Library news, book chat, resources, and more
Starting tomorrow, Wednesday, October 1st, there are changes to the requirements for getting a library card. YOU will need to provide a photo ID and proof of current city or county address if you are 13 or older. However, you will not need to provide the name and phone number of a reference anymore.
No, it is not the New Year 2009 yet, and not even Halloween. But it is calendar month! Those of us who love nice paper, gilt-edged pages and leather covers know to hit the ground running when local paper shops announce “The 2009 Calendars are in.” Only if you dash to the stores can you get the special calendars you want.
And by now my 2008 calendar is a little worse for wear—coffee stains on the front, frayed ribbon between the pages and perhaps the start of a crack in the spine. And it is filled through 2009 with events, programs and deadlines. It is time to start off the new year and the new calendar. The only thing that gives me pause, is that at the end of my 2009 calendar are two weeks of calendar days for 2010 to start off that year. I am not ready for that, 2009 is just far enough.
Autumn is definitely upon us. Crisp mornings, turning leaves, scent of roasting chile from just about every parking lot. But there's something else about fall in New Mexico that is different from just about anywhere in the world: Balloons!
When I worked on the west mesa of Albuquerque, we had the best views in the city of the pink Sandias at sunset, with a carpet of lights at its foothills flickering on. In the fall, we were also treated to the best views of balloon flights, especially when one would founder on the ridge directly below us. It became common to arrive at work early with coffee, sit outside and watch the balloons stream overhead. We'd wave, and if we got a wave back from one of the tiny people in the basket, a cheer would go up.
Even if you've never had a chance to ride in a balloon, or can't make it to the mass ascension at the crack of dawn, it's worthwhile to spend the next few weeks looking towards the sky. You never know what might be floating overhead.
Come celebrate Teen Read Week 2008 at the Teen Vampire Party on Friday, October 17th from 6pm to 8 pm at the Southside Library. Teens aged 13 to 18 are invited to attend in costume. There will be refreshments, a costume contest, and vampire trivia games.
Teen Read Week is sponsored by the American Library Association. This year’s theme is "Books with Bite," inspired by the great popularity of vampire books with teens, particularly the NY Times Bestselling Series Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
The Russians are coming! In this case, we mean Russian librarians and educators. We have partnered with the Los Alamos Public Library to host their Sister City program for Sarov, Russia. The Russians are sending librarians to meet with their counterparts in the US under the auspices of the 2008 One World Program. One of their stops will be the Southside Library because it is a “green”, new modern branch and because of its dynamic, innovative children’s outreach and programs. What a whirlwind visit—seven days of the best of the Southwest and libraries.
Make sure to bring the whole family to the following children's program!
The La Farge Library is now open for business! The building is now bright, cool, airy and green! Environmentally green, that is. Some of the construction work was infrastructure, like new locks, public address system and cleaning air ducts. But what you will notice are the environmentally good lights, the air/heating system and new ceiling tile.
Anywhere you walk, bike or drive this month, the roadsides and fields are filled with wildflowers. More so than usual, as the rains in August seemed to be just what these hardy wildflowers needed. For the first time in years, I travel with a flower identification book.
My philosophy on most colorful weeds is that if they had the ability to take root in my garden, I can live with them. As an artist, the colorful banks of flowers are inspiring. I think this is what Monet would have done if he had lived in the Southwest, created gardens from the hardy wild plants rather than pull and trim and make a formal garden.
While pirates have made a comeback in recent years, partly due to Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, there are many who'd say that pirates, privateers and buccaneers have never gone out of style. 
Are you curious about New Mexico? Wondering about that little town you once drove through on your way to somewhere else? Do YOU know where Abo, New Mexico is?
For instance, we all know of Pojoaque, but did you know that in 1909, there were forty-four variations of that name? Or that familiar Bernalillo was “as wild as Dodge or Tombstone” and home to all manner of ruffians such as “Cyprians, gold-brickers, con men, horse thieves, and boot-hill tenants”? Okay, maybe you did, but I didn’t! And how can you resist a book that starts out: “Abiquiu is to New Mexico what Salem is to Massachusetts. A witch lurked behind every adobe wall, and a wizard was doling out love potions that kept husbands home at night.” Or, “Alma is no more. Only the name remains.” Intriguing!
Did you know that before the word “dinosaurs” (terrible lizards) was invented in 1861, most dinosaur bones were considered “Dragon Bones” and used as medicine? To this day many cultures still believe that dragons live in deep caves under the earth and cause volcanoes.
There’s even more exciting and interesting information when you travel along with “Indiana Bones” as he guides you on an action packed, fun-filled adventure into the world of Dragons and Dinosaurs. With the aid of his dragon puppet “Darwin” and his dinosaur fossils, Indy sheds light on the stories, legends and myths of these mystical magical creatures. Don’t miss out on Dragons and Dinosaurs with adventurer storyteller “Indiana Bones” and “Darwin” his dragon puppet.
This FREE family event is sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.
SAVE THE DATE for the first New Mexico Women Authors Book Festival on Saturday, September 27th, from 10 am to 5 pm. The festival is modeled after the Library of Congress' National Book Festival, and will be held on Milner Plaza on Museum Hill in Santa Fe.
This coming November 11th is the 90th anniversary of the signing of the armistice ending World War I, also known as “The Great War” and “The War to End All Wars”. Since there have in fact been additional wars since the original Armistice Day in 1918, WWI often gets overshadowed by subsequent events. A number of excellent online resources bring the magnitude and daily experience of this conflict to life.
The United States has the Pulitzer, but the United Kingdom has the Diagram Prize. Sponsored by the online magazine the Bookseller, this prize usually goes to the oddest book title of the past year. Since this year was the 30th anniversary of the prize, we're treated to the oddest book title of the last 30 years!
Junot Díaz is making a splash in the literary world, and I wanted to pick up The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Placing a hold and checking the book out presented no challenge, but trying to figure out how to pronounce Mr. Díaz's first name without being embarrassed took a little research.
If Free Rice and GoodSearch are a little passive for you, you might want to check out Kiva. Despite it's familiar name, it's not a sacred ritual center in the Pueblos, an auditorium, gallery, or real estate office, but a microlending program for small entrepreneurs in developing countries. You can read through the entrepreneurs' profiles, limit by region, economic sector, or gender, and lend small sums of money to assist them with their business. The minimum investment is $25, and 100% of your investment goes to the entrepreneur. Kiva also gives you the opportunity to contribute a small amount to their operating expenses.
For my first loan, I selected the Corazones de Oro association, a group of women who prepare and sell food in El Alto, Bolivia. In 6-12 months, my loan will be paid back to me, credited directly back to my bank account, so I can select a new entrepreneur to invest in. However, I'm sure I'll invest in other entrepreneurs in the meantime. It's amazing how a fraction of a restaurant tab in Santa Fe, or less than a tank of gas, can make such a difference in someone else's life. This may get as addictive as Free Rice!
I recently, finally, read Virginia Woolf's classic, A Room of One's Own. Her main thesis is that in order for a woman to express her genius, or at least her creativity, she requires a room of her own and an independent income of 500 pounds a year. Between dreaming of an afternoon in the British Museum and assessing my retirement strategy, I kept wondering what 500 pounds in 1928 would equal in today's dollars.
While working in the Southside children’s room yesterday, I happened to disengage myself long enough to observe a small child clutching a book to her heart and then kissing it! I asked her to show me her treasure, and there it was- a modest little picture book whose cover sported a green turtle named Franklin.
This morning while ironing and thinking about the little girl, I thought back to my childhood and pondered what book made an impression on me. Well, there’s no mistaking it, posing coyly on the cover of a huge art book, the “Portrait of a Lady” c. 1455 by Rogier van der Weyden, this mysterious, vaguely Scarlett Johansson-looking creature has fascinated me all these years. I would spend hours taking a tour of the National Gallery of Art between the pages of that book and committing the images to memory like old friends.
It's exciting to see the decorations for this weekend's Fiestas all over the Plaza. The family crests and City and Pueblo seals over the portal of the Palace of the Governors are an interesting snapshot of local history. They're also good for making residents feel like tourists as they roam around with a camera!
So whether you're a visitor, a resident, a local, or your last name is displayed proudly for all to see, be sure to attend the Fiestas de Santa Fe, where everyone is part of la familia.
La Farge Branch Library will reopen to the public on Monday, September 22.
The Santa Fe Public Library will be open the following hours for Las Fiestas:
Now that school is back in session, we would like to remind you of our new database, Gale’s Literature Resource Center! Check it out at our database page and click on the appropriate link for the Literature Resource Center.
