The Buster Balloon Show

THE BUSTER BALLOON SHOW
Saturday, May 26, at 2:00 PM

Enjoyed by kids, parents, and even angst-ridden teen siblings around the world, The Buster Balloon Show is an inflatable extravaganza of vaudevillian entertainment featuring the human cartoon that is Buster Balloon. A wild and wacky mix of side splitting comedy, mind boggling magic, and the most amazing twisted balloon creations you have ever seen. And did we mention The Giant 6 Foot Whoopee Cushion of Doom? Come to Crowell Saturday, May 26, at 2:00 PM and be sure to arrive early as Buster's shows always fill up fast.

For more information contact Crowell Public Library at (626) 300-0777.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.

LA Phil Violinist PAUL STEIN

Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Come to the library for a free hour of blissful, classical music! PAUL STEIN, a violinist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the last 30 years, will bring his “Violin Soliloquy” program to the Crowell Public Library on Wednesday, May 23, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. The program will include music by Bach and Prokofiev, as well as music from Cinema Paradiso, and some popular selections with a driving beat. Bring the family, and any children eight years and older.
Paul Stein has been a featured soloist at the Hollywood Bowl and has worked with Zubin Mehta, Carlo Maria Giulini, Andre Previn, Esa-Pekka Salonen as well as Gustavo Dudamel. He was principal second violinist with the Colorado Symphony and performed with the Santa Fe Opera orchestra. Born in Dallas, Paul received a Bachelor of Music from Southern Methodist University and Master of Music from Yale University. He has moderated seminars and lectured at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute and conventions of the Music Teachers Association of California. He is a Certificate of Merit teacher of violin and viola, from beginning to advanced and is on the faculties of Pasadena City College and Glendale College.

Finals Week: Cram at Crowell Library!

Coffee and Cramming @ Crowell!
Thursday, May 31st from 3pm-7pm &
Monday, June 4th from 1pm-7pm

– Aughh! Finals are here already?! Don’t stress out -- high school students are invited to Crowell Library’s Coffee & Cramming student only group study zone (otherwise known as the library’s Barth Community Room) on Thursday, May 31st from 3pm-7pm & Monday, June 4th from 1pm-7pm.

Enjoy snacks and iced coffee while hitting the books. All brainiacs in attendance will be eligible to win a Vroman’s gift card.

Crowell Public Library: where you can get your exam cram on!

The Pacific Electric Railway: Then & Now

Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 7:00 p.m. — Relive that wonderful era when you could take a street car from Santa Monica to Pasadena and beyond when authors Michael Patris and Steve Crise present a slide show of images from their new book, Pacific Electric Railway (Then & Now). Loaded with photos from Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society’s archives, Pacific Electric Railway shows the far-reaching “Red Car” transportation system started by San Marino’s Henry Huntington in 1901. The authors will also share photos from today’s Southern California landscape that the railway helped define, such as the green parkways of Huntington Drive and Sierra Madre Boulevard. The Pacific Electric Railway originally provided reliable transportation across more than 1,000 miles of track. Postwar society's affair with the automobile led to the loss of an infrastructure that could have formed the basis for an enviable modern light-rail system, one that current society would be happy to utilize. Pacific Electric Railway Then & Now sold out its first printing in five weeks and is well on its way to a multiple printings. Steve and Michael both serve on the board of the Pacific Electric Railway Historical Society as well as the Mount Lowe Preservation Society and were born and raised in Southern California. They have plans for future book projects based on Southern California railroads. Join them for a fascinating look at an amazing transportation system discarded for “progress.”

China: From the 1950s to Today Photo Exhibition

Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- one day only -— Organized by China Photo Services of Xinhua News Agency and Chinese Culture Development Center, China: From the 1950s to Today Photo Exhibition will be held at Crowell Public Library on Wednesday, April 18, one day only, in the Barth Community Room and surrounding areas of the library. The exhibition will also be held April 16 (12:30 pm to 4:00 pm) at UCLA Charles E. Young Research Library. Both exhibitions are free to the public. The Chinese Culture Development Center has invited Ms. Xiaobo Chen, chief editor of the Photographic News Department of Xinhua News Agency, and Mr. Yu Liu, director of the International Photos Newsroom of the Photographic News Department of Xinhua News Agency, to make a special presentation on this wonderful photo exhibition. “China: From the 1950s to Today” Photo Exhibition includes 130 pictures, documenting the changing lives of ordinary Chinese people in the last six decades. Selected from Xinhua News Agency’s huge photo archive, this series is not only an incredible photo collection, but has extraordinary historical value. Many photos are very rare and have just become available to the public for the first time. The co-organizers of this exhibit are UCLA East Asian Library, UCLA Center for Chinese Studies, UCLA Confucius Institute, as well as Crowell Public Library. This exhibition will move to East Coast and be displayed at Asian Cultural Center NY on April 21, 2012. Founded in 1995, Chinese Culture Development Center is an Alhambra-based cultural institution that promotes Chinese cultures and education in Southern California, organizing and sponsoring programs in the local community that help to deepen understanding between American and Chinese public. For more information, please visit www.ccdcus.com.

Hunger Games Challenge!

April 17, 2012 @ 3:30pm--Barth Community Room FREE!
For Young Adults grades 6-12

Hunger Games: You’ve read the book and seen the movie; now put yourself to the test. Crowell Public Library presents it’s first annual Hunger Games Challenge on April 17th at 3:30pm in the Barth Community Room. The Hunger Games challenge is free and open to all young adults grades 6-12.

You’ve been chosen to represent your district, and you’ll be put to the test. Enter the arena and show your mettle in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Find out your Hunger Games name, take an epic trivia challenge, and test your chances of survival in the Cornucopia and physical challenge. It’s not all a matter of life and death— you’ll also showcase your cupcake decorating skills (channeling Peeta, the baker’s son)! How will you fare? Find out in an afternoon where grit and wit may finish ahead of pure brawn. Survivor(s) of the Hunger Games Challenge will take home their own copy of Hunger Games!

Hunger Games events are subject to change, as the Gamemakers want to keep the tributes on their toes. The Hunger Games challenge is sponsored by the Friends of the Crowell Public Library.

“Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!”—Effie Trinket

TAIPEI 101

Thursday, April 26, 2012, 6:30 p.m. — Growing island nations can only build outwardly for so long before they must consider the up option. Taiwan, the Republic of China, is one of the most dangerous spots on the planet for skyscrapers as it is rocked by multiple earthquakes each month, and is vulnerable to the vicious winds of typhoons. The challenge to combine height with protection from natural disasters resulted in the building Taipei 101. In the Xinyi District of Taipei, C.Y. Lee & Partners set out to design not only the world's tallest skyscraper, but one with the safety provisions gleaned from the World Trade Center disaster. And as construction began, competing countries were also vying to complete their own tallest buildings in the world, so the pressure to succeed came from many sides. In 2011, Taipei 101 was presented the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. The documentary TAIPEI 101 (台北101 / 臺北101) chronicles this story in 50 minutes and is narrated in English. The Executive Director was Andrew Waterworth, and Matthew Tomaszewski, its director. Free popcorn will be available while it lasts. Crowell Library thanks the Taiwanese United Fund (TUF), a non-profit organization dedicated to culture and performing arts, and Dr. Jerry C. Liu for bringing Taipei 101 to library patrons.