Break Free of TV

San Marino Public Library began celebrating Turn Off the TV Week on Monday, April 19th. Hopefully all children and their parents have been celebrating too, by putting down the remote control and picking up a book. If you haven't taken a break from watching television, it's not too late to begin participating in this screen-free week. Be sure to stop by the library to pick up your TV-free activity guide. As a reward for staying screen free, storyteller Harry Hart-Brown will be at the library on Saturday, April 24th at 2:00 p.m. to perform his comical romp, "Excellent Adventures". All children and their parents are invited to this interactive performance that is sure to be a memorable conclusion to a TV-free week.

An Information Free-For-All at San Marino Public Library

In celebration of National Library Week, April 18-24, San Marino Public Library will be offering you Thomson Gale's Free-for-All, a program that gives everyone free access to more than two dozen reference databases.

San Marino Public Library along with Thomson Gale wants to help create awareness among our community of the outstanding electronic resources available online at our library, or through remote access.

Although just entering search terms online can work in some cases, there may be a better way to get to quality information. There is a huge difference when conducting a search on the open Internet versus conducting a search on an authoritative database with verified information. You can expect accurate and relevant results from these databases, which is important when seeking homework help or information to help make life-changing decisions.

That's why libraries pay for subscription databases, like Thomson Gale's, that are filled with only accurate and verified information. While libraries pay for these databases, the community can use them free of charge.

So during National Library Week, visit San Marino Public Library to find all the quality information you've been looking for and how to avoid the pitfalls of the open Web.

And after National Library Week is over, you can continue to find quality information through the resources available here at San Marino Public Library. These resources can be used at our library or can be accessed remotely, from your home or office. Call us at (626) 300-0777 to find out how. It's that easy - similar to using a search engine, but better.

Help Wanted!

The Library is looking for a couple of adult volunteers to help out on weekday mornings. Each day of the week, we have a volunteer come in at about 9:00 AM to stamp the due-dates on a big stack of cards, which are placed in the books as they are checked out of the library. The job usually takes from about an hour to an hour and a half to complete. We currently need somebody who can help us on Wednesday mornings. If you are interested in helping, please give the library a call for more information.

Another adult volunteer position is maintaining the Library's scrapbook. This involves cutting out newspaper articles about the library and pasting them into a scrapbook. Most of the articles have already been marked, but we do need someone with an eye for detail.

These jobs are great for people who love to be around libraries and people who just want to help out. If you are interested in either or both of these jobs, please call Rex at (626) 300-0776.

Has Everybody Figured Out the Internet?

The Library had been regularly offering free beginning classes for using the Internet, but attendance was falling off last year, so it has been awhile since the class was offered. We want to test the waters again by offering a class on Saturday, May 8, and we encourage those of you who figured you could live your life without the Internet to just give it a look. We do not assume that you know anything about computers, and we will give you a good idea of what its about and what the Internet might be able to do for you. We always encourage beginners to come back to the library and keep working with it to really learn it, but even if you never touch a computer again, you will find out what you have been missing.

Those who have already dabbled with the Internet and computers are also encouraged to attend. You are sure to learn something new. Everybody learns from each other, and we all have fun. The class lasts about an hour and a half and it starts at 9:00 AM. Please call (626) 300-0777 to reserve a spot. If you are interested in taking the class, but the morning of May 8 is not good for you, give the library a call, and we may offer another class in the future.

May Is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Celebrate at the San Marino Public Library on Saturday May 8 at 1:00 with puppet show of traditional Chinese puppets presented by Dr. Raymond Ho.

Grossology 101

Grossology is the science of really inelegant things. It is also a learning tool for getting kids interested and involved in the world of science. Budding grossologists (1st-6th graders) are invited to the library on Wednesday, May 12th from 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. to create some really curious, strange, and quirky things while learning some valuable science about the human body along the way. Explore some unpolished thoughts, such as, "Long ago, people actually thought mucus running from your nose during a cold was your brain leaking." Join us a we separate fact from fiction, learn the importance of the circulatory system and explore the interaction between things you might find in your own kitchen. Refreshments and all needed materials will be provided. Please wear old clothes. Registration is required. Please call (626) 300-0777 to reserve a spot.

Register to Vote @ your library

Libraries are essential to our democracy and, thanks to a new partnership with the American Library Association (ALA) and Working Assets, the San Marino Public Library and other libraries across the nation will have an opportunity to make it easier than ever for people to become registered voters. Through Register to Vote @ your library, ALA and Working Assets is co-sponsoring a voter registration page, www.yourvotematters.org/ala where individuals can register to vote or update their registration information during this election season. When citizens register to vote through www.yourvotematters.org/ala, they help raise funds for the ALA thanks to a generous grant from Working Assets. All donated funds will be used to support ALA's library advocacy efforts nationwide. In addition, the ALA will award a grant of $1,000 to the library that registers the largest number of voters through the site and grants of $500 to the first five libraries that register 500 individuals.

Help the San Marino Public Library meet the challenge of strengthening and maintaining a vibrant democracy. Go to www.yourvotematters.org/ala, ala and register or update your registration information today, then stop by the library. We provide a place where our community can find all sort of voting information, speak freely, and share interests and concerns. In fact, the public library is the one institution whose sole function is to provide for the free exchange of ideas and information. It is truly the cornerstone of our democracy and the perfect place for citizenship to come to life.

For more information about Register to Vote @ your library call the San Marino Public Library at 626-300-0777.

Travel Books

The vacation season is upon us. Whether you are planning a spring or summer trip, dreaming of a far-off destination, heading to Greece for the Summer Olympics or trying to choose between several travel options, the travel section of the library has a wealth of new information for you.

New titles from all the travel guide writers have just arrived at the library. Fodor's, Frommer's, Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, and many others cover travel subjects for the bargain hunter to the luxury traveler.

Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door is a travel skills handbook that has tips on planning, budgeting and packing. It's a must read for any first time traveler to Europe. The Dorling Kindersley Publishing Company produces beautiful books with glossy photos covering many cities and countries around the world. In addition, their Top 10 titles are guides to the 10 best of everything in a particular city. The library currently has the complete set of the Top 10 Guides - everything from Athens to the Virgin Islands.

Stop in and check out the new titles. Maybe you'll find another place to visit! Happy Traveling!