dClutterGuy!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 7:00 p.m. — Calling all manly men: get a handle on that bedlam in your garage! C.J. BARCUS of dClutterguy will give you the tools to attack that mess and make the garage a place your wife will want to visit. Attendees will learn about the basic garage tune up in six steps; how to formulate a battle plan, how to stimulate an urge to purge, what to keep, and what to let go. Learn about innovative storage ideas and utilizing space wisely, and above all, the joy of being able to actually park your car in the garage! These strategies can be applied to other problem areas such as patios, tool sheds, attics, and backyards. It can take only two days to de-clutter, leaving you with 363 days to enjoy and use your garage. C.J. Barcus has been part of the dClutterfly organization for over four years. dClutterfly’s Tracy McCubbin has presented several organizing programs at Crowell Library to standing room only crowds. Built on the idea of “Liveable Organization,” this is about organization that’s easy for you to live in, co-exist with, and ultimately maintain. C.J. has also been a professional chef for over 16 years and worked in some of the most well organized restaurants in the country, streamlining, and organizing spaces to make a better, more efficient work space. Learn to reduce, reorganize, and recycle, so you can relax. Come to Crowell Library and learn from a pro!

Family Origami Day

Saturday, November 12, 2011, 2:00 p.m. — Children, parents and anyone who wants to try their hand at a unique art form while learning about Japanese culture are welcome at Crowell Library’s Family Origami Day. Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into different shapes. On hand to show everyone how it comes together will be the renown origami artist YAMI YAMAUCHI. “Yami” is an origami enthusiast, teacher, and innovator who has created many, many models that inspire and delight folders of all ages. He teaches and promotes origami at schools, community organizations and motivational seminars. Yami Yamauchi was the 2006 recipient of the Ranana Benjamin Award from OrigamiUSA honoring his contributions as a teacher. This honor goes to an origami teacher, particularly of children, for outstanding contributions in the teaching of origami. "Within a single sheet of paper exists unlimited beautiful forms, which you will enjoy, ORIGAMI." –Yami You won’t want to miss this free opportunity to learn about this fascinating and beautiful art form!

The Doctor Is In: URINARY INCONTINECE IN WOMEN

Monday, November 7, 2011, 6 -7:00 p.m. Women who suffer from bladder control problems will learn what kind of help is available when DR. ARMEN DIKRANIAN, a Board Certified Urologist, returns to Crowell Library as part of THE DOCTOR IS IN! series. Dr. Dikranian will discuss the different types of urinary incontinence women experience and the latest treatment options. Armen Dikranian graduated from the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine and completed his residency in urology at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in 2005. He is a member of the American Urological Association and has received the Patients Choice Award. There will be an opportunity to ask the doctor questions at the end of the talk. The program is FREE, but space is limited. Call (626) 300-0777 to reserve your space. THE DOCTOR IS IN! series of educational programs is designed to help people stay healthy and active. These lectures, by some of the communities most accomplished physicians, are being presented at Crowell Public Library in conjunction with the San Gabriel Valley Medical Center. Join us in the Barth Community Room at Crowell and learn about important health topics from the experts and improve the quality of your life.

Author Talk: Cantonese Yankee

Thursday, November 17, 2011, 7:00 p.m. — Cantonese Yankee is the narrative of Kwong Bing Kong or “Bing,” a student sent by Imperial China to New England to study Western science and technology as part of an educational mission. One of 120 boys sent over between 1872-1881, the biography follows Bing and his ten year stay in America and his subsequent return to China as a modern Mandarin. Tang has written an absorbing and romantic drama based on family stories and her own hours of research at the Yale University Archives and the Connecticut Historical Society. During the 19th Century, China faced a cabal of foreign powers ready to sweep the ancient empire from the pages of history. There have been books written about those days but few have plumbed the depths of her civilization—what were the customs, mores and ethos of her people? In Cantonese Yankee the author presents the intimate life of Bing and his family and the people of his day—and we are there with them. LOUISE SU TANG, Bing’s granddaughter, was close to her grandfather during her childhood years in Shanghai. After a three year interlude in Portland, Oregon, where her father was Chinese Consul, she completed her secondary education at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Shanghai. She received her B.A. in journalism and political science from UC Berkeley, and her M.A. in School Administration from CSULA. Join us for an absorbing evening of this author’s insights into Chinese and Western history.

FILM SCREENING: NIGHT MARKET HERO

Thursday, November 10, 6:00p – Crowell Public Library and the Taiwanese United Fund are happy to present a special screening of the blockbuster film Night Market Hero, (雞排英雄) a heartwarming story of a Taiwanese night market community. The story reveals the strong work ethic and determination of the vendors and their community when livelihoods are threatened by the plans of a construction company to build on the property. Night Market Hero is not just a story of community struggle, with the nostalgic sights and sounds of food and games that bring the people together. It is also an exhibition of the colorful and iconic culinary exuberance of the Taiwanese culture. Director YEH Tien-lun 葉天倫 tells a feel-good story with a team of comedic veterans like Chu Ko-liang 豬哥亮 and Lotus Wang 王彩樺 with younger names like actor-model Blue Lan 藍正龍 and Alice KO 柯佳嬿. You won’t want to miss this melodramatic tale pitting the power of community values and Taiwanese "street democracy," over the forces of political corruption and the venal property developers. Crowell Library thanks the Taiwanese United Fund (TUF), a non-profit organization dedicated to culture and performing arts, for bringing Night Market Hero to library patrons. The movie runs 124 minutes. Free popcorn will be available while it lasts!

eBooks, Audio Books, Picture Books, oh my!

Crowell Public Library is proud to announce it has expanded its services to include audiobooks and eBooks available 24/7 from the library’s website, http://www.CrowellPublicLibrary.org. Just click on the OverDrive® icon located in the lower middle section of homepage. Using their valid library card, users install free software -- OverDrive® Media Console™ -- for audio and ebooks. Titles can be enjoyed immediately or transferred to a variety of devices, including iPod®, Sony® Reader™, Kindle and many others. Some audio titles can also be burned to CDs to listen on-the-go. Titles will automatically expire at the end of two weeks so there are never any late fees! With hundreds of popular fiction and nonfiction titles to choose from, the new collection is guaranteed to have something for everyone. You can download best-selling novels, well-known classics, self-improvement guides, and much more. Also on the Crowell homepage, a plethora of Online Resources accessible through the icons on the top right side, including Rocket Languages, Gales Health and Wellness, Grzmek's Animal Life, Tuition Funding Sources, Career Transitions, Testing & Education Reference Center and, back by popular demand, NOVELIST which offers new ways to explore the endless possibilities and combinations of books, authors, genres and topics. Looking for the perfect read? Get infinite suggestions here. A new and very popular online resource, BookFlix, is a e-reading program from Scholastic that combines classic fictional video storybooks with similarly themed nonfiction ebooks to make reading exciting for children in grades Pre-K-3. BookFlix pairs award-winning video based on some of the best-selling children’s picture books of all time with related nonfiction ebooks from the rich libraries of Scholastic. Children will delight in watching their favorite books come to life on screen, then turning the electronic pages of an ebook to discover real-world facts and satisfy their curiosity about the world around them. BookFlix offers 95 fiction-nonfiction pairs, of which over 25 are available in Spanish. Designed to provide a constant interactive experience for young users, the unique features of BookFlix include: • A “read-along” option that provides word-by-word highlighting so children can follow along as the fiction video is narrated and the nonfiction ebook is read aloud. • Narrated text and definitions of key vocabulary words to support beginning and reluctant readers, as well as English Language Learners; • Educational games and activities that encourage children to show what they have learned and to reinforce early reading skills like fluency, vocabulary development and reading comprehension; • Biographies and interviews that introduce young readers to their favorite authors; and • Safe, age-appropriate web links to encourage children to further explore topics that pique their interest. Just look for the BookFlix icon at the top of the Crowell Library homepage. This service is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. It’s all free with a Crowell Library card, the best bargain in San Marino. Questions? Contact any librarian at Crowell, 626-300-0777.

Food Fear Factor

Crowell Public Library Invites Teens to Celebrate Halloween at Our
Food Fear Factor

Barth Community Room
Oct 25nd @ 3:15pm

Candy is cliché—celebrate Halloween a brand new way! Teens grades 6-12 are invited to join Crowell Library’s first-ever “Food Fear Factor,” held in the Community Room. We’ll be serving such delicacies as Kitty Litter Cake. Don’t worry—it tastes better than it looks!

Aspiring chefs: assemble delightful concoctions—stuffed roaches, anyone?—and astound your friends! Recipes for all foods served at this event will be available. Who knew gross food could be so fun—and delicious? Be a champion gastronome on October 25th at 3:15pm. Come with a big appetite and a strong stomach—it’s time to face your fears!

Registration is not required and the event is free. This is a Young Adult event; ONLY grades 6-12 may attend-- no exceptions. Call the library for details or e-mail Carrie Wilson at cwilson@cityofsanmarino.org. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.