Moving Home

Having moved recently, I can safely say that it is not the most fun of human endeavors. It's mentally stressful, physically exhausting, and emotionally disorienting. However, once the majority of the boxes are unpacked and one's hands have memorized the location of the coffee mugs, living in a new place has some great advantages. It allows you to see different parts of the city, or the same places from a new perspective.

At my last place, I was lucky to live within walking distance of an excellent city park. For my new place, I targeted another fantastic city park with a vastly different character to live close to. I've been exploring this park lately, sometimes in the broiling heat of day, sometimes in the shadows of twilight. So far, the best feature of this park is a single tree. It reminds me in every way of Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree, but at the early part of the book when the tree still has all its branches. Well, it doesn't give me apples, and I'm certainly not about to chop down this beauty to canoe down the river. However, having this tree, my tree, in the neighborhood park, my park, has made all the stress of moving worthwhile. When I have just a few more boxes unpacked, I'll be sure to bring an apple and The Giving Tree to the park, and spend an afternoon under my tree's shade.

Also, an extra special thanks to the Parks Division for providing such welcoming outdoor spaces in our neighborhoods!

Southwest Poetry List

Since our bibliography of poetry from New Mexico had not been updated in over five years, we thought we'd try something different.

If you click here, we've compiled a list of poetry books both about New Mexico and by past and present New Mexican poets. This list is sorted by author, and compilations are listed first. We plan to update this list every month. If you liked the older format of this list, we've preserved it here.

You can also access the Southwest Poetry list and other lists of books from the New Books and More link on the catalog. If you're interested in media items or large print books, we have lists of those as well.

Second Southside Summer Reading Party

The Santa Fe Public Library’s Southside Branch will host a second End of Summer Reading Program Celebration on Saturday, August 1 at 2:30 p.m., due to the high number of summer reading participants this year. The branch is located at 6599 Jaguar Drive. Call 955-2828 to register.

Children who have taken part in the Summer Reading Program are invited to attend the celebration which will feature the puppets of Paul Glickman. Participants are asked to register for the celebrations at the Library branch where they signed up earlier this summer.

Other celebrations are scheduled:

Southside Branch: Friday, July 31 at 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Call 955-2828 to register.

Main Library: Friday, July 31 at 2:00 -3:00 p.m.
Call 955-6783 to register.

La Farge Branch: Saturday, August 1 at 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Call 955-4863 to register.

The Summer Reading Program and festivities are sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Fey

Recently in Chicago, as in Illinois, I was shipping a package to my home in Santa Fe. Only after four tries did the clerk finally get the address right—I have an unusual name and that is usually the problem. I have to spell and respell and give examples, like it ends in mm as in Mary Mary.

The problem this time? The clerk could not enter Fe on the Santa. Instead she kept entering "Santa Fey". Perhaps she is a fan of Tina Fey on 30 Rock. At least she knew that New Mexico is a state. I hope to get the package this week. We’ll see…

by PCH @Main

Library Board Openings

The City of Santa Fe Public Library is seeking residents who have an interest in serving on the Library Board. The Library Board is an advisory board consisting of seven members appointed by the Mayor. The Library Board meets monthly. A letter of interest and brief résumé is requested from interested community members to be considered to serve on the Board. Terms are for two years.

Applications may be mailed to:
Main Library
145 Washington Ave.
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Attn. Maria Finley

Or sent by email to: mpfinley@santafenm.gov

The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. August 15.

La Farge Library Early Closing

The La Farge Branch of the Santa Fe Public Library will close early on Wednesday, July 29 at 6:00 p.m. for electrical work.

The La Farge Branch is located at 1730 Llano Street. The Library will reopen on Thursday at the regular time of 10:00 a.m. Library patrons are urged to use the Main Library at 145 Washington, 955-6781, or the Southside Branch at 6599 Jaguar Drive, 955-2820, while La Farge is closed.

We regret any inconvenience.

FACT Opening Reception

Summer Student Exhibit
from FACT: Fine Arts for Children & Teens

Opening Reception
Southside Library
6599 Jaguar Drive
Friday, August 7, 3-5 p.m.

Free art making workshop and refreshments for kids of all ages in honor of the 2009 Summer Students.

FACT instructor Aline Hunziker will lead a bookmark-making workshop that incorporates techniques of relief and color mixing. FACT will provide all painting materials including smocks to protect clothing. Come prepared to be creative, have fun, and enjoy artwork from young artists in Santa Fe.

Selected works from FACT’s summer programs will be on display the entire month of August. Visit the library and see the extraordinary talents of our community’s youth!

For more information about FACT call 992-2787 or see their website.

Photo: Young artists from FACT’s ARTbarn program show off their papier-mâché masks.

Quoted Confessions

I have a drinking problem.

Because of the hot weather, I've switched from a small water bottle with a sippy-top to a larger Nalgene-type with a wide mouth. Every once in a while I'll toss back a ton of water, forgetting that I don't have a child-proof cap on the bottle. The result is that I splash water all over my face or shirt, resulting in embarassment and trauma. On the brighter side, it reminds me of the comedy Airplane!, when Ted Striker is always pouring an iced cocktail on his face. Sometimes after deluging myself I'll turn to the person next to me and say, "I have a drinking problem." They either get the joke right away, or they surreptitiously research 12-step programs for me.

To some, communication via movie quotes and pop culture references is a harbinger of our declining literacy. After all, trading classical allusions or quotes from Keats and Kipling used to be the hallmark of the educated classes. Nowadays, you're more likely to hear a Star Wars or Monty Python reference to sum up an experience. Perhaps it's more difficult to assume that we've all read and absorbed the same books, while many people have seen Star Wars.

Movies also have a way of burrowing into your brain long after you've seen them. Having recently watched Heathers for the first time in ages, I was shocked at how many phrases that I've heard or said over the years that had originated in this film. I told a contemporary about it, and she had the same response. It's as if seeds were planted 21 years ago when it came out, and the plant has been flowering unattended this entire time.

Speaking in pop culture code has its uses. My younger sister and I will often comment about a family situation by saying, "We are men of action. Lies do not become us." Now, neither of us are men, and our lives have not been consistently action-packed, and sometimes we look just fine while telling little white lies. I don't know if either of us could explain what this means, but we both know the meaning anyway. A little shorthand goes a long way.

Alas, if the day is stressful, I've found that the quote, "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue," is even more frightening to folks than the "drinking problem". So please, if you must use quotes from movies and other pop culture artifacts, carefully consider the circumstances and your audience before you speak!

Battle of the Book Carts

At one of the SFPL branches, we once went through some humorous rigamarole about the Library Olympics. Different branches would compete in contests including Book-Cart Ballet, Speed Shelving, and Crate Weight-Lifting. Alas, we'd joke about different tests of skill and which branch would be the victors, and then real work would intervene and we'd go back to doing those tasks anyway without fanfare or medals.

Little did we know that if we pursue these intramural competitions, we might one day qualify for the Librarian Book Cart Drill Championships. Recently held in Chicago as part of the American Library Association's Annual Conference, the event made NPR news as evidence that the stodgy librarian stereotype is long outdated. According to the ALA press release, one purpose of the competition is to "provide library staff with the opportunity to build morale and encourage teamwork", which would fit in perfectly with SFPL's Library Olympics dream.

What strikes me when I read through accounts of the Book Cart Drill and look at pictures, is that this competition is a natural relative of roller derby. The participants are perhaps a little slower, maybe a little more protective of achy joints, and encouraging literacy is at the forefront of the spectacle, but in terms of costumes and competitiveness and having a blast, they're definitely related sports.

So, as we start organizing book cart drill practices, any costume suggestions for the home team?

Photo by ALA Cognotes.

Spanish Market Parking and Shuttles

Available Saturday and Sunday

Early-bird shoppers at the Traditional Spanish Market, Saturday July 25, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday July 26, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., will probably have good luck finding a place to park at the city's parking lots. Lots are conveniently located: on Water Street, off Alameda and Cathedral, next to the Scottish Rite Temple, on Sandoval Street, or the new 500-space underground garage at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. Rates are $9 per car at all city lots. All parking meters will also be available except around the booths.

But for only a buck, and the convenience of a free shuttle ride, park at the new Railyard underground parking garage, located off of Camino de la Familia and Paseo de Peralta.

Please remember, the Main Library lot is for Library users only.

For more information, contact the Parking Division at (505) 955-6581.

Basket Babies

Every summer we hang baskets of ivy geraniums on our front porch. Over the last few years, house finches have built nests in them, laid an egg or two, and then eventually abandoned the project. It’s a minor annoyance each year to have the porch turned into a nursery during peak porch-sitting weather, but we still feel a certain loss when the eggs are left behind and no chicks are hatched.

But this summer is different! Once again there is a nest. But even though I have to take the basket down every couple days to water it (and not the nest), causing the mother to fly to a nearby tree, she has been tenacious in returning and sitting on her two eggs. And it’s paid off—last week I first saw the two new-born chicks and now they’ve grown into tiny versions of their mother, still settled snugly side-by-side. I can hear their peeping from the street, so if vocal strength is a sign of health, they’re doing fine. Sooner or later they’ll be big enough to fly away. While that will also be a loss, it will be a much happier one.

by RG @Main

Artist Demonstration:

Papercuts, Featuring Turburam Sandagdorj

Community Gallery
Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W. Marcy St. at Sheridan

Saturday, July 25th
12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.

The Santa Fe Community Gallery will host an artist demonstration featuring local papercut artist Turburam Sandagdorj. He hails from Mongolia and is featured in the current Fine Art/Folk Art exhibit in the Gallery. His work has been featured in international exhibits in China, Japan, France, Lithuania, Norway, Germany and Poland.

Turburam uses only paper and a small pair of scissors to create masterpieces of incredible detail and superior craftsmanship. During this demonstration, Turburam will not only be creating work and explaining his process to the public, but he will also create one-of-a-kind profile silhouette portraits for individuals. The workshop is free to the public. Silhouettes will cost $20 each. Call 505-955-6705 for more information.

A Vocabulary Lesson

A staff member was showing a patron around one of the library's meeting rooms, pointing out the location of the chairs, tables, the podium...

"That's not a podium. That's a lectern," the patron interrupted.

What followed was an anecdote about this patron's old grade-school teacher, who had once made a big deal about the differences between a podium and a lectern, full of snail-slow enunciations and a discourse about Greek and Latin roots. This patron had been waiting his entire life to pass on this lesson, and he was sheepishly thrilled at the chance.

This quickly became a little joke amongst staff members. Marian Librarian asks Betsy Book, "What is that piece of furniture called?" And Betsy answers, "Podium. PO-DI-UM". Marian replies, "No, it's a lectern!"

Etc.

Anyway, for the edification of our readers:

This is a podium:


And this is a lectern:





Do you feel smarter? I do!

Hooray for the Pavers!

My first thought upon hearing that the streets were being repaved was, can we afford to do this in this economic climate!?

My second thought was, boy, this will be a pain for navigating around paving crews to work, to the grocery store, etc.

But when my biking-to-work self hit those satiny repaved streets, particularly the gorgeous stretch of Marcy from the church to Lincoln, I could not stop singing the praises of the repaving crews. Hallelujah! No more standing up on the pedals practically the whole length of the street!

Of course, when I cross Lincoln, all bets are off. O Glorious Repavers, any chance of heading east next?


by AA @Main, photos by AM

E-Waste Recycling Drop-Off Day

One Day Only
Saturday, July 18
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
1142 Siler Road
955-2215

Sponsors:
Keep Santa Fe Beautiful, the City of Santa Fe, and Albuquerque Recycling Inc.

You can bring:

• TVs ($5 charge per TV: cash only)
  
• Computers
  
• Laptop computers
  
• LCD screens
  
• Printers
  
• Stereos
  
• Phones
  
• Cell phones
  
• Computer battery back-ups
  
• Computer peripherals: mice, keyboards, and computer game assemblies

Not accepted:

• Microwave ovens
  
• Bread machines
  
• Appliances

Ideas & Inspiration

Sometimes, like now, for instance, some of us run out of ideas. It happens, despite copious applications of coffee and other inducements. So, when you're sitting around, looking at a blank screen or canvas or keyboard, what can you do?

Big Huge Labs has invented an idea generator that returns results from several different senses. Photos, colors, songs, videos, crafts, all things to inspire you. Alas, nothing that evokes the inspirational sense of smell, but for that a walk either outside or through the produce department should do the trick.

If you're in the mood for gazing at the results of inspiration, Symbol Interface is a neat blog. It's a collection of 2-D and 3-D artwork as well as commentary on the nature of creativity and art. There are some beautiful thoughts and images here, and if you're experiencing a creative block you'll be inspired, rather than intimidated.

Fête Nationale

From the Obscure and/or Unpopular Holidays Department:

Happy Bastille Day! Bastille Day is similar to Independence Day in the United States, in that it marks the symbolic beginning of a new government. However, while here in the States, July 4th is the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed, July 14th in France commemorates the storming of the hated Parisian prison... The Bastille.

Yes, today is the day to sing the Marseillaise and set off your leftover firecrackers. If you prefer quiet, you can patronize the several French restaurants and pâtisseries in town. Or if you like a touch of the bizarre, you can follow some of the tips from McSweeney's for the Best Bastille Day Party Ever.

Vive la France!

Blog's of "Shame"

A friend in the design field sent me a list of hilarious design blogs. Since many of these also poke fun at grammatical errors, which we like to do as often as we commit them, I thought I'd pass some along.

Two of my favorites from the list are Apostrophe Abuse and The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks. They rely heavily on simple snapshots of actual signs. And yes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Go look at them and laugh.

Photo from Apostrophe Abuse.

Living Art

Summer is a busy time for art in Santa Fe. There's the International Folk Art Market, Spanish Market, Indian Market, and great gallery and museum exhibits, including at the libraries. However, for a true visual feast, Santa Fe is great for its abundance of tattooed residents and visitors.

Tattooing is an ancient art, with both secular and sacred uses. It's been around for over five thousand years, and variations of this type of body modification are evident in cultures around the world. It's pretty obvious that there's been a resurgence in the art in recent years, and it's not uncommon to see tattoos everywhere, especially in the warm weather.

While tattoos used to be the provenance of sailors and convicts, there were rare brave women who got permanently inked in an era when even showing an ankle was risqué. A fellow librarian has written The Tattooed Lady: A History, due out in November. Until then, there's a companion blog that is worth checking out for the insightful links and pictures.

Tattoos aren't just skulls, snakes, and hula girls. Shelley Jackson wrote a short story, "Skin", that exists primarily as tattooed Words on volunteers. There have been Word Gatherings around the world as different Words compare fonts and perhaps try to make a full sentence. LiveJournal hosts a community of Words in different stages of the process.

If you like the idea of text on the body, be careful about tattoos in foreign languages. Chinese and Japanese characters are especially popular, but the literal translations are not often what they seem. The blog Hanzi Smatter is dedicated to literal or accurate translations of often ridiculous body art. For example, a tattoo believed to mean, "Only God will judge me," more accurately translates as, "The great emperor's tailor."

Finally, over the past decade or so there's been much ado about tattoos on librarians, often lumped in with piercings and interesting hair colors. Debates in the professional library literature, email lists, websites, and blogs concern questions such as: Is it unprofessional to be tattooed, even if it's covered up at work? Can I get fired for having a tattoo? Is it ok if the tattoo is the Universal Library Sign? Can I be a library director with a tattoo or nose-ring? Thankfully the furor has died down somewhat, and LibraryLand can refocus on less superficial issues such as expanding and sustaining services in a down economy.

But to those folks who are still shocked when they spot some ink on their friendly and brilliant neighborhood librarian, my response is that librarians are people too! As tattoos and blue hair and piercings have become more widely accepted, a decent percentage of librarians are going to indulge in some permanent and beautiful art. Also, the library's art collections have some great ideas if you're off to get your first or thirty-first tattoo. Those less daring can go to a local card shop and purchase a book of Library/Book-oriented temporary tattoos to join in the art of tattooing.

And if there are any of Shelley Jackson's "Words" in the area, I'm "of". Pleased to meet you!

Teen Calligraphy Workshop

For Teens ages 13 to 18

Saturday, July 25
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Southside Library
6599 Jaguar Dr.

Calligrapher Sherry Bishop will give a class for teens in writing in gothic-style lettering from the 12th century, a time when illuminated and hand lettered books were flourishing. This gothic style has appeal today because of its heavy textural quality.

All materials will be provided for this free class.
Registration is required: call 955-2820 to reserve your place.

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

An Inexhaustible Natural Resource

Each morning, I do a little dance. While I wish it were a dance of joy, celebrating another day of being alive, the dance more closely resembles a high school production of West Side Story or the fight scene from Beat It. For someone looking in from the outside, it would appear that I'm doing some weird choreographed dance-fight with an invisible opponent. And what's that weapon in my hand? Is that? Could it be? Yes, it's a lint roller.

My adversary is a large, limber, affectionate, and very hairy cat. To protect the guilty, we'll call him "Ziggy". Before I leave every morning, especially when I'm wearing black or navy pants, "Ziggy" circles my ankles, making sure they're evenly and thoroughly coated with his cast-offs before I leave the house. Thus the wielding of the lint roller at home, despite keeping back-ups in my car and office.

Some folks who are craftier than I have developed uses for this seemingly inexhaustible natural domestic resource. For example, we have a book called Knitting with Dog Hair. It covers the cleaning, carding, and spinning of animal hair to make wearable clothing. There are also many sites that can help you with this, either for making bags from cat fur (with video!) or clothing with dog fur. There's even an article about how to craft with or otherwise recycle dog, cat and human hair. If you're just not that crafty, there are artisans who will spin the fur into yarn for you, or assemble the fur into scarves or dreamcatchers.

While "Ziggy" is a handsome cat with a lovely ocelot-type coat, I think his fur looks better on him than it does on me or my clothes. So what I would really like to know is if there's a mad scientist in the house who's invented hair-proof clothing, counter-tops, or moisturizer. Meanwhile, I'll keep fight-dancing with "Ziggy" in the mornings, only to lose each and every time.

A Blog We Love

Every library staffer in every library in the world knows the pain of coming across a dangerously or hilariously out-of-date book in the stacks. The Awful Library Books blog chooses a different book each day, still on a library shelf somewhere, and illustrates why the specific book should be taken out of circulation.

Recent examples include:

• How to Deal with Parents and Other Problems (1959)
• Dee Snider’s Teenage Survival Guide (1987)
• Computer Tutor: Atari (1983)
• Reach for the Moon (1962)
• Special Effects Photography (1985)

And, there are many more every day with outdated health, business, and career information. While I wish I could say that the Santa Fe Public Library is devoid of all outdated materials, the honest truth is that new information is produced so quickly that some books are out-of-date the minute they hit the shelves.

We regularly go through our collection of almost 400,000 items to identify books that are in bad condition or have old information. If you come across such a book, please let us know. You can also recommend something more current through our catalog or by filling out a blue card at any reference desk.

In the meantime, I'm off to see if any area libraries still have a copy of Bert Bacharach's Book for Men (1953). Hilarious!

Space Madness

There's a lot of space stuff afoot lately, some of it close to home. Spaceport America had its groundbreaking in the middle of June. If you haven't been paying attention, that's the launchpad for us civilians to see the stars close-up. Well, sort of close. For a cool $200K you can go up 62 miles into space. Close enough to kiss the man on the moon? Probably not, but if I had that much money laying around I'd give it a shot. Perhaps a lottery system for hard-working librarians?

Also, NASA has recently shot rockets to the moon. Well, the technical name is the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The mission includes scouting out landing sites for future peopled expeditions, and looking for fabled ice caps at the poles. It's already sending back images and videos, which are definitely worth checking out.

If this has only whetted your appetite for all things celestial, check out our Astronomy links, or browse the 520s in the non-fiction stacks.

Independence Day Information

Reminder:

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be closed on Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

The Main Library will be open on Sunday, July 5, from 1-5 pm.

All libraries will resume regular hours on Monday, July 6.

Have a wonderful holiday!

More information:

City of Santa Fe administrative offices, including Municipal Court, will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of the Independence Day holiday.

On Friday, July 3rd, Ft. Marcy Complex and Salvador Perez Pool will be closed. Bicentennial Pool will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

On Saturday, July 4, Ft. Marcy Complex will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Salvador Perez Pool will be open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Bicentennial Pool will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Genoveva Chavez Community Center will be closed on Friday, July 3 and will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 4.

There will be no Rail Runner service on Friday, July 3, 2009.

City of Santa Fe Solid Waste will run its garbage and recycling service on a regular schedule throughout the holiday weekend.

On Friday July 3, 2009, Santa Fe Trails bus service will run on a Sunday schedule. On July 4, 2009, Santa Fe Trails bus service will run on a regular Saturday schedule.

4th of July Extravaganza 2009
Come to Ivan Head Stadium at Santa Fe High School on July 4th for music, food, fun and fireworks. Gates and concessions open at 5:30 and the live music begins at 6:00 p.m. Savage Wizdom, Soulz of the Sun, Sol Fire and Lumbre del Sol will perform between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. Fireworks begin at dusk.

Donations will be accepted for parking and event entrance and will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Fe. This event is sponsored by the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Fe, City of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Public Schools.

Grace & Grandma

Grace and her Grandma Alice are one of many who came in to bring their Summer Reading Program log for the second time in two weeks to collect her prize for reading six more books! She brought her painting page prize from last week, so that we could display her beautiful artwork she worked on.

Grandma Alice says Grace is so excited about reading, she just says “more, more reading.” Grace has been coming to the programs at the library since she was one-year-old, and always has fun picking out books, movies, and playing on the computer when she visits.

The libraries are busy with the theatre games program, PreSchool Story Time, making musical instruments, and even more crafts and events. These are part of the happenings at your Santa Fe Public Library for our http://www.santafelibrary.org/summerreading09.html Summer Reading Program. If your child up to the age of twelve hasn’t signed up yet for the program bring them in soon!



by TT @ SS

July Library Exhibits

Main Library
Mountains and Mesas
Oil Paintings & Watercolors
by Judy Reed

and

Feel Goods
Glass Sculpture & Glass Jewelry
by Patrick Stone

La Farge Library
Scenes of Santa Fe & Beyond
Acrylics
by Larry Kerbs

Southside Library
Expressions in Abstract
Mixed Media on Canvas
by Deborah Crafts

For more information, check our Art page.

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