Social Networking = Direct Democracy?

One of those facts that was tucked away in our high school Civics or Government classes is that the United States is a Representative Democracy, not a Direct Democracy. While some smaller communities may be able to allow each citizen to directly vote on certain issues, most federal, state, and municipal decisions are made by the Senators, Representatives, and Councilors elected by the citizens. While changing this on a federal level would require an overhaul of the US Constitution, there's a new tool available to directly "cast a vote" on everything from the bills in Congress to your approval of the US President.

Visible Vote is accessible online, and there are also apps available for Facebook, iPhones, Blackberries, and Androids, so you can cast your vote anywhere. You can see real-time statistics by bill and by state, and there's a chart comparing how closely aligned various Senators are to their Visible Voting constituents. For example, 41.18% of Visible Vote Voters in New Mexico voted for the Jobs Bill of 2010. While it would be nice if this website could also link back to the text of the bills on THOMAS, the Library of Congress's legislation database, it does provide an interesting snapshot of how the wired world is feeling politically.

Slim Pickens Day!

As much as librarians rely on facts and figures to provide you with the best possible answers to your many questions, many of us also have a fanciful side. For example, we often consult Chase's Calendar of Events to help develop programs and displays, such as Audiobook Month in June. However, we can't always go "by the book" for certain things. So in the spirit of whimsy, we declare today Slim Pickens Day.

That's right, we're taking June 29, his birthday, to pay homage to a quintessentially American actor. He's portrayed memorable characters in some of our favorite films, everything from Dr. Strangelove to Blazing Saddles to Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. With over a hundred film and TV credits and five decades of work, Mr. Pickens was also in some, well, doozies. Thankfully, even as a bit player, he tends to enliven any scene he's in.

So take a moment today to think of Slim Pickens, ruminate on Slim Pickens, and if you're brave, imitate a bit of Slim Pickens. You don't need to go so far as to ride an atom bomb to the world's destruction, but a bit of twang, a bit of swagger, a bit of gee whiz or Yeeee Haaaaaa!!!!, and I can bet you'll be having a very good day.

Independence Day Closings

All branches of the Santa Fe Public Library will be closed on Sunday, July 4, and Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.

All branches will be open regular hours, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, on Saturday, July 3rd.

Regular hours will resume at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 6.

Have a Blast!

Spoonful O' Sugar

If you'd like to indulge in some Classical philosophy this summer but you're not quite in the mood to, *ahem*, concentrate, the following video is just for you:





If you can't see the video, you can either remain in The Cave, or click here.

Pottery Workshop for Children

Monday, June 28
2:30- 4:00 pm
Southside Branch Library
6599 Jaguar Drive

San Ildefonso potter Evelyn F. Naranjo will present a free hands-on pottery workshop for children ages 6-12 years old. Children under the age of ten must be accompanied by an adult. The workshop is in conjunction with the installation of Woven Olla, an art piece by Randy Walker that will hang in the entrance to the Southside Branch Library. The participants will have an opportunity to work with natural Mother Earth clay with volcanic ash and form a pinch pot to take home.

Naranjo’s name is Than-Povi, which means Sun-Flower in the Tewa language. Her grandmother Santana Martinez and her great grandmother Maria Poveka Martinez were well known for their Black on Black pottery.

Naranjo stated that, “My center life has been around Traditional Black on Black Pottery. I remember as a little child I would sit next to my grandmothers watching, learning and smelling the pottery clay as they would make their coil pots. They would hand me some pottery clay and tell me make something, someday you will become famous. My appreciation to this art of pottery has been a very unique experience. I have been a student, an instructor and an advocate to teach our art of Black on Black pottery. I have really enjoyed sharing my knowledge that was taught to me by both of my grandmothers.”

This program is sponsored by the City of Santa Fe’s Art in Public Places program and the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

For more information call 955-2020.

Library Celebrates New Public Art

Community Invited to Put Finishing Touches on Piece

Southside Branch Library
6599 Jaguar Dr.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
2:00 PM

The City of Santa Fe Arts Commission, the Santa Fe Public Library, and New Mexico Arts, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, invite the public to celebrate the completion of a new public art work at the Southside Branch Library by assisting the artist in completing the piece. “Woven Olla” by Minneapolis-based public artist Randy Walker is an eight-foot diameter olla, or Native American water-carrying pot, woven with brilliant strands of fiber that will hang in the exterior entry of the library.

On Saturday, June 26, 2010 at 2:00 PM in the Community Room of the Library, Walker will share his vision for the piece. Laguna Pueblo potter Max Early will then discuss the history of Native American pottery, followed by a proclamation by Mayor David Coss. Community members are then invited to assist the artist in weaving the final strands of the olla. A reception will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

In 2008, the Arts Commission, in collaboration with the Library and New Mexico Arts, commissioned Walker to create the three-dimensional, suspended steel and fiber artwork to hang under the main exterior entry canopy of the Southside Branch Library. The sculpture references a traditional Pueblo water jar, or olla, and reinterprets it on a scale appropriate to the community and the Library. “Woven Olla” is a unifying form that marks the entry as a gathering place. The piece is an analogy for the Library as a container of knowledge, a resource no less precious than water.

“The installation of this symbolic olla at the Southside Branch Library is so exciting. The piece glows and creates the perfect welcoming beacon for the community,” stated Patricia Hodapp, Director of Libraries.

Walker is a public artist with pieces in public and private collections around the country. His résumé also includes gallery and exhibition work. Fiber is his primary media. He explores wrapped and woven three-dimensional space. He seeks out or constructs frameworks that act as looms. These frameworks can be found in objects like saw blades or window screens, or they can be architectural spaces. Each armature eventually defines the working method for a particular piece.

“My work straddles precariously on several boundaries: solidity and transparency, structural stability and collapse, visibility and invisibility,” stated Walker. “I strive to create work that primarily engages our sense of sight by contemplating how light can define structure, surface, and color.”

Funding for “Woven Olla” was provided by the City of Santa Fe’s Art in Public Places program as well as New Mexico Arts’ 1% for Public Art. The public art collection at the Southside Branch Library is built around the theme of “Word Flow,” which likens the power of water to the power of knowledge in building community. It includes works from local and national artists.

This vibrant sculpture will be mounted in the outside entryway above the north doors. The Art Committee for the Southside Branch Library selected the artist and approved his suggested art piece.

22frames

Online information is being delivered by video more than ever. YouTube and other sites are incredibly popular for everything from music videos to Nursing exam test prep. The City of Santa Fe has a number of instructional videos posted for its residents. However, the unmentioned piece of video is audio. You need a sound card for your computer, and usually either speakers or headphones to fully enjoy a video. But what if you're just learning English and want to watch a newscast? What if you're hearing impaired or deaf?

22frames is a new project that scours the web for videos that are either closed-captioned or English as a Second Language (ESL) -enriched. You can search videos by keyword, browse by subject category, translate the page into dozens of different languages, and limit the videos by Closed Captioned or English Learning Activities. I was impressed by the text captions that pop up as you rollover all the featured videos. They're succinct and detailed, and give you enough information about the video before clicking through. They also have separate links to learn idioms and common mispronunciations.

As multimedia gets more complex on the web, and as we seek to make both the physical and virtual worlds more inclusive, 22frames is a fantastic step in that direction. For a town that hosts New Mexico School for the Deaf and a sizable population of English-language learners, I'm certain that Santa Fe will have a lot to gain from it, and hopefully a lot to contribute.

¡ Mango !

SU BIBLIOTECA TIENE MÁS QUE SOLO LIBROS…
¡ TIENE A TODA LA LENGUA INGLESA !

¡Mango es la forma más efectiva de aprender a hablar un idioma!

Nuestro sistema online de aprendizaje de idiomas le enseñará las verdaderas aptitudes conversacionales de una amplia variedad de idiomas. Es tan fácil y rápido que empezará a hablar incluso después de la primera lección.

• Situaciones de la vida real y diálogos prácticos en Inglés estadounidense para enseñar habilidades de conversación que usted pueda utilizar.


• Nuestro sistema es interactivo, entretenido y fácil de usar. Hace que aprender sea DIVERTIDO!


• Mango es GRATUITO para todos los miembros de la biblioteca y accesible desde cualquier lugar en donde se pueda conectar en línea.

Conozca más acerca de cómo utilizar Mango en: http://libraries.mangolanguages.com/santa-fe/start

Summer Book Sale

Main Library
145 Washington Ave.
July 10 & 11

Friends Only Hours:
Saturday: 10 am - 1 pm

Memberships will be available at the door:
Individual: $10 / / Household: $15

Open to public:
Saturday: 1 pm - 4 pm
Sunday: 1 pm - 4 pm

Southwest Room:
Quality Items individually priced
Community Room:
Standard priced items

Bag Day Sunday: Community Room : only $3.00 per bag!

Hardcover books - $1.00 ea.
Paperback books - $0.50 ea. or 3 for $1.00
Children's books - $0.25 ea.
DVDs, CDs and Audiobooks also available!

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

Lovely Libraries

When you're in the same building frequently, say, every day as an employee, or a few times a month as a patron, it's easy to either disregard your physical surroundings or see the flaws in them all too well. That's one reason why it's so gratifying to have visitors and new arrivals to Santa Fe come into the library. They see the city and its offerings with fresh eyes, and they point out things our own eyes have become immune to. There's nothing like working a busy reference desk on a stressful day and having a visitor or transplant let us know how beautiful our libraries are and how much they appreciate the services we provide.

While we didn't make this list of The Most Amazing Libraries in the World, the Santa Fe Public Library—all branches—has some distinguishing features in common with the ones that did. Space, curves, natural light, an emphasis on having books in the direct line of sight. A blend of history and modernity as the hosts of communication, information, knowledge, and hopefully, wisdom. We may never be singled out on The Huffington Post for our style, but that's OK. We like where we are and what we look like, and we hope you do too!

Pollination – Encaustic Works From New Mexico

Grand Opening

June 25
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Open to the Public

Arts Commission Community Gallery
201 W. Marcy St. at Sheridan
In the Santa Fe Community Convention Center

The Community Gallery, in Collaboration with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and Ecoversity, will feature an exhibition presenting the wonder of encaustic painting as well as educational and inspired programming regarding the history and myriad encaustic techniques available to artists in that media, which relies on bees wax. Inherent in the subject matter of this exhibit are the numerous environmental impacts of civilization on bee populations and their role in our lives as vital pollinators. Over 20 artists in encaustic media will offer a full range of work that expresses both the beauty of the materials they use as well as the exacting nature of encaustic work. Numerous community events will connect visitors more closely to the natural environment through informative workshops/presentations and community education. The show runs through August 20th.

The work of over 20 artists will be represented in the “Pollination” exhibit, with a variety of encaustic techniques, styles and price points. The exhibit will include work by: Trina Badarak, Paige Baillie, Martha Rea Baker, Kelly Barrett, Francisco Benitez, Helen Cozza, Linda Fillhardt, Christy Hengst, Maureen Howles, Sandra Lerner, Stephanie Lerma, Joyce Macrorie, Sallyann Paschall, Teena Robinson, Paula Roland, Diane Rolnick, Susan Shaffer, Russell Thurston, Harriette Tsosie, Shawn Turung, Paula Verona, Carol Ware and Susan Zimmerman.

Workshop/Demonstration Calendar in the Community Gallery
- FREE to the public!

Harriette Tsosie
Saturday, June 26, 1-4 pm
Harriette Tsosie will give a short talk on the history of encaustic (pigmented wax) painting and demonstrate her encaustic process. Tsosie has been painting with wax for seven years. She is president of the Encaustic Art Institute and is represented by the Institute as well as FLUX Contemporary, Albuquerque.

Sallyann Paschall
Saturday, July 24, 1-4 pm
Sallyann Paschall will do an encaustic demonstration of not only basic encaustic techniques but techniques that incorporate collage elements into encaustic work. The basic demonstration will be followed by a chance for the audience to experience encaustics for themselves. Each participant will be given a small block of wood with which to experiment. Each person may then take their newly made work of encaustic art home with them.

Russell Thurston
Saturday, August 7, 1-4 pm
One of the more challenging aspects of encaustic painting is creating fine details. Over the years, Russell has developed various ways of adding oil paints, oil sticks, and dry pigments to facilitate detail work. While these methods can be difficult to control and require some skill, they offer additional choices in encaustic painting.

More specifically, Russell will demonstrate:

1) How to etch or emboss the surface of an encaustic painting with various tools and then apply oils, oil sticks, or pigments.
2) How to handle the differences in how the oil media responds to heat versus how wax responds.
3) How to use wax paper to mask parts of the painting to create particular effects such as fine details.

For more information about the Community Gallery, visit http://www.santafeartscommission.org/, send an email to rdlambert@santafenm.gov or call 505-955-6705.

Community Gallery Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Friday: 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday: 9:30 am to 5 pm

"Craft Time" for the rest of us

When we offer various craft programs for children, we often get adult patrons saying that they would love to participate. While there aren't currently plans to have glitter and glue sticks available to the over-18 set, there are plenty of opportunities around town to either make something neat or watch creation in action.

One of the most well-known is the Shidoni Gallery and Foundry in Tesuque. You have the opportunity to see bronze art casting in action, tour through the finished products in the sculpture garden, or use the foundry yourself to create something wonderful. If you're not quite ready to take on bronzing, Santa Fe Clay offers workshops and classes for all ages and abilities in the ceramic arts. Located in the Railyard District, they also have a gallery so you can gaze at other works for inspiration. For those of a more translucent bent, Bullseye Resource Center offers presentations and classes in working with glass. You can spend an afternoon watching experienced glassworkers showcase their talents or enroll in a workshop to create something of your own.

If you'd like to create something but don't want to get your hands dirty, the Santa Fe School of Weaving at Miriam's Well offers classes in weaving for all abilities and a knitting salon on Sundays. They have yarn and finished works by fiber artists for sale. For those of you who have always wanted to see your name in print, Santa Fe is home to a plethora of writers' groups and workshops. Among them is Wordharvest, which offers workshops on everything from writing your first chapter to selling your finished work. After all that casting and spinning and firing and knitting and writing, you and your family might be hungry. Thankfully, the Santa Fe School of Cooking also offers classes for all ages, and restaurant tours for the really hungry.

Santa Fe Creative Tourism has even more resources for experiencing your crafty side whether you're a visitor or resident. So feel free to bring the kids to the library's programs, and you don't have to feel as if you're missing out at all!

Make a Splash! Make a Difference!

The Summer Reading Program, Make a Splash! Read! is in full swing for all kids from birth to age 12. If you haven't registered yet, it's not too late to head to your local library and sign up. If you think Summer Reading is all prizes and games and puppets, think again!

According to the New Mexico State Library, "students who participate in summer reading programs score higher on reading tests than those who do not participate". This is especially important in New Mexico because in the Nation’s Report Card, "NM 4th graders scored lower than students in 43 other states on national standardized tests in 2009. Only 52% performed at or above the test’s Basic level." The 2009 Kids Count Data Book and the New Mexico Coalition for Literacy have more statistics and facts that illustrate how important reading is in childhood in creating literate adults.

The Summer Reading Program is a fun and free way to ensure that kids are learning to read and learning to love reading. So don't let the summer fun fool you. In the midst of the parties and magic shows, there's a whole lot of learning and literacy going on. Pick up a book today!

Thanks to LW @SS for the links.

Touristy Map

A quick trip outside your house will easily show you that it's Tourist Time in Santa Fe. While we don't yet have the crowds of summer, the sidewalks, shops, and traffic are already filling up. If you're curious about how touristy Santa Fe is, or how crowded your next vacation destination is, check out this Touristiness Map. Using a Google Maps interface and photos on Panoramio, you can get a great idea of both the world's hot spots as well as the roads less traveled.



Bon Voyage!

Librarians ARE Rockstars

Librarians illustrate the importance of the catalog, and you can dance to it!



If the video doesn't show up, click here!

Virtual Travel on the Santa Fe Trail

The National Endowment for the Humanities has selected the Santa Fe Trail and New Mexico as its featured virtual destination for the month of June. On its EDSITEment page, NEH has teamed up with UNM to travel to places such as San Ildefonso and Taos Pueblos, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, and our very own Palace of the Governors in The Road to Santa Fe: A Virtual Excursion.

While this is geared towards K-12 teachers, the wealth of information is useful to all ages and levels of interest. Excellent links to articles, photographs, maps, and interactive sites will keep you busy for a while. If you're planning a trip to New Mexico or are here already, browse through the site for some history and sightseeing ideas. If you're not fortunate enough to be in The Land of Enchantment this summer, hopefully this virtual tour will suffice, despite the absence of virtual chile.

June is Audiobook Month!

Did you know audiobooks are the answer to many of life’s problems?

Wishing you looked forward to your commute? Listen to an audiobook and you’ll wake up every morning wondering what will happen next in the story.

Going on a long car trip? Take an audiobook to make those long stretches bearable.

Looking to revive your workout routine? Listen to an audiobook while you whittle away the pounds.

Have a long summer reading list for school? Listen to the unabridged version of a book and you won’t miss a thing.

Audiobooks can be borrowed in CD format or downloaded from the library’s website. You can browse the library’s selections by clicking here.

by DB @LF

Southside Library Needs Volunteers

Have you always imagined that working in a library is your dream job? Do you have a gnawing desire to learn the finer nuances of the Dewey Decimal System? Do your family and friends make fun of you for your orderly system of arranging books, DVDs, and the kitchen pantry? Does the photo at left make you feel that all is right with the world? Have you ever wanted to learn the Librarian's Secret Handshake but were too intimidated to ask?

If you said "Yes!" to any of these questions, then you might be interested in volunteering at the Southside Library. This beautiful new state-of-the-art library is in dire need of folks like you who are willing to shelve books and other materials as well as go through those shelves and make sure that everything is in order. Benefits include:

• Free Parking!


• Frequent Praise and Adulation!


• Annual Volunteer Party!


• Comprehensive knowledge of the Library Collection! Amaze your friends!

To become a Southside Library Volunteer and for more information, call 955-2831.



Photo of the incredibly ordered shelves in the Southside Library Children's Room by TT @SS.

Calling All Recycled Materials Artists

The Santa Fe Arts Commission Community Gallery announces a call for artists in New Mexico who utilize recycled materials in their work. The Community Gallery, in conjunction with the City of Santa Fe’s Solid Waste Department and the New Mexico Recycling Coalition, is planning an exhibit for the Fall of 2010 that features work from local artists who use recycled materials that are normally destined to become waste. The exhibit is tentatively scheduled to run from September 24 through December 31, 2010. Over 30 artists will be selected to offer a full range of work that expresses the positive impact(s) of recycling on the environment. In conjunction with the exhibit, numerous community events will educate visitors on the importance of recycling and offer resources to promote recycling in the community.

Any interested artists should submit an artist portfolio of their work to Rod Lambert, the Community Gallery Manager on or before June 30, 2010. Portfolios should consist of 5-10 printed images of the artist’s work (on standard digital print paper) and an artist statement, resume and/or bio. Portfolios should be addressed to Community Gallery, PO Box 909, Santa Fe, NM 87504. Please specify that you would like to be considered for the Recycled Exhibit.

For more information about the Community Gallery, visit http://www.santafeartscommission.org/, send an email to rdlambert@santafenm.gov, or call 505-955-6705. The Gallery is located at 201 W. Marcy St. at the Sheridan intersection in the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.

Shakespeare on the Move

The New Mexico Rail Runner and UNM Department of Theatre Education and Outreach are teaming up to provide some great summer entertainment. Every Saturday afternoon in June, July, and August, scenes from Shakespeare's plays will be performed on the train between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. You can find full details here, including schedules and which types of scenes will be performed each month. The performances are free, aside from the train fare of course.

I'm sure the Love Scenes in June and the Comedic Scenes in July will be fantastic. However, I'm most looking forward to the Scenes of Treachery & Deceit in August. Hmmmm...swashbuckling swordplay on the train?! It sounds like a fantastic reason to take the Rail Runner, or as I call it, The Rail Funner, this summer.

SFPS Summer Food Program

Santa Fe Public Schools announces its sponsorship of the Summer Food Service Program. Beginning June 14, 2010 and ending August 5, 2010, meals will be served from 7:30-8:30 for breakfast and 11:30 - 12:30 for lunch, Monday through Friday at the following sites:

• Agua Fria
• Capital High
• Cesar Chavez Elementary
• De Vargas Middle School
• EJ Martinez
• Kearny Elementary
• Larragoite Elementary
• Ramirez thomas
• Salazar Elementary
• Sweeney Elementary
• Turquoise Trail Elementary ** (Turquoise Trail will open July 19, 2010)

This program is open and FREE to ALL children between the ages of 1 and 18 years.

You do not have to be participating in a school or city-sponsored program to attend!

For more information call: Santa Fe Public Schools at 467-3600 or 467-3606.

Summer Reading Bicycle Drawing

The Summer Reading Program, Make A Splash! Read!, started yesterday. In addition to the weekly prizes, programs, and craft events, the Santa Fe Public Library is also having a Bicycle Drawing for six children's bicycles. Summer Reading Program participants will get one entry for every reading log they turn in, starting with log number 3.

Each branch will give away one girl’s bike and one boy’s bike, along with helmets and bike locks. Gift certificates are available if a bike needs to be exchanged. Drawings will be held at the end-of-the-summer parties at each branch. The Southside Branch bicycle drawing will be done for all entrants at the Saturday party. Entrants need not be present to win.

For more information, please contact the Children's Room at your local branch:
Main Library: 955-6783
La Farge Library: 955-4863
Southside Library: 955-2828

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

June Library Exhibits

Main Library
Scenes of Santa Fe and Beyond
Three Dimensional Acrylics
by Larry Kerbs
&
Journeys From a Sidewalk
Drawings
by David Straud

La Farge Library
Summer Reading Program Display

Southside Library
Signs of Life, the Art of the Chinese Characters - Watercolors
Women Around the World - Acrylics
by Barbara Cate

For more information, check our Art page.

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