The Best Kept Secret in San Marino Offers Bargains Galore

The used Book Shoppe run by the Friends of the San Marino Public Library has settled into its new home at the Temporary Library: in the kitchen of the former Woman’s Club next door to the library construction site. This snuggly setup is stuffed with bargains: recent hardcover bestsellers, paperbacks, and holiday books. The Book Shoppe is open most afternoons: Monday from 12 to 5, Tuesday 1 to 4, Wednesday and Thursday 12 to 5, and Saturday from 12 to 3. Hurry in to pick up some last minute gifts or to grab a novel to read on your holiday travels. Proceeds from sales buy new books for the Library!

Adopt-A-Book Program Starts at the San Marino Public Library

We all know that books are expensive. Each year the San Marino Public Library adds many new books to meet the needs of readers. We wish we could do more but like everyone, we have to stay within our budget. The Adopt-A-Book Program is a unique way for you to get involved and add new books to the library collection. It’s a wonderful way to keep your library growing! Fantastic things happen when you Adopt-A-Book. You get to be the first person to read the book. A bookplate with your name will be placed in the book. Your adopted book can honor someone on a special occasion, such as a birthday or anniversary. You share the joy of reading with others who borrow the book and your gift will be opened again and again, as the years go by. If you would like to participate in the program, drop by the library and fill out an Adopt-A-Book form or call 626-300-0777 for more information.

Gentle Dogs Seek Book Buddies

Children can experience the joy of reading to a real live dog in the Barks and Books program at the San Marino Public Library. Elementary school-aged children are invited to become special reading buddies for two very gentle and loving dogs: Scarlett the Dachshund, or Popcorn, a Jack Russell Terrier, both of whom love to listen to stories about animals. For children, this reading practice builds expertise and confidence to help them succeed inside and outside the classroom. This program is a joint effort between the San Marino Public Library and Pasadena Humane Society volunteers. These special reading activities will begin in January 2007. If you would like your child to participate, please contact the library for specific dates and times.

Annual Friends of the Library Membership Renewal

Now it’s the time to renew your membership in the San Marino Friends of the Library. Organized in 1958, the Friends have actively supported the library for nearly 50 years! In recent years Friends’ funds have purchase all of the children’s books, the DVD collection the books on tape and programming for children and youth. The membership term is from January to December and all members need to renew to their memberships in order to take advantage of the benefits offered. This year members in the Family Category and above will automatically receive an extended loan period of six weeks on all items, except the newest books; plus free DVD rentals. If you are not a member - join today – membership envelopes are available at the Circulation Desk. Show your support for your local library and participate in improving services. For more information, call the library at 626-300-0776.

Volunteers Needed to Help Shelve Library Books

If you are an adult and can spare a couple of hours a week on a regular basis, the Public Library can use your help. With the recent staff reductions, help is needed to get returned books back in their right places. Children’s books, adult’s books, Chinese books, books on CD, they all need to be put away. The best time for volunteering is in the morning and early afternoon, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. This is enjoyable work for those who like to be around books and libraries. If you are interested, please call Rex at the Library, (626) 300-0776.

Come In and Check Out Our New DVDs!

A new order of DVDs has just arrived. Come check out the selection.

Holiday Titles:

• A Christmas Story
• It’s a Wonderful Life

Children’s Films:

• The Chronicles of Narnia
• Nanny McPhee
• The Little Mermaid
• Curious George
• Over the Hedge

Chinese Language:

• Yi Yi
• Electric Shadows

Plus These Feature Films:

• Little Women
• American Graffiti
• Sense & Sensibility
• The Da Vinci Code
• The Breakfast Club
• The Phantom of the Opera

Rose Pruning Change of Venue

Due to the construction of the new Public Library and limited space in the Temporary Library, Ron Serven’s annual Rose Pruning Workshop at the Library will be held in Lacy Park’s Thurnher House (1485 Virginia Road). The program will be Saturday, January 20, 2007 at 9:30 AM. This popular program will return to the Library when the new building is completed. Call the Parks Department at (626) 304-9648 for more information.

Local Author to Visit the Library

Author Trefoni Michael Rizzi and his good friend Tedrick De Bear will be at the San Marino Public Library on Saturday, December 16th at 2:00 p.m. They will present How to make the most of your road trip and discuss their newly released book, “Teddy’s Travels : America’s National Parks”. Children are encouraged to bring their favorite teddy bear and pose for pictures with Tedrick. During this event the library will be collecting new & unused Teddy Bears & stuffed animals to donate to a local shelter.

Holiday Fun at the Public Library

The San Marino Public Library will be hosting a Holiday Card Making Workshop on Thursday, December 21st. Children of all ages are invited to drop by the library between the hours of 1-4 p.m. to enjoy an afternoon of creating fantastic holiday cards for family and friends. Materials and helpers will be provided.

Demo’s Done & Construction Continues…Right On Schedule!

Unless you’ve been out of town the past few months, you really don’t need this report to tell you the San Marino Public Library’s most important construction news thus far. You can see it for yourself, whenever you pass the corner of West Drive and Huntington Drive…

The old building is gone!

Caterpillars, construction crews and trucks now reign where patrons once roamed. Even the parking lot, surrounding pavement and landscaping are no more.

For awhile, in their place were piles of rubble, neatly separated for recycling. “All the steel was delivered to a facility that may reuse or melt the material to form new material,” explains City Manager Matt Ballantyne. “The concrete was crushed and taken to a facility that will convert it to gravel so that it may be used for base material when constructing or repairing streets. Landscaping material can be ground up and reused as mulch.”

For supporters of the new library, this certainly gives new meaning to the expression ‘good riddance.’ For one thing, the ‘environment’ for library patrons throughout the community is changing for the better; the new 29,000 square foot building will provide long needed space for expanded collections, more computers, and larger seating areas. At the same time, the construction project’s overseers are being good environmentalists. 78% of the old building has been recycled.

Additionally, by mid October, survey work to define the limits of the new building and site was completed. “Rough grading followed and included tasks of overexcavation backfill and compaction of soil to 95% density,” Construction Manager Alex Main reported to the City Council in November. “This densely compacted soil will support foundations for the new building.”

In other words, library patrons can rest assured that they won’t find, virtually in their own backyard, a 21st century version of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Installation of a mainstay of 21st century life – access to utilities such as gas, electric, water and sewer service – has begun as well. “Utility contractor are coordinating their site layouts so that all pipes and conduits will configure properly around the basement and building foundations,” Alex Main reveals.

However, perhaps the most exciting gift’ is that the foundation was poured – appropriately enough, just in time for the holidays.

“From the beginning, library supporters envisioned the new library as the foundation – the cornerstone – of our community,” says City Librarian Carolyn Crain. “It’s no accident that the plans include a Community Meeting Room, A Lifelong Learning Center and areas for children and young adults. But we also view the new library as a gift for our residents,” adds Crain with a smile. “It’s a beautiful package we can’t wait to unwrap in 2007.”

To become a supporter of the San Marino Public Library Foundation, contact Maureen Micklich, Director of Development, at 626.300.0779 or visit the Foundation’s website, http://brandnewlibrary.org.

Search All Online Databases with One Click

Say you are at home at night in your pajamas. You have a big paper due tomorrow, and you need some information pronto! But the Library is closed. What do you do?

The San Marino Public Library subscribes to over a dozen online databases full of edited articles that can really help get that homework done—even when the library is closed!

Simply point your browser to the home page of the San Marino Public Library: http://sanmarinopl.org. On the left hand side of the page, click the second link down: “Online Reference Resources”. Type in your library card number (14 digits, no spaces), and you’re good to go!

Just fill in some words that you are looking for. Then, click to select the databases that you want to search. Look for all dates, or restrict your search to a certain publication date range. Then click “Go”.

The program will then look through all the databases you selected, all at the same time! No more looking through one database at a time, hoping that you have picked the best one for your subject.

Just scroll down the results list to see everything that appears in any of our databases that pertains to your topic. Nothing could be easier!

Everybody Come! This Saturday, Noon to 4

The Temporary San Marino Public Library is open for business and we want everyone to come see us and find out what’s here! On Saturday, November 4, from 12-noon until 4 p.m, there will be an Open House with free refreshments and a chance to win some fine new books that were donated to the Library from local book stores. The afternoon will also feature tours of the facility given by members of the Library Board of Trustees, and an opportunity to ask City Council members about the new Library, which is now under construction. There will be a special Children’s Story Time at 2:00 PM, and the Friends of the Library will have some special prices in their Book Shoppe, located in the kitchen.

Be part of the fun at this transitional facility. It is smaller than the old building, but it is a very functional building with some interesting, quirky features. It’s a great time to take home some books, DVDs, magazines, books on CD, and other things. Get a library card, if you don’t already have one.

The Temporary Library is located in the San Marino Center, the former San Marino Woman’s Club, just next door to the former library building site. The address is 1800 Huntington Drive, and parking is available in the Huntington School lot, near the school’s tennis courts. This lot is reached by turning right (west) at the School District Office, first driveway off West Drive, just south of Huntington Drive. Be aware that the public entrance is in the back, away from Huntington Drive. Please tell your friends!

Food for Thought

Children ages 4 – 12 years old are encouraged to participate in the annual In ‘N Out Burger Food for Thought Reading Program. Come into the public library and pick up a reading log, read and record 5 books and receive a certificate for a free hamburger or cheeseburger from In ‘N Out. Program runs until November 22nd.

Marionette Show

In celebration of Children’s Book Week the San Marino Public Library is pleased to welcome back Franklin Haynes’ Marionettes. They will perform their hilarious, family oriented show, “Frankie’s Toy Box”. Join us for an afternoon filled with fun, friends and funnies on Saturday, November 18th at 2:00 p.m.

Read to a Dog

Come be a reading buddy to a gentle dog. Children of all ages are invited to the public library to practice their reading skills. This special program is made possible by volunteers of the Pasadena Humane Society and will take place on the following Saturdays from 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. November 18th & December 16th Registration is required and must be done in person.

Barks and Books Elementary school children are invited to the San Marino Public Library to practice their reading skills by reading a book about books to a live gentle dog. This special program is made possible by volunteers of the Pasadena Humane Society and will take place on the following Saturdays from 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. October 14th, November 18th & December 16th. Space is limited and reservations are required and must be made in person. For more information, please call 626-300-0777.

Preschool Story Time

Story times are a wonderful way to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten. Children are encouraged to sit quietly, listen to exciting stories, and sing and dance to favorite songs. Each session will end with a simple craft activity. Storytimes will be held on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are recommended but not required.

Food for Thought

Beginning Saturday, October 14th, 2006 children ages 4 – 12 years old are invited to participate in the In ‘N Out Burger Food for Thought Reading Program. Participants need to pick up a reading log at the public library and read 5 books or have 5 books read to them. They will then visit the children’s department at the public library to receive an achievement award certificate, which is good for one hamburger or cheeseburger at In ‘N Out.

SAN MARINO PUBLIC LIBRARY TO CLOSE FOR THREE WEEKS

It’s finally happening. The San Marino Public Library is leaving its home of the last 55 years and moving one door west to the San Marino Center (formerly the Woman’s Club). This clears the way for construction to begin the long overdue new library building.

The Library will be closed from Tuesday, August 1 through Sunday, August 20 to accommodate the move. We will need volunteers over the age of eighteen to shelve books. The Friends of the Library needs help to move their inventory into their new shop in the Temporary Library. If you would like to help with either of these tasks, please call the Library at 626 300-0777.

The Library will reopen in its temporary quarters on Monday, August 21 . Our new hours are noon to 5 p.m. , Monday through Thursday and Saturday . We will be closed on Fridays and Sundays. These hours will remain in effect until the new library building is completed sometime in 2008.

Come visit us in our intimate encampment and watch with us as a new San Marino Public Library rises up right next door!

Book Shoppe Sale
July 17 -July 31
Half priced hardback fiction and mystery

Special Book Shoppe Hours
Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sundays CLOSED
12-5	CLOSED	12-4	12-5	CLOSED	12-2:30

Closed August 1 - August 19
Volunteers needed to help pack and move the Shoppe to its temporary quarters. Call the library and ask for Gwynne.

NEW LIBRARY OPERATING HOURS DURING CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SAN MARINO PUBLIC LIBRARY

New operating hours for the San Marino Public Library will become effective Monday, July 17, 2006, as the staff prepares to move into the Temporary Library.

The new schedule will be:

Monday	12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday	12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday	12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday	12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Friday	CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC
Saturday	12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday	CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

The Summer Reading Program is Coming!!!

Pet Lovers of all kinds are invited to join “Paws, Claws, Scales & Tales” at the San Marino Public Library. The 2006 Summer Reading Program is open to young people, preschool through young adult, with entertainment, prize drawings, pajama storytimes, movies and more. Parents are encouraged to sign up their pre-readers in the Read-to-Me portion of the program. The Summer Reading Program is scheduled to run from Monday, June 10th – Saturday, July 29th, with a special kick-off party being held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 10th. Entertainment will be provided by Flights of Fantasy Story Theatre. All summer programs are free to the public and sponsored by the Friends of the San Marino Public Library.

Make It & Take It Craft Days

‘Round and ‘round you’ll go - from one table to the next at the Make-It and Take-It Craft Days, Thursday June 15th and Thursday, July 6th. Children, preschool age through 5th grade, are invited to the public library to make a variety of animal themed crafts. Craft tables will be available from 12:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the Girls’ and Boys’ Department. You can drop in any time to work on a project. Registration is not required.

Animal Tales on the Small Screen

The San Marino Library will be showing a series of family-oriented animal movies as one of the many activities available during the Summer Reading Program. Join us as we show these furry and fantastic movies on the following Tuesdays June 20th, July 11th and July 25th at 2:00 p.m. Registration is not required.

The Animal Guys

Have fun with “The Animal Guys” as they bring a “zoo” to the San Marino Public Library!! Come and enjoy this fascinating wildlife show that will entertain the whole family. You will see different animals and learn about their defense mechanisms and habitats. This fun educational show will be on Saturday, June 24th at 2:00 p.m.

A Evening Filled with Magic

Magic Wayne will be at the public library on Wednesday, July 12th at 7:00 p.m. He will present a family friendly magic show with tricks and illusions that will captivate all. There will be loads of comedy and plenty of audience participation. Don’t miss out on this magical event.

B.A.R.K. the Robot Dog

Come and see what happens when eccentric inventor Mr. Johnson leaves his pets Ratchet the Cat and Rivet the Dog home on a rainy day. Watch as they turn the house upside down and see what happens when Rivet discovers B.A.R.K., an unpredictable robot dog. All children who joined the San Marino Public Library’s Summer Reading Program and read at least 5 books will received an invitation to our exciting End of Summer Final Party on Saturday, July 29th at 2:00 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by Swazzle Puppets.

TEMP or STORAGE?

The library is getting ready to move to the San Marino Center this summer, we will be there for about 18 months while the old library is being demolished and rebuilt. You may have noticed little yellow and green stickers on books lately, only the books marked “TEMP” will be available for checkout, the other books marked “STORAGE” will be packed into storage boxes. Because the Temporary Library can only house about one-third of the materials we have, we need to put the rest in storage until 2008. We will continue to buy new books, magazines, DVDs, and audiobooks, which is why we can’t bring over all of our existing books.

The librarians have taken great care to only bring the most up-to-date nonfiction, most popular fiction authors, and most researched subjects to the Temporary library. We plan to maintain the same level of reference service even though we’ll be in a smaller space. If something you need is unavailable or packed away in storage, we will find it for you at another library. We apologize for the inconvenience; please bear with us as we take some necessary steps to bring you a brand new, state-of-the-art, San Marino Public Library.

Donation Builds Library Music Collection

Thanks to a generous donation by Lucy Medz to the Friends of the Library, the San Marino Public Library has purchased 42 CDs and 35 DVDs for cultural development. Music on CD purchased by the library includes opera, jazz, and world music. New DVDs include live opera and dance in performance and fine art.

The library has purchased opera on CD, including Verdi’s Aida, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, and Pucini’s Tosca and Turandot. Jazz CDs now available include music by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Nina Simone, and Louis Armstrong. Multicultural and world music is also available—music from France, Spain, the Sahara, Japan, Scotland, Africa, Hungary, Morocco, and other styles are also available for check out. Three main areas of collecting were targeted for DVDs: live performances of opera and dance and the fine arts. Major operas by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, Rossini, and Bizet are now available, including Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Aida, and Rigoletto by Verdi; La Bohème, Madame Butterfly, Turandot, and Tosca by Puccini; Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, and Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart; and Rossini’s popular La Cenerentola and Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Performances by the Metropolitan Opera, Theatro alla Scala, and the Glyndebourne Festival Opera are featured, including such famous performers as Placido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, and others.

Dance on DVD includes both classic ballets as well as contemporary dance. Three of Tchaikovsky’s most popular ballets have been purchased—The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. Other ballets purchased by the library are Giselle, Romeo and Juliet featuring Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, and Nijinsky’s performances with The Kirov Ballet. Contemporary dance DVDs include Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

Fine art DVDs purchased by the library include a six-volume set called Landmarks of Western Art, a survey of Western art from the Renaissance to contemporary times. Other boxed sets purchased by the library are The Art of Mexico, Great Women Artists, and the complete Sister Wendy collection. Individual DVDs purchased are biographies of Jackson Pollock, Marc Chagall, Paul Cézanne, and Edgar Degas. Lastly, the library purchased contemporary art DVDs on environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy, a documentary on graffiti art, and seasons one and two of the PBS series Art 21, focusing on art in the 21st century.

Please come to the library to check out our new cultural offerings on CD and DVD. CDs and documentary and instructional DVDs can be borrowed for up to three weeks, and there is no fee to check them out!

Film and Music Purchases with Lucy Medz Cultural Development Collection

Opera DVDs

Verdi: Il Trovatore La Traviata Aida Rigoletto
Puccini: La Boheme Madame Butterfly Turandot Tosca
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte Don Giovanni Le Nozze di Figaro
Rossini: La Cenerentola Il barbiere di Siviglia
Bizet: Carmen

Ballet/Dance DVDs

Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance
Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
George Balanchine
Adam: Giselle
Romeo and Juliet: Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn
An Evening with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Martha Graham: An American Original in Performance
The Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky: Sheherazade, La Spectre de la Rose, The Polovtsian Dances, The Firebird

Art DVDs

Landmarks of Western Art, 6 DVD set
Great Women Artists Box SetJackson Pollock
Marc Chagall Art: 21—Art in the 21st Century (Seasons One & Two)
Sister Wendy—The Complete Collection (Story of Painting/Grand Tour/Odyssey/Pains of Glass)
Andy Goldsworthy's Rivers & Tides
Graffiti Verite: Read the writing on the wall
The Art of Mexico Box Set
Cezanne: Three Colours
Degas and the Dance: The Man Behind the Easel

Operas on CD

Chandos (Operas in English)
Verdi, Aida
Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro
Puccini, Tosca
Maria Callas Sings Puccini’s Turandot
Renee Fleming’s By Request
Sumi Jo Sings Mozart
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Blvd.

Jazz on CD

The Very Best of John Coltrane
Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue
Nine Simone’s Anthology
Louis Armstrong’s Jazz in Paris Concert

Multicultural Music on CD

There is a series of travel books called “The Rough Guide.” About ten years ago they started producing a series called “Music Rough Guide.” We have purchased about 30.

The music of:
Brazil
France
Spain
Sahara
Japan
Scotland
Africa
Mambo
Hungarian
Mediterranean
CaféParis
CaféMorocco
Samba
Tango

Come in and borrow a few today!

SAN MARINO PUBLIC LIBRARY OFFERS CHANCE FOR TICKETS TO SESAME STREET LIVE

Would you like a chance to see Grover, Elmo, Big Bird and friends at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood? Well, that chance is here!!! The San Marino Public Library will be giving away 1 family 4-pack of tickets to a performance of Sesame Street Live to be held the first week of June. For your chance to win, you need to stop by the public library and pick up a Super Grover Reading log. Then, starting Monday, May 1st, check out, read and record 10 books on your reading log. Turn in your reading log by Saturday, May 20th and your name will be entered into the raffle. A winner will be chosen on May 22nd and contacted by telephone. Good Luck and Happy Reading!!!

Celebrate “Turn Off The TV Week”

Celebrate “Turn Off The TV Week” during the week of April 24th – April 30th with the San Marino Public Library. We are encouraging children of all ages and their parents to put down the remote control, pick up a book and read. Stop by the public library, during Turn off the TV week, to pick up your TV-free activity sheets and a reading record to keep track of all the books read during your TV free week. To help wrap up a TV free week, storyteller Harlynne Geisler will be at the library to share her magical tales of wizards and spells on Saturday, April 29th at 2:00 p.m. All children and their parents are invited to this intriguing performance that is sure to be a memorable conclusion to a successful TV free week.

Public Library Offers a Strong Return on Taxpayer Investment

The San Marino Public Library enhances the overall quality of life in San Marino, that’s true. But is the Library’s contribution entirely abstract? Can taxpayers’ return on investment in the Public Library be quantitatively measured, preferably in terms of cold, hard cash?

The answer is assuredly, yes.

First the Library purchases books and materials that it lends to users at no charge. In 2005, the Library bought over 3800 books, many of which were paid for by revenue generated by the Used Book Shoppe, run by volunteer Friends of the San Marino Public Library. If you consider that each of these books cost approximately $25 and circulated an average of 10 times, the Library saved its customers almost one million dollars last year on book costs alone.

The Pasadena FedEx Kinko’s charges between $15 and $24 per hour to use its computers. Library patrons use ours for free, often to find housing or employment. Last year, library users logged almost 5400 hours on our public access computers, This adds up to an over $150,000 annual value for our local populace. What is the value of having access to a Library computer and printer when yours is broken? Priceless.

Our patrons take advantage of the Library’s subscription to ValueLine, which they use to augment their personal fortunes while saving $850 each in annual subscription costs. They also consult our Wall Street Journal, Barron's, and Consumer Reports to enhance and preserve their capital holdings. Local business people use our California Manufacturers Register, the Directory of California Wholesalers and Service Companies, and the Million Dollar Directory to find company information that would otherwise cost them hundreds of dollars.

The Library also subscribes to twelve online databases, including full-text magazine and newspaper indexes that users can access from their homes and offices. Our customers not only save time, they save themselves the cost of photocopying!

Finally, the San Marino Public Library generates revenue, not only from fees collected and used books sold, but also in terms of investments from individuals. The Library has attracted nearly seven million in private sector pledges toward the construction of a public, government building, the first in San Marino in over fifty years. These private monies will benefit the whole community, generating substantial educational and financial returns for all San Marinans for decades to come. By any measure, that’s a generous return on investment!

It’s Not Too Late To “Laugh It Up @ Your Library”

The “Laugh It Up @ Your Library” reading program began on March 1st, but it is not too late to sign up. Come to the San Marino Public Library and pick up your registration packet, which includes a reading log, bookmark and some funny handouts. To successful complete the program children are required to check out and read 10 funny books. Once done, bring the completed reading log back to the library to receive your awards, which includes an invitation to “Baby Bebop’s Big Show” presented by Franklin Haynes Marionettes on Saturday, April 1st at 2:00 p.m.

Tournament of Roses Princesses to Visit the Library

On Saturday, March 18th at 2:00 p.m. Princesses Michelle Corral, Carolyn Loo, & Eliza Walper will visit the public library as part of our annual “Royal Tea & Storytime”. They will enchant children with royal stories and tales, answer questions from the audience, and pose for photographs. Light refreshments will be served. Please call (626)300-0777 to reserve your space. Don’t forget to bring your cameras.

Pajama Storytime

Children of all ages and their families are invited to the San Marino Public Library on Monday, March 20th at 7:00 p.m. for an evening of stories, crafts and family fun!!! Don’t forget to wear your pajamas.

Tax Forms at the Public Library

April 15 is getting closer, and once again this year, the San Marino Public Library has many of the basic state and federal tax forms and instructions available for no charge. If you need specialized materials that the Library does not have, the reference staff can help you print most forms and instructions from the Internet for ten cents a page. While we cannot tell you which forms you need to use, we can help you track down the ones you identify.

If you have the resources for accessing the Internet on your own, the website for IRS forms is http://www.irs.gov/formspubs and you click on “form and instruction number”. For California state tax forms, go to http://www.ftb.ca.gov/forms and click on “current year forms” to find the one you want. Call the Library if you have any trouble getting the forms and instructions you need.

Saturday is Rose Pruning Day

Ron Serven, Park Manager of Lacy Park will present his annual Rose Pruning Workshop at 9:30 AM on Saturday, January 14 in the Public Library's auditorium. If you want a great display of your roses in the spring, you need to spend a little time out in the garden this month to get your rose plants ready. With the warm, sunny days we're having, you don't want to wait. Pruning isn't hard work, and when you know what you're doing, it is even fun. Ron demonstrates and explains what to do and he will answer all of your questions. Reservations are not necessary. Call (626) 300-0777 if you have any questions about the program.

Following this session, there will be an opportunity for hands-on pruning with Ron in Lacy Park, where they have plenty of roses. You can join Ron between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM. Bring a pair of pruners and maybe gloves to this one. Everyone is welcome to attend one or both of these programs. For information about the hands-on training in the Park, call (626) 304-9648.

Barks and Books

Elementary school children are invited to the San Marino Public Library to practice their reading skills by reading a book about books to a live gentle dog. This special program is made possible by volunteers of the Pasadena Humane Society. The first reading session will take place on Saturday, January 21st from 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Additional reading opportunities are scheduled for the 3rd Saturday of each month. Space is limited and reservations are required and must be made in person. For more information, please call 626-300-0777.

The New Way to Search the LA Times Online

The San Marino Public Library has just added a new way to find articles written in the Los Angeles Times-over the Internet! Our subscription covers the last 20 years, all the way back to 1985.

How can you search this terrific database from home, work, or school? Point your browser to the Library home page: http://sanmarinopl.org. From there, choose "Online Reference Resources". Scroll down and click on "Los Angeles Times". Your login is the 14-digit barcode number on the back of your library card, typed in with no spaces.

Want to reach beyond the LA Times? Click on "America's Newspapers" to search back in time and around the nation, in everything from the Pasadena Star News to The New York Times.

Are You Listening?

Audio books, whether on tape or CD, are more popular than ever and the library continues to add new titles every month in both formats. Sixteen new tapes hit the shelves in December. They run the gamut from Rose Conners' court room drama, False Testimony, to Jonathan Lethhem's memoir, The Disappointment Artist, to Camel Club, David Baldacci's latest thriller mixing Arab terrorists, nuclear threat, and political intrigue.

San Francisco figures prominently as a setting on both the fiction and non-fiction fronts. Sarah Tallman's second top-drawer mystery set in 1880s San Francisco, The Russian Hill Murders again features Sarah Woolson, the proto-feminist attorney first introduced to readers in The Nob Hill Murders. Simon Winchester takes on the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires which destroyed much of San Francisco in his most recent non-fiction offering, A Crack in the Edge of the World. This one is filled with eyewitness accounts, vivid descriptions and crisp prose.

Borrow New DVDs

The San Marino Public Library has purchased new DVDS in all your favorite categories! We have 53 new feature and animated films for children, young adults, and the whole family. We also purchased 38 new nonfiction films, including an assortment of National Geographic DVDs on popular topics such as the weather, the animal kingdom, and Ancient Egypt. Among instructional DVDs, the library bought several cooking DVDs from the Culinary Institute of America, as well as home repair DVDs from Hometime.

And due to the success of last summer's television program Dancing with the Stars and patron requests, the library acquired several dance instruction DVDs including Discover Dance: Latin, Discover Dance: Ballroom, and a Country Line Dancing for Beginners. In addition, we purchased one of the most popular documentaries in 2005, Mad Hot Ballroom, the story of a ballroom dance program in New York public schools that won audiences over nationwide. To complete our ballroom dance DVD collection, we also acquired director Baz Luhrman's (of Moulin Rouge fame) 1992 indie hit, Strictly Ballroom, an ugly duckling story set in Australia's ballroom dance scene.

The library has continued to improve our collection of classic films, including The Birds, Laura, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. New films for young adults include Napoleon Dynamite, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Princess Diaries 2, and Ella Enchanted. Popular children's films are also included; The Incredibles and Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events are so popular they are rarely available in the library!