Science Teacher Wanted

The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library are seeking a Science teacher for an after-school program. The position requires a short-term contractor to provide two eight-week after-school sessions at the La Farge and Southside branches and to coordinate a NASA astronaut public presentation. Curriculum is already developed.

For Immediate Hire. Closing Date: January 15, 2010.

Send résumé and references to:

S. Sonflieth, Branch Director
La Farge Branch Library
1730 Llano Street
Santa Fe, NM 87505

Upcoming Books and Babies

A 6-week program for babies 6 months to 2-years-old and their caregivers.

Winter Session

Wednesdays, at La Farge Library
January 6 - February 10
10:30 to 11:00 am

Thursdays, at the Southside Library
January 7 - February 11
10:30 to 11:00 am

It's never too early to start your child on the road to reading.

Your child will enjoy books, songs, and finger games from the comfort of your lap.

To register and for more information call
Southside Children's: 955-2828
La Farge Children's: 955-4863

Winter PreSchool Story Time

Tuesdays, at the La Farge Library
January 5 - May 4
2 to 5-year-olds: 10:30 am to 11:15 am

Wednesdays, at the Southside Library
January 6 - May 5
2 to 5-year-olds: 10:30 am to 11:15 am

Fridays, at the Main Library
January 8 - May 7
2 to 5-year-olds: 11:00 am to 11:45 am

It's free!
Children will enjoy stories, songs, finger games, puppets, and crafts. Open enrollment.

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

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Photo by TT @SS.

Library Board Openings

The Santa Fe Public Library is seeking candidates for the Library Board which is appointed by the Mayor to represent the residents of Santa Fe. There are two positions, one from the City and one from the County. The County board member must live outside the incorporated boundaries of the City. Board members serve for three years.

The seven member Library Board was created as an advisory board to the City Council and is charged with working with the Library administration to recommend policies on the use of the library, book selection, acceptance of gifts and bequests, management and operation and such matters as a public library board may properly set policy on.

Interested residents may apply by submitting a letter of interest and a résumé to:

Maria Finley
Santa Fe Public Library
145 Washington Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501

or deliver it to the Library by January 9, 2010 by 5:00 p.m.

Santa Claus Sneaks In

Due to funding issues, we weren't sure if we'd be able to offer the popular Books & Babies program in the 2010 year. This popular 6-week program for babies 6 months to 2-years-old and their caregivers has been at the Southside and La Farge Branch Libraries for several years, and is an important tool in early literacy.

Fortunately, a secret Santa Claus arrived in the form of funding so that the program can be offered for another year. We'd like to thank our benefactor for this generous gift!

Be sure to check the Children's Pages for the new Books & Babies Schedule, as well as PreSchool Story Time for older children.

May you and your families have a Happy Holiday!

Image courtesy of Get Caught Reading.

Dogs in Knits

I am just cataloging the cutest book in the world, Dogs in Knits. While in theory I am against putting a dog in a sweater, because, you know, that’s why they have fur, I can’t help but dissolve into a puddle of overwhelmed cutification when I see them. This book has patterns and instructions for the cutest puppy sweaters, and even little bios of the doggy models. I can’t stand the cuteness! I’m melting!

Luckily I have no talent, so could never attempt anything in this book, because the dog in my family would wither me with one look if I dared try approaching him with one of these sweaters. I still bear scars from the puppy cowboy hat from this year’s pet parade ...

by AA @Main

Libraries Close Early

Due to inclement weather, all branches at the Santa Fe Public Library will be closing at 6:00 pm today, Wednesday, December 23rd.

Please call your local branch if you have further questions about hours and closings:

Main Library: 955-6781
La Farge Library: 955-4860
Southside Library: 955-2810

Elementary...

Sometimes a literary character becomes so ubiquitous, it's easy to forget that she or he is not a real person. Sherlock Holmes, for example, has found immortality and fame as a character in both his own works and spin-offs and appropriations. Mr. Holmes has also led a long and varied life on the small and silver screens. While some people believe that Basil Rathbone is the ultimate Sherlock, I think that the television and movie series starring Jeremy Brett characterizes both the original stories and Sherlock Holmes character the best. However, another actor is donning the Sherlock Holmes mantle soon. While Robert Downey Jr. doesn't quite have the Jeremy Brett Sherlockian profile, lets hope he pulls it off.

If you'd like to view the Holmes universe from a different angle, a new graphic novel by Leah Moore (daughter of Alan Moore of Watchmen fame) and John Reppion puts our intrepid detective in an uncharacteristic situation. It starts slowly, but definitely becomes a page-turner, especially in front of a cozy fire on a chilly winter evening. The first volume, The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, also brings a lot of depth to the Dr. Watson character that many other adaptations miss.

If you've read all the books and stories, watched the shows and movies, and belong to as many Holmesian Societies as you have time for but your interest still isn't slaked, an interesting area of research is Holmes's creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. We have several biographies about him, and here's an interesting article about his interests in the occult and spiritualism.

As the great character queried: "...when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" And the truth is that Sherlock Holmes and his many creators will be entertaining and enlightening fans new and old for years to come.

Green Chile Cheeseburgers Galore!

Even though this time of year will have most of us making and/or eating posole and tamales, Gil's Thrilling (and Filling) Blog has recently highlighted our state's unofficial Casual Dining Dish: The New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger. He's gone even further than word-of-mouth amongst friends, and has posted The New Mexico Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail interactive map. On the map, you can click on a burger and get the address of the burger joint. Wryly cool. (Uh, oh: looks like the SE corner of our state is strictly batty.)

The map is "a listing of the Land of Enchantment’s most outstanding green chile cheeseburger restaurants, drive-ins, diners, dives, joints, cafes, roadside stands and bowling alleys." The Cheeseburger Trail grew from a collaboration between the New Mexico Tourism Department and the Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge at the New Mexico State Fair in September. Likely this will drive out-of-state readers wild with desire to get back to New Mexico for a Green Chile Cheeseburger. For us in-state eater/readers, it can give us ideas for new places to try on road trips, or places in town we may have overlooked.

Be sure to check Gil's blog to see the winner of the Governor’s Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge, and to see which local eateries made the map.

by JP @SS & AM @Main

New Year's Closures

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will close at 1:00 pm on Thursday, December 31st for New Year's Eve. They will be closed all day on Friday, January 1st for New Year's Day.

The Libraries will resume normal hours on Saturday, January 2:

Saturday, January 1:
All Libraries: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, January 3:
Main Library: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

Have a Happy New Year!

Encore, CSF

I think a lot of people have been holding their collective breath to see how things would turn out with the Laureate takeover of the College of Santa Fe. I know I have been. And so I jumped at the chance to get tickets to the first official play in the Greer Garson Theatre (not the little Weckesser theatre, but the big red velvety one) since the takeover. Back when I was a student at CSF, I had to go to one of the plays for my Western Culture class. I didn’t want to go, my date backed out, and my car broke down at the gas station on the way. But once I got there, I fell in love with the whole experience – the acting, a friend in the cast, the red velvet seats, the cozy cavelike feeling of the theatre, a gripping play keeping me on the edge of my seat. For the subsequent seventeen years, I have caught as many of the plays as I’ve been able, even when I lived outside of New Mexico for a few years, on frequent trips back home. I’ve rarely been disappointed in the talent, the caliber, the entire experience. And I wept copiously after going to see Sweet Charity, the final play last year, when we thought the College was finished for good.

I was nervous that things would have changed, and that it wouldn’t be the same fantastic experience I had taken for granted. When I arrived, the audience was small, and the theatre had been curtained in half to make it smaller. But I settled into my seat with hope in my heart, and I was not disappointed. I’m pleased to report that the play I saw on Sunday, Boys’ Life, carried me away. It was well-acted and thought-provoking, the characters were engaging and infuriating, the set design was clever, and I really enjoyed the whole thing immensely.

Whatever the rest of the story is with the “new” College of Santa Fe, I’m thrilled that the theatre department is still persevering, and I’m already making plans to catch the student-directed production in February. I’ll be the one in the front, bouncing up and down on my red velvet seat.

by AA @Main

Amahl and the Night Visitors

Saturday, January 9th
2:00 - 2:45 pm
Southside Branch Library
6599 Jaguar Drive

A BRAVO Kids Concert of Amahl and the Night Visitors, a children’s Christmas/Epiphany opera, will be presented at the Southside Branch Library. The opera will be costumed and staged, featuring 6 youth singers.

The Santa Fe Public Library is hosting this free event in conjunction with the Santa Fe Concert Association.

Call 955-2828 for more information.

Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board Seeking New Members

The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board (MYAB) is looking for two youth, ages 13-18, to join the Board. The MYAB is a group of ten youth in Santa Fe who provide input to the Mayor and City Council on youth policy and work to get other youth involved in their community. They are looking for members who are active and committed to their community and who want to have a voice in city government.

Applications forms can be found by searching MYAB on the City of Santa Fe's website. All applications must be submitted to myabapplications@gmail.com by 5:00 p.m. on January 8th. All questions can be directed by email to alxwirth@gmail.com or to Gordon Betancourt at 955-6860. The current members of the board will recommend two applicants to the Mayor and City council for appointment.

Christmas Holiday Closings

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be closing at 1:00 pm on Thursday, December 24 for Christmas Eve. All branches will also be closed on Friday, December 25 for Christmas.

The Libraries will resume normal hours on Saturday, December 26:

Saturday, December 26:
All Libraries: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Sunday, December 27:
Main Library: 1:00 - 5:00 pm

May everyone have a healthy and happy holiday!

No Wonder Why We're Tired

Tired, yet happy!

We've updated the Library Facts and Statistics page with the past fiscal year's details. Library visits have gone up almost 7% over the past year.

Some more fun facts:

• Our borrowers (that's you with a library card!) increased 8.22%
• Library visits increased almost 7%
• Our circulation—books and other items checked out—increased 21.12%.
• Almost 24% of those items were Children's.
• Young Adult circulation increased by 43%.
• Self-check out increased by almost 55%
• 28% more holds were filled
• 499 Programs were just for Children, almost 10% more than last year
• 15,126 Children attended library programs, for a 12.17% increase
• Adult Program attendance increased by 60%
• Reference questions increased by almost 7% (Who says the Internet will replace librarians?)

Interestingly, use of our public PCs decreased by about 4%. Even though it seems as if our computers are always in use, we believe that the Wifi at every branch has freed up the PCs a bit. We're still waiting on those statistics.

Still curious about us? Be sure to check our Library Facts and Statistics page for every number you can dream of.

I've Been Schooled

Not often, but often enough, I've been hearing or reading the phrase, "a myriad of," and my ears or eyes chafe. Let's say the original sentence is "You have a myriad of possibilities," using myriad as a noun. Well, my inner editor would immediately do some cutting in order to hear, "You have myriad possibilities," where myriad is an elegant and economical and lyrical adjective.

My inner indignant editor finally reached critical mass today, and I went to the convenient Merriam-Webster. According to this trusted source...I'm wrong, but apparently I'm in a wrong majority. Myriad can function as both a noun and an adjective, and its use as a noun precedes the adjective by about two centuries. M-W even editorializes in its usage section:

"The noun myriad has appeared in the works of such writers as Milton (plural myriads) and Thoreau (a myriad of), and it continues to occur frequently in reputable English. There is no reason to avoid it." [Emphasis added.]

Just to make sure, indubitably sure, I consulted two of my favorite word sites for confirmation: A.Word.A.Day and World Wide Words. They both back up Merriam-Webster, albeit with a tad less scolding. AWAD has even fielded letters about this word, while making pleas to all to allow the English language to breathe and grow.

So, my ears and eyes must adjust to this breathing growing language. I can start by saying how thankful I am that everytime I sit down to write, I have a myriad of words to choose from. It still sticks a bit, but at least it's not incorrect.

Mapping New Mexico

With a state as vast as ours, maps and atlases are an ongoing fascination for many of us. However, if you'd like to get to know the state aside from roads and topography, there are a couple of great online resources to start with.

The New Mexico Humanities Council has put together the Atlas of Historic New Mexico Maps. This online resource has maps from the 1500s to the early Twentieth Century. A great feature of these maps is the ability to switch back and forth between the historic map and New Mexico today. You can also see the older map superimposed on today's physical map for reference. Biographical information about the mapmaker is provided, and all the maps are put into a larger historical context with a wealth of primary source documentation.

If literature is more your passion, the New Mexico Office of the State Historian has a literary map of the state. You can click on a place name, and links to literary excerpts appear for each one. History, memoir, poetry, and fiction are all used to verbally map each place. For example, clicking on Chimayó brings up a prose excerpt by Cristina Ortega, and poetry by Adán V. Baca and Estevan Rael-Gálvez. It's easy to lose track of time on this site as you read about places you've been to, or click on places you've never heard of and read what has touched others about it.

After studying up on the history and literature of the Land of Enchantment, you'll soon be pulling out those road atlases to plan your next adventure!

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Sorry, I lied.

The City of Santa Fe has put out some great resources if you don't want your leisurely walk to be wild and woolly. Prescription Trails is a series of guides that chart out walk- and wheelchair-friendly routes throughout the city.

The information is similar to hiking trail guides, with an overview of the route, mileage, trail surface, and attractions. All the guides are arranged by Zip Code and available in either jpg or PDF-printable formats.

A quick scan through a bunch of trails showed that they were under a mile, and many were at Difficulty grades 1 and 2. So even if this winter hits us hard, it should still be possible for all of us to take a little stroll around our city. Just make sure to bundle up before you go.

New Blog on the Block

Just a couple of weeks ago, we were given a heads-up about a new blog, Santa Fe Literary News. We thought we'd have to wait a bit for this resource to get its cyberlegs, but in just a couple of weeks it's become essential for local book lovers. Maintained by local writer James McGrath Morris, this is definitely one to check weekly, if not daily.

Recent posts include:

• Reviews of Butterfly Landscapes of New Mexico and The Santa Fe House
• New Mexican Writing Contest
• Santa Fe Science Writing Workshop
• Santa Fe Writers Conference

Whether it's a local reading, or a local author's tome making it to the big screen, this blog fills a much-needed niche in online Santa Fe. If you need to promote some local literary news, James provides an easy link to his e-mail on the blog. I could go on, but you'll just have to check it yourself!

Young Native Artists Show and Sale

Saturday and Sunday, December 12th and 13th
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

John Gaw Meem Room
New Mexico History Museum
Entrance on Washington Ave. next to the Palace Gift Shop.

Most Santa Feans and most likely every tourist has shopped under the portal at the Palace of the Governors for exquisite Native American jewelry over the years. What most people do not know is that the Native American artists must be 18 years of age to sell on the Portal. To meet the needs of the many younger, talented artists, the Young Native Americans Artist Show and Sale for the children of the Portal Artists was created.

For the past four years, the Main Library has had the privilege of hosting this program while the New Mexico History Museum completed its expansion. I had the honor of working closely with the Native American Portal Committee to help coordinate the program at the Library. Trust me, it was no imposition.

On the morning of the event the parents, aunts and uncles and children would line up outside the Library, many having driven for hours to get to Santa Fe. Over the four years, I have seen children grow into adult artists with the greatest creativity and talent. My office is a brighter place with art by Camile, pottery by Mitchell, and figurines by Beth. And my jewelry is commented on every time I wear a piece by Tammy, Bradley or Richard. I have watched these talented young people grow, not only physically, but in their many artistic skills. Tammy has grown from a quiet 9-year-old into a vivacious teenager, eager to show her work and let people know how she creates her work.

This year I have the honor of cutting the ribbon to open this Show and Sale; I serve as a kind of honorary godmother to the project and to the children. They did not have to ask me if I would be there to do the honors, they knew I would be there anyway for our incredible young artists.

We have found that tourists have called the library weeks in advance to make sure they had the correct dates as they so enjoy this Show and Sale. Don’t miss meeting these talented young artists. Come join us.

by PCH @Main

This Will Change Your Life...

While doing, ahem, research at lunchtime, I came across the following. It's already changed several lives. Will it change yours?



If the video doesn't show, click here.

2009 New Mexico Book Award Winners

The New Mexico Book Co-op has announced the New Mexico Book Award winners. Every year, publishers and authors submit books they have written or published, to be considered for the New Mexico Book Awards. The fun for the Library staff begins when they sign up to review the books submitted. Other libraries and volunteers are involved. Every book was judged by at least 3 people; some books in big categories had as many as nine judges. The judges reviewed all the books. And from that 34 Winners and 115 Finalists were selected.

Our contacts at LPD Press kindly haul in boxes of books for our review, all neatly divided and marked as to category—poetry, history, children’s books, self-help, etc. The variety of the books is amazing—on all levels from pre-school books to academic tomes.

As a special treat, the reviewer may request one of the books they reviewed as a thank you. The Friends of the Library and the Santa Fe Public Library sponsor the category of Young Readers Book, (to grade 3).

Special awards are given to authors: award winners this year were Michael McGarrity, Joe Sando, Howard Bryan and Joe Wesbrook. Tony Hillerman’s Thief of Time won the People’s Choice Award. Best New Mexico Book is Martha Andrews and Richard Melzer’s The Whole Damned World (Rio Grande Books). Best of Show Book is Jillian Brasch’s The Last Gifts: Creative Ways to Be with the Dying (Andrews McMeel Publishing), and Lois Manno’s Visions Underground: Carlsbad Caverns through the artist's eye (Rio Grande Books). A tie.

This shows the best of our creative New Mexico writers and publishers. Happy reading.

by PCH @Main

Interlibrary Loan Holiday Hiatus

Interlibrary Loans will be temporarily suspended between Saturday, December 12th, 2009 and Friday, January 1st, 2010. We will not accept any requests after Saturday, December 12th, and will resume accepting requests on Saturday, January 2nd, 2010.

The Interlibrary Loan Department takes a hiatus at the end of the year due to closures of educational institutions from which we do much of our borrowing and lending.

Interlibrary Loan requests need to be submitted in person. We will not be accepting requests while we are on hiatus, and we ask that you wait until January 2nd to bring them in.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

December Library Exhibits

Main Library
The Oil Paintings
by Gina Bilwin

La Farge Library
Arts and Crafts
from the Seniors of
Mary Esther Gonzales Senior Center

Southside Library
Puzzling Creation
Paintings
by Jim Modiano

For more information, check our Art page.

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