Interlibrary Loan Service Suspended Temporarily

Interlibrary Loan service at the Santa Fe Public Library has been temporarily suspended until May 1, 2012. No requests, either in person or via email, will be accepted during this temporary closure.
The Library has a shortage of professional staff due to retirements, staff leaving the state and illness. The Interlibrary Loan Department plans to reopen on May 1, 2012 . Until then we will not be accepting requests, either in person or by email. If you have any questions, please call 955-6793.
With your Santa Fe Public Library card, you can get a card at the Albuquerque Public Library as well as Los Alamos and other public libraries in the state. These libraries might have materials that you would otherwise have to order through Interlibrary loan. However, these libraries will not provide interlibrary loan service for our patrons.
We apologize for any inconvenience.

And the winner is...

For children’s librarians and anyone who loves outstanding, magical books, Christmas comes in mid-January when the American Library Association names the best youth book and best picture book from all that were published the year before. Unlike the Oscars, no short list is given to the public in advance to speculate on who might win. When the announcement is made it truly is an exciting surprise!

This past week the volunteer librarian committees who make the selections proudly announced Jack Ganto‘s Dead End in Norvelt as the Newbery winner for the best youth book. Chris Raschka’s A Ball for Daisy is the best picture book of the year. Even if you have not looked at a children’s book in years, do not miss A Ball for Daisy. This no-word book is whimsical and charming. I envy the artist’s ability to capture the joy of a dog and a ball.

The ALA 2012 Children's Book Awards are posted and the winners can all be found at the Santa Fe Public Library. So for a good read of the best of the best and a chance to find your next favorite book make you're way to Southside, LaFarge or Main and see what we have to make this gloomy day brighter.

BA and PCH at Main

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Closures

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be closed on Monday, January 16 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The libraries will be open regular hours over the weekend:

Main Library:
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 1 pm - 5 pm

La Farge Library:
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm

Southside Library:
Saturday: 10 am - 6 pm

Dragon Mask Craft

Make a Dragon Mask!

This free craft is open to children ages 5-12. All materials are provided. Registration is required, and starts 2 weeks before the craft.

Tuesday, January 24
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Southside Library
955-2828

Wednesday, January 25
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Main Library
955-6783

Thursday, January 26
3:30-4:30 p.m.
La Farge Library
955-4863

This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Southside VHS Sale

All VHS tapes for only 50¢ each!

Yes, that's only fifty cents! Each! Half a dollar per VHS tape!

Southside Library Bookstore
6599 Jaguar Dr.

One Day Only
Saturday, January 14

Open to public: 10 am - 4 pm

Cash / checks only. No plastic.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.
All proceeds from this sale are used to purchase new books for the Library.

PreSchool Storytime

Bring your kids ages 2-5 to PreSchool Story Time, where they'll enjoy stories, songs, finger games, puppets, and crafts. Best of all, it's free and no registration is required!

Tuesdays
La Farge Library
January 10 - May 1
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Wednesdays
Southside Library
January 11 - May 2
10:30 am to 11:15 am

Fridays
Main Library
January 13 - May 4
11:00 am to 11:45 am

For more information, call:
La Farge Children's: 955-4863
Southside Children's: 955-2828
Main Children's: 955-6783

Diane, the Magicienne

A Magic Program for All Ages

Friday, January 13
4:00-5:00 p.m.
Main Library

Saturday, January 14
10:30-11:30 a.m.
Southside Library

Saturday, January 14
1:30-2:30 p.m.
La Farge Library


This free program is sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

January Art in the Library Galleries

Main Library
Attitudes of the Heart
Spiritual Landscapes
by Rezi Ghadimi

La Farge Library
Mental Health Issues
By the National Association of Mental Health and Casa Milagro

Southside Library
Colors of Santa Fe
Acrylics
by Patti Merrill

For more information, check our Art page.

For upcoming events, check our Calendar and Children's pages.

Books for Babies New Mexico

First Santa Fe Baby of 2012 to Receive Books Thanks to New Program

BOOKS FOR BABIES NEW MEXICO, a partnership between the Santa Fe Public Library, Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library and St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, was created to stress the importance of reading to children at an early age.

Beginning with the first baby of the New Year, every child born in the hospital will go home with a brightly colored canvas bag containing a book, a CD of lullabies, an innovative die-cut brochure on the importance of reading to babies (which can be folded into a box), an application for a library card, and information on community resources. Printed on the side of the bags, soon to be seen all over town: “I READ TO MY BABY EVERY DAY.”

An estimated 1600 babies will receive the gift bag and their first book in 2012.

Research shows that reading to babies early significantly strengthens brain development, builds vocabulary, helps parents bond better with their babies and sets the stage for later success in school.

The project was first suggested by local children’s author Diane Stanley, and is based on Born to Read, a similar program in San Antonio, Texas. It soon became a community effort. A core group from the Santa Fe Public Library, the hospital and St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, Brindle Foundation, and the Santa Fe Institute began the project’s development.

Students in Arlyn Nathan’s graphic design class at Santa Fe University of Art and Design created the logo and designed the brochure. Local businesses did the imprinting of the bags and created the brochures. And the lullaby CD, by New Mexico singer Nidia Corral de Martinez, was produced in cooperation with the Santa Fe County Maternal & Child Health Planning Council by New Mexico Project LAUNCH, a federal grant administered by the New Mexico Department of Health.

Books for Babies New Mexico ties in with other local efforts to promote early literacy, including the Books and Babies program at two library branches and Reach Out and Read through area pediatricians and family doctors. Though Books for Babies New Mexico is getting its start in Santa Fe, the hope is to gradually expand the program to other communities, with the dream of eventually going statewide. Contributions to purchase books for the program can be made to the Books for Babies NM Fund c/o St. Vincent Hospital Foundation, 455 St. Michael’s Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505.

Southside Teen Programs

The Teen Programs at the Southside Library are returning on Thursday, January 5 at 4:30 pm.

The full schedule for teen programs:

1st Thursdays: Teen Book Club
2nd Thursdays: Librarian's Choice
3rd and 4th Thursdays: Anime Club
5th Thursdays (if there is one): Par-tay!

The Southside Library is located at 6599 Jaguar Dr. at Country Club Rd.
For more information, call 955-2829.

New Year's Holiday Closings

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will close at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 31.

We will also be closed on Sunday, January 1 and Monday, January 2 for the New Year's Holiday.

All branches will resume normal hours at 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 3.

May everyone have a healthy and happy holiday!

Photo by AA @Main

Unearthing the Past

A librarian's home was getting renovated this year, and due to some water damage an old adobe wall had to be torn down and rebuilt. Among the goodies squirreled away in the wall was this nice old library card. While it's a far cry from our excellent online catalog and barcoded cards, the metal insert is a nice nod to modernity.

Part of me wants to keep the mystery intact, so I'm not looking to see if this patron is still in our system and checking out books. However, I hope this patron did eventually get her card replaced!

Christmas Holiday Closings

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will close at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 24.

We will also be closed on Sunday, December 25 and Monday, December 26 for the Christmas Holiday.

All branches will resume normal hours at 10:00 am on Tuesday, December 27.

May everyone have a healthy and happy holiday!

Photo by AA @Main

Seasonal Sculpture

After our snowfall this past week, the Southside librarians couldn't resist making their own snowman. Here's a close-up:



And here's a wide shot:



Happy Holidays from the Santa Fe Public Library!
Photos by AB @SS

Giving from the Heart

The Friends of the Library Joins the
SECOND ANNUAL
SANTA FE ALTERNATIVE GIFT MARKET
WHICH OFFERS OPTIONS THAT KEEP ON GIVING
Friday- Sunday,
December 16-18
De Vargas Center

Shoppers will enjoy free Java Joes coffee, hot cider and holiday-baked goods while choosing gifts that benefit those in need at the second annual Santa Fe Alternative Gift Market. The Market begins with a grand opening celebration Friday, December 16, at 5:00 p.m., chaired by Ali MacGraw. The Market will be open Saturday & Sunday, December 17 and 18, at the DeVargas Center in Santa Fe. Weekend hours are Saturday, December 17, 10:00 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 18, Noon-5:00 p.m.

Participants can select tax-deductible gifts that provide urgently needed assistance to local and international organizations providing medical help, books for libraries, shelter and food, working to reduce illiteracy, and assisting homeless veterans, among other things.

Santa Fe non-profits taking part include the Friends of the Library, InterFaith Community Center, La Familia Medical Center and Esperanza Shelter for Battered Women and New Mexico Veterans Helping Homeless Veterans.

Gift-givers can choose from more than 60 different items. The choice is enormous. Gifts range from providing flu shots to Santa Fe children from La Familia Medical Center, books for the Santa Fe Public Library, to legal representation for a girl rescued from sexual slavery in Asia; from sending a bicycle to rural health workers in Zambia, to underwriting one night’s stay in Santa Fe’s Interfaith Shelter, or providing entrepreneurial training to one Egyptian trying to start a business.

Highlights this year will be story times for children, as librarians and volunteers from the Santa Fe Public Library take turns reading holiday favorites, plus musical performances by local musicians.

Alternative Gifts International is a non-profit organization that inspires support for humanitarian and environmental causes. It offers donors the option to designate charitable gifts through carefully selected agencies in the name of their relatives, friends and associates.

by PCH @Main

Pearl Harbor Day

Today, December 7, 2011 is the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It was a day that changed the nation as a whole and Americans as individuals. It shook the nation up much as another attack on the United States did in 2001. Whatever your political views on the attack on Pearl Harbor (did the President know it was coming? Was it a well conceived plot to get us into the war?) it is a good time to sit back and remember what we lost and gained as a nation and as individuals.

It is also a time to give your thanks to those that served the nation in the years that followed that attack. Many of those people have passed on, and that generation will soon be gone. If you are still lucky enough to know a veteran of that war, now is a good time to sit down and talk and listen to their story. I have been privileged to know men and women who served in that war, including some Pearl Harbor and Bataan survivors, Marines who served in the South Pacific and dearest to me of all, my father who was an Army Aircorps veteran. Take a moment and remember this important day in our history.

by KS @LF

Free Parking!

Parking Division Offering Holiday Incentives

First Two Hours Free Over Three Weekends; 20% Off of CashKey Reloads

The city’s Parking Division is helping shoppers ease their holiday stress by offering the first two hours of parking free at three city-owned garages and the Water St. parking lot, over three weekends: December 10 and 11; December 17 and 18; and December 24 and 25. Interim Parking Division Director Sevastian Gurule said, “The Parking Division plays an important role in the downtown area as it contributes to public safety and the success of downtown businesses. Our pervious parking promotions have been successful, and it just makes the holiday shopping experience a little nicer; to be able to park for free for a couple of hours in a secure covered garage located in the heart of our beautiful city.” The first-two-hours-free holiday parking promotion is valid at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center parking garage, 119 S. Federal Place; the Sandoval parking garage, 216 E. San Francisco St.; the Railyard parking garage, 503 Camino de la Familia; and the lot on Water St., 102 E. Water St.

Shoppers who want to park for two hours at a meter on those three weekends will find the meters hooded—courtesy of the Downtown Merchants Association and the city’s Parking Division. In an effort to ensure that all customers have an opportunity to partake in this holiday promotion, patrons are asked to adhere to the two-hour time limit.

For the gift that keeps on giving, the Parking Division is offering a 20% discount on all CashKey reloads beginning Monday, December 5 through Friday, December 30 except for December 8 and 9, when the office will be closed for staff training on the new Parking Management System. Reload the keys at the Parking Division office in the main post office, 120 S. Federal Place, third floor, Suite 321, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For more information, contact the Parking Division administrative office at 505-955-6581.

Interlibrary Loan Holiday Hiatus

Interlibrary Loans will be temporarily suspended starting Wednesday, December 14, 2011. No requests, either in person or via email, will be accepted after Tuesday, December 13, 2011.

The Interlibrary Loan Department takes a hiatus at the end of the year due to the closures of educational institutions from which we do much of our borrowing and lending. It also gives us time to clear our records and recover overdue items.

We will not be accepting requests while we are on hiatus, either in person or by email. If you have any questions, you can email Interlibrary Loan at interlibraryloan@santafelibrary.org or call 955-6780.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

"Holly in Winter" photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The 2011 New Mexico Book Awards!

The 2011 New Mexico Book Award winners have been announced!

The full list of winners can be found on the New Mexico Book Co-op website Congratulations to all the winners!






This year's list of award winners is long, so here's a sample:



Young Readers
Grandpa's magic tortilla
by Demetria Martínez and Rosalee Montoya-Read ; illustrations by Lisa May Casaus ; Spanish translation by Rosalee Montoya-Read.

Juvenile
Tortilla sun
by Jennifer Cervantes.

Young Adult
Split
by Swati Avasthi.

Anthology
Rio Arriba : a New Mexico county
compiled and edited by Robert J. Tórrez & Robert Trapp.

Biography
Open range : the life of Agnes Morley Cleaveland
by Darlis A. Miller.

Biography
Kit Carson : the life of an American border man
by David Remley.

Gardening
Gardens of Santa Fe
by Anne Hillerman ; photographs by Don Strel.

Multi-cultural Subject
Chief Loco : Apache peacemaker
by Bud Shapard.

Nature/Environment
The return of the river : writers, scholars, and citizens speak on behalf of the Santa Fe River
edited by A. Kyce Bello.

Nature/Environment
Raptors of New Mexico
edited by Jean-Luc E. Cartron.

December Art in the Library Galleries

Main Library
Drawings
by Elba Pineda-Philips

&
Small Works
by Janice St. Marie

La Farge Library
Pyramids and Coyotes
An Interpretative Installation
from Mister Fant's Ancient Mathematics Class
with a Christmas Motif

Southside Library
Faith in New Mexico
Digital Photographs
by Bill Todino

For more information, check our Art page.

For upcoming events, check our Calendar and Children's pages.

Holiday Music with Andy Mason

Andy Mason will perform fascinating Christmas History and Trivia through music. It’s an opportunity for the whole family to sing along to their Holiday Favorites and get in the mood to celebrate the Season.

Thursday, December 8
La Farge Library
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Friday, December 9
Main Library
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Saturday, December 10
Southside Library
10:30 - 11:30 am

This free program is open to the public.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair

Saturday, December 3
9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center
1121 Alto St.

Call 955-4715 for more information.

Holiday Paper Jewelry Craft

Monday, December 12
Main Library
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Tuesday, December 13
Southside Library
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Thursday, December 15
La Farge Library
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Children ages 6-12 will enjoy making custom decorated paper brooches, charms, rings, or hanging mobiles and window ornaments for yourself or as a gift this holiday season.

All materials are provided for this free craft. Registration is required. Call your branch to register two weeks before the program.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Recycle Holiday Lights

As you and your family decorate your home this year, you may need to get rid of broken or unwanted holiday lights. Now, you can recycle these lights for free! Rather than tossing them in the trash, these lights can be stripped for their valuable metals and recycled, keeping them out of the landfill.

All types of string lights are accepted, including icicles and LEDs. The bulbs can be left on the string. Drop them off for no charge at any of the following locations:

Buckman Road Recycling and Transfer Station (BuRRT) – 2600 Buckman Road, Santa Fe

Capital Scrap Metal Inc – 1162 Cooks Lane, Santa Fe. Capital Scrap will pay $0.80 per pound.

City of Santa Fe, Environmental Services Division – 1142 Siler Road, Santa Fe

County Transfer Stations – All transfer stations are accepting lights.

For more information on what can be recycled and where to take it, please visit http://www.santaferecycling.org/

Santa Claus and the Annual Toy Drive

Friday and Saturday,
November 25 & 26
10 am to 4 pm

The Santa Fe Fire Department will be kicking off its Annual Charity Holiday Toy Drive with photo opportunities of Santa on the Plaza. Stay for the annual tree lighting on Friday which begins with songs by the Girl Scouts at 3:30 pm. The tree will be lighted at 6 pm. There will be refreshments and entertainment throughout the event.

Parents can bring cameras and take a picture of their children (or themselves) with Santa on the SFPD 1934 La France Fire Engine. There is no cost to take the picture—but a donation to the toy drive is encouraged.

New unwrapped toys can be donated to:
Fire Station 5 at 1130 Siler Road
Pak Mail at 369 Montezuma Street
Queen’s Ransom in De Vargas Mall (Anyone who donates a toy at Queen’s Ransom will receive 15% off their purchase)

All toys and donations will be given to Esperanza Women’s Shelter, Villa Therese Catholic Clinic and Team Builders. Monetary donations will be used to buy gift cards in $10 increments to give to the older kids who are a bit too old for toys.

Last year, through fundraising and contributions, $2000 was collected and approximately 500 toys were given away.

Thank you, Santa Fe, for your generosity!

Santa Claus icon not the actual Santa Claus, and is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Holiday Sale

Main Library
145 Washington Ave.

One Day Only!
Saturday, December 3
10 am to 4 pm

Open to the Public
No memberships required for any hours of this sale.

Quality books only, all individually priced.
Good for gifts or to add to personal library.

For more information, call 955-2839.

All sales sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.
Funds raised by the Friends are dedicated to purchasing new books for the Library.

The Thanksgiving Table Tradition

Thanksgiving wasn't Thanksgiving at our house until our mother carefully lifted down the glass fruit compote from the high shelf in the dining room, gently washed it and placed it on the sideboard, waiting to be filled. The compote was clear, pressed glass with faces of three Greek muses on the cover. It was nothing fancy, but it had been a wedding gift to our grandmother in the 1800s. It is perfect, not a chip or a crack, which is a miracle in itself as the compote has travelled with our family for over 125 years, and has resided in many states.

No matter how tight money was, mother always found enough money to purchase fruit for the footed fruit compote. She managed to do this during the Depression--even if it was just one piece of each kind of fruit. It was tradition; it was always placed in the center of the Thanksgiving dinner table.

When we were little, my sister and I would polish apples for the bowl, but only mother would place the fruit and arrange it. Apples, bananas, grapes and tangerines were the staples. Each piece was placed as if it were a gem or fragile glass ball. Once it was filled and placed on the lace covered table cloth, no one was allowed to touch it until dinner was over.

When our mother passed away, the compote went to my older sister in the family "lottery." Each year, it was the centerpiece of her Thanksgiving dinner, always with the same kinds of fruit and the same care at filling the bowl, but it was done by my niece in the last few years.

Last year I received a package marked "fragile" in so many places I was surprised that our address could be found for the delivery. There in a flimsy, half broken box filled with foam peanuts was the compote. The attached note from my niece read, "I know you love this bowl and I just cannot move it with me again. Will you take care of it for me?" Somehow it had again survived a 1,500 mile trip in one piece.

This year in Santa Fe, the bowl has already been washed and put on the side board waiting to be filled. I know what I need to purchase—bananas, apples, grapes and tangerines. Friends who come to dinner now know why it has a special place. It is nothing special, but it means home to me. It has lived through over 125 family Christmases. May it survive 100 more.

by PCH @Main

From a different perspective

I've always loved history, but as much as I read about it, dates and places don't always stick in my head. What I like about history are the stories, and part of me feels that no matter what time and location these stories took place in, there's something about the best stories of history that we can all relate to.

Another way of looking at history is through objects and artifacts. Museums of all stripes specialize and excel at presenting a physical retelling of a story, whether its of art, technology, eating, music, or growing up. While we have exceptional museums here in Santa Fe, it's also neat to see how other museums tell the human story.

The British Museum and the BBC have collaborated on A History of the World, a timeline using objects from as long ago as 2 million years ago to the present day. You can swoop through the timeline on a grand scale, or filter the objects by limits such as location, culture, and material. You can even limit by color, in case you want to gauge the popularity of purple throughout the ages. When you find objects of interest, you can click and get more information about the society and times that formed it.

While this site might not be the most useful if your history project is due tomorrow morning, it's a fantastic way to explore a certain time period, civilization, or just all of human history at once. You might even find yourself remembering some of those dates as well!

Image is Stone handaxe from Pontnewydd Cave, Denbighshire. © Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales

Thanks to the Santa Fe Community College Library for the tip about this great resource!

A healthy leap

Today is the Great American Smokeout! If you or a loved one is addicted to the nicotine, today is the day to try and cut that tie. The American Cancer Society has a Stay Away from Tobacco page with a bunch of useful resources. The CDC has a listing of sites to help you quit smoking, and SmokeFree.gov has interactive tools to make sure you quit and stay quit. My favorite resource for cold turkey tips is WhyQuit.com. The library also has a number of books about smoking and smoking cessation.

Even if the Great American Smokeout snuck up on you too soon and you're just not ready today, you can always pick a day that works for you, and just keep trying. It's rough at first, but it gets easier. Good luck!

Taking a Break

Happy Winter!

Our wildly popular Children's and Teen programs will be taking a break for the holidays.

For the week of November 21-25, Thanksgiving Week, there will be no PreSchool Story Time at all three branches. Also, the Teen Program at Southside will not be held on Thursday, November 24.

PreSchool Story Time is taking a winter break starting the week of December 19. Storytime will resume after the new year starting the week of January 9, 2012.

The Teen Programs are taking a break as well. The last one of the year will be on Thursday, December 15. They'll resume on Thursday, January 5, 2012.

In the meantime, check out the Children's page for some special holiday events that are fun for the whole family!

Photo of the Winter Wonderland courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.