALTER will go over each of the attributes that are most valued by college admissions officers on Sunday, September 8 at 3:00pm when they present this special program at Crowell Library. Learn how to measure what colleges want for the future freshmen classes against what is desired from a college. Learn the differences between an average applicant and an extraordinary one, and why there is a “Perfect Fit” college for everyone. This talk will give an outline of what it takes, beyond great classroom performance, to be a successful applicant to the colleges of preference.

Patti Brugman has a B.A. in English from Occidental College and an M.A. from Claremont Graduate University. She helps her clients find the "perfect fit" college, a major area of study, and life goal. Her mission is to help students discover their passion through writing, study, and the college process. In her own writing, she has presented academic essays for conferences in New York and Liverpool and continues to teach writing privately. As a member of the Board of Governors at Occidental College, she helps with admissions committee and career networking events. Patti is a member of WACAC, The Western Association of College and Admission Counselors.

Joyce Salter is a detail-oriented editor, always reading for content, tone and grammar. Her rapport with students is often what inspires them to do their best writing. She has years of experience as a writer/researcher for film and television with produced credits. She is also a member of the Writers Guild of America and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, with an extensive background in children's library programming. Joyce is also a member of WACAC.

Whether starting early or late, Patti and Joyce help students submit the best application to their own Perfect U. Light refreshments will be served.

Crowell Public Library Gets New Wifi

According to a 2011 Harris Poll created for the American Library Association, public computer and wifi use increased at more than 70 percent of U.S. libraries than the previous year.* When libraries can’t afford to upgrade their computers or increase their numbers, wifi access becomes even more critical. When the new Crowell Library opened in January 2008, it had a whopping 16 public access computers, up from the meager six if offered at the old library, but the wifi remained the same, six year-old Blue Socket technology that was pathetically slow and constantly going down, much to the dismay of the staff and patrons.

A city-wide service satisfaction survey conducted earlier this year complained about the library’s unreliable wireless service. But before the survey was even published, a generous donation from the Hal Suetsugu Family, the Montelongo Family, Robert and Grace Karkafi, Dr. Albert Cho and Dr. Della Fong, Raymond Woo and Kristina Fu Woo, solved the problem with new Zone Director wifi. As a result, Crowell Library has increased patron accessibility a whopping 245%. With the old wifi, the library averaged 47 logins per day and now the average is 115.

News of this gift was proclaimed on the consent calendar of the San Marino City Council on May 8, 2013: http://www.cityofsanmarino.org/downloads/CC5813.pdf. In addition, Crowell Library acknowledged the $5,000 donation with lettering on the entrance door to the building: “Wireless service provided by generous donations from…” which will be seen by the nearly 120,000 people who stream through those doors every year.

Thanks to these munificent benefactors, the Library can continue to proudly abide by its motto: “The 21st century Crowell Public Library provides a gathering place, an information center, a technology hub, and a book and media collection to serve the educational, cultural, and recreational interests of people of all ages.”

*http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/publiclibraries