Looking for Life on Mars… and other places

On Monday, November 18th at 7pm, Crowell Library will be honored to present Professor MAX COLEMAN, Senior Research Scientist from NASA/Cal Tech with a lecture on how the agency is searching for life on other planets. It is likely that the Earth's surface was habitable shortly after its formation just over 4.5 billion years ago. Microbial life dominated the Earth until just over half a billion years ago and signs of microbial activity are the prime targets of exploration for life on Mars. Amazingly, exhaled “breath” of microorganisms is one of the best signs of life, preserved in minerals and recognized by its composition. Until samples can be return to Earth, instruments must fly to Mars for analysis. Examples will be shown of how laboratory analytical instruments are miniaturized spectacularly (by factors of a thousand) and adapted for flight to Mars. Professor Coleman’s presentation will involve practical demonstrations as well as audiovisual material.

Max Coleman's training combined chemistry, geology and isotope geochemistry at London and Leeds Universities, but he found that he needed to encompass microbiology too when studying sedimentary rocks. He has applied multidisciplinary fundamental scientific research to elicit solutions to practical problems in petroleum exploration and production, environmental pollution, radioactive waste storage and forensic science. He now uses the same approaches to search for life on other planets. For ten years he ran a national isotope analysis facility at the British Geological Survey. In 2003, Professor Coleman was enticed to join the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Caltech, and became Director of the Center for Life Detection and Leader of the Astrobiology Research Group.
Light refreshments will be served. Please join us for this free program, courtesy of our friends at NASA/Cal Tech.
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ONE FABULOUS BOOK SALE 20% off everything

Saturday, November 16th
10:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Bargains will abound in the Book Shoppe at Crowell Public Library when the Friends of the Library present their bi-annual book sale on Saturday, November 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Now is the perfect time to gobble up the fiber by the bagful. And all proceeds go to the library. Without the Friends, Crowell Library would have few children’s books or children’s programs. There would be no teen programs and Crowell’s new concert series with the San Marino Music Center would be just a dream… life without Friends would truly be pitiful and boring!

The Friends’ Book Shoppe at Crowell is famous for its high quality, gently used history titles, cookbooks (some beautiful new French cookbooks just in), travel, business, children’s and all kinds of fiction in an amazing array of formats: hardbacks, paperbacks, coffee table books, CDs, DVDs and more!

Get a jump on your holiday shopping while giving to a great cause. The Friends are waiting to help one and all find the perfect gift for everyone on every list.

LA Opera Talk: Mozart’s The Magic Flute

Sunday, November 17, 2:00 p.m.

Packed with familiar melodies, stage magic and fantastical creatures, The Magic Flute has enchanted young and old alike for over two centuries. Mixing high comedy and serious drama, Mozart’s final operatic masterpiece extols the virtues of love, reason and human kinship. At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, an impressive cast of world-class young singers, under the masterful baton of James Conlon, will transport audiences into an enchanted world where good battles evil and light vanquishes darkness. A charming fairy tale that hints at deeper mysteries, The Magic Flute is a triumphant celebration of true love conquering all. It was first performed September 30, 1791, in Vienna.
A community educator from LA Opera will have even more fascinating facts and musical excerpts on Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. in the Library’s Barth Community Room. The program is free and open to all opera aficionados and first timers. 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.
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.

Hidden Founders of San Marino

Monday, October 28, 7:00 p.m.

While most San Marino residents are familiar with the historic names of Patton and Huntington, there were other families living in the area before San Marino became a chartered city. Come hear stories of some of those lesser known individuals who made up the 500 citizens of San Marino: Edward J.C. Kewen, George Stoneman, James deBarth Shorb to name a few. See photographs from the era, and perhaps learn a little bit more about this centenarian city.

This program will feature JENNIFER ALLAN GOLDMAN, the Institutional Archivist and a Curator of Manuscripts at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. She is responsible for the Huntington Institutional Archives, as well as all manuscript collections related to Henry Huntington, his family and his business interests. In addition, Jennifer oversees collections in transportation, modern Southern California corporations, and 20th century American history.

This program is free and open to the public. It will take place in the Library’s Barth Community Room. Seating is limited and attendance to these monthly programs has been to capacity so please arrive early.

Relax and Feel Better with Hypnosis

Monday, October 21, 7 p.m.

The Mayo Clinic writes that hypnosis, “can be effective in helping people cope with pain, stress and anxiety. It may also be effective as part of a comprehensive program for quitting smoking or losing weight.” Hypnosis has been used to treat low self esteem and help with relaxation. “It’s not clear how hypnosis works. However, it appears to affect how your brain communicates with your body through nerve impulses, hormones and body chemicals such as neuropeptides. Hypnotherapists say that hypnosis creates a state of deep relaxation and quiets the mind. When you’re hypnotized, you can concentrate intensely on a specific thought, memory, feeling or sensation while blocking out distractions. You’re more open than usual to suggestions, and this can be used to improve your health and well-being.”*

Hypnotherapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of illnesses and conditions. It can be used independently or along with other treatments. Daniel Handel, a physician at the National Institutes of Health and director of the Palliative and Hospice Medicine Fellowship, describes hypnosis as feeling similar to reading a good book or watching a movie that causes you to lose track of time. “You are in an altered state of consciousness,” he says. “You are deeply absorbed but responsive to suggestions.”**
Learn more about hypnosis and enjoy a mind-relaxing hypnotic induction with Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist JANELL CARL-JORDA. Janell studied at the California Academy of the Healing Arts. She led the very successful Laughter Yoga workshop at Crowell Library in 2011. This intriguing introduction to hypnotherapy is free and light refreshments will be served.

*http://www.gohypnotherapy.com/hypnosis-information/hypnosis-articles-essays-on-hypnotherapy-written-by-hypnotherapists/mayo-clinic-staff-on-hypnosis/

** http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/health/the-health-benefits-of-hypnosis/
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For more information, visit our website www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org

LA Opera Talk: Verdi’s Falstaff

Sunday, October 20, 2:00 p.m.

In honor of Verdi’s 200th birthday, LA Opera will present the crowning glory of the composer’s magnificent career, his comic masterpiece Falstaff. James Conlon, praised for his mastery of Verdi, conducts an unabashed celebration of Merrie Olde England’s lusty days and bawdy nights at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. When Shakespeare’s portly knight of Windsor hatches a plot to improve his love life by courting two different married women, he launches a flood of comic chaos and romantic misadventure. The libretto is by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. The world premiere was in 1893 at Teatro alla Scala, Milan. This opera will be performed in Italian with English supertitles at the Dorothy Chandler.

At Crowell Library, on Sunday, October 20th, an LA Opera Community Educator ED LIEB will present the background and important facts as well as the great moments about this classic opera. There will be a slide presentation with music, and a very funny DVD. Falstaff was Verdi’s last opera, following a life of amazing output.
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 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.

One World Music Concert

Sunday, October 13, 3:00 p.m.

Hear the music and learn about the cultures of China, Japan, the Middle East, Mexico and India when Crowell Library presents the first of what hopefully will be many One World Music concerts on Sunday, October 13th at 3:00 p.m. You will experience traditional music from China, Japan, India, and Mexico in addition to world fusion that melds music from a variety of genres. This versatile ensemble will also discuss the instruments to help the audience understand and appreciate the different cultures of origin.

Playing the pipa since she was five, JIE MA (Chinese Pipa and Ruan) received her Bachelor of Music degree from Tianjin Conservatory of Music and has performed numerous classical works for pipa and western orchestras, ensembles, and choirs. Jie has worked extensively with jazz, rock, bluegrass, and world musicians on experimental and improvisational projects. YUNHE LIANG (Chinese Erhu) began his erhu training at the age of eight. He graduated from Hebei Teachers College and Central Conservatory of Music. He has made several recordings for movies and music CDs, and has performed in venues such as the Los Angeles Music Center, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Hollywood Bowl.

CHRISTOPHER GARCIA (Indian percussion) has made a career performing and composing for the drum set, percussion of India and percussion of ancient Mexico in a variety of musical settings with artists from jazz, rock, indigenous, classical and world music settings, throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Striving to encourage the appreciation of North Indian Classical music, JOHN STEPHENS (Indian Sitar) has performed across the United States and in India. He holds a degree in jazz composition from Berklee College of Music and a MFA in sitar performance from CalArts. SABA ALIZADEH (Persian Kamancheh) has an extensive record of discography mainly in film music. He has toured Europe and North America with various ensembles playing in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Royce Hall with the Hamavayan ensemble .

The goal of the One World Music is to enrich the community through intercultural communication, awareness and understanding. Don’t miss this stimulating afternoon of free world music in the Barth Community Room at Crowell Public Library.