Introduction to Cultural Rhythms

with Helen Trencher:

A free event for children and their families.

An interactive, “hands-on” performance with stories and different instruments from the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

Wednesday, April 13
3:30-4:30
Main Library

Wednesday, April 13
6:30-7:30
Southside Library

Thursday, April 14
3:30-4:30
La Farge Library

Sponsored by The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Main Art Committee Hiatus

The Art Committee at the Main Library will be on hiatus in April and May, 2011. Meetings will resume on June 1 at 2:00 pm in the Pick Room at the Main Library.

The Art Committee selects the artwork for the Tybie Davis Satin Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Main Library. For more information, call 955-6717.

Clouds over Pedernal by Patricia Hodapp was part of the May 2008 exhibit at the Southside Branch Library.

Pen and Ink and the Gift of a Card

With Sherry Bishop

Monday, April 4
5:30 - 7:30 pm
La Farge Library
1730 Llano St.

Tuesday, April 5
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Southside Library
6599 Jaguar Dr.

This hands-on, two-hour free workshop for adults is filled with tips and techniques for working with vintage pointed pens, calligraphy pens, inks and watercolors in creating beautiful cards.

All materials are provided.

Please call the library to register:
La Farge: 955-4862
Southside: 955-2820

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

April Great American Cleanup™ Events!

Electronic Waste Drop Off Day
One Day Only
Saturday, April 2
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 ($10 disposal fee: cash only)
• CRT computer monitors ($5 disposal fee: cash only)
• Computers, servers and laptops
• Flat screen monitors
• Printers and scanners
• Fax machines
• Telephones and cell phones
• Palm Pilots and other hand-held electronic devices
• Lead acid batteries, computer back-up batteries, UPS batteries
• TV satellite equipment
• VCRs and CD players
• Stereo equipment
• Computer and TV game assemblies
• Cameras and video cameras

Not accepted:

• Coffee makers
• Alkaline batteries
• Hair dryers
• Bread machines
• Light bulbs of any kind
• Cardboard or paper
• Appliances including microwave ovens
• Household hazardous waste

Other events in April:

Appliance Drop Off Day
April 9
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
1142 Siler Road
On this day Santa Fe residents can drop off refrigerators, freezers, ovens, dishwashers, water heaters, washers and dryers in addition to appliances scrap metal rims (without the tires) and metal construction debris. After 1pm, items can be taken to Capitol Scrap Metal at 1162 Cooks Lane.


Great American Cleanup™
April 30
On this day volunteers young and old help clean up our city streets, parks, arroyos, and school grounds or even their neighborhoods. Afterwards, KSFB hosts a picnic to thank our many hard-working volunteers. Registration is from 7-9 am at 1142 Siler Road or on the Keep Santa Fe Beautiful website. Cleanup is until 12 noon.

For more information, go to the Keep Santa Fe Beautiful website.

A Somber Anniversary

This past month, I've taken time off work without worrying that my job wouldn't be mine when I came back. I've been able to see my nieces and nephews while they were on their spring break from school, instead of spending their teen years working in a factory. I've had work-free weekends to catch up on errands, chores, and hobbies. Many of my friends and family also enjoy things such as sick leave and safe working conditions.

I wish I could say that these workplace standards erupted spontaneously over the years as the hallmarks of an advanced and humane society. However, the sad truth is that most protections have been fought for bitterly since the Industrial Revolution, and this struggle is not without its martyrs. Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. The incident of March 25, 1911, is the "deadliest workplace accident in New York City’s history" with 146 casualties, many of them teenage girls sewing blouses in a factory to support or supplement their families' income.

Two years earlier in 1909, the Triangle Factory workers were leaders in an effort to unite the employees of all the city's garment factories, leading to a lengthy strike of 20-30,000 workers. As a result of the strike, employees at other factories were granted improvements in hours, wages, and conditions, and the right to form unions for collective bargaining. The Triangle workers earned modest gains in wages and conditions, but their union was not recognized by the factory owners.

While labor reforms were already on the national radar at this time, the horror of the Triangle Fire enabled the general public to understand the plight of factory workers and the need for basic worker protections. Thankfully, many of these protections have not only survived these last hundred years, but more have been added in that time. OSHA, FMLA, worker's compensation, unemployment insurance, and discrimination and harassment protections are things that the workers of the Triangle factory hadn't even dreamed of.

Would you like to find out more about this pivotal moment in United States history? The PBS series, American Experience, has an excellent page with an hour-long film that is a must-see. Cornell University's site, Remembering the Triangle Factory Fire, has timelines, interviews, photographs, and commemorative events. The Santa Fe Public Library has several books and films for different age levels about the fire, and many novels have been written about this event as well.

If nothing else, take a moment today to ponder this avoidable tragedy, and be thankful for the protections it gave us.

Photo of Triangle Fire Coffins courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Changing Tastes

Many of my friends are addicted to the Food Network or Saturday afternoon PBS cooking shows. They buy cookbooks to find new recipes for arugula, truffles, goat cheese or other upscale food products. Me? I just love to read cookbooks. Cookbooks tell you so much about a society and a specific time in a specific country. I have recipe books from my mother with tons of jello recipes and how to make about every casserole conceivable. In the 1950s, a meal without green jello with carrots, celery and onions was not a complete meal. I can never have enough bread books, although I know all the recipes by heart.

As I was picking up one of my cookbooks to find a recipe for Spanish Rice, it fell and opened to the letter “O” in the index. I expected to find oysters and oxtail soup but was surprised to see an entry for opossum. And this was the Joy of Cooking. My book was a 1964 copyright, not a recipe book from the 1800s.

Opossum. The recipe was not tricky, except the authors suggested one catch the opossum and feed on only clear water for a week to help lighten the taste before killing, skinning and preparing it. No road kill recommended here. Other entries included other forms of varmits, as my mother would have called them, such as raccoon, squirrel, beaver, badger, woodchuck and muskrat.

My mother never wanted to cook varmints, but her father ate everything that moved. He often told her it was due to the near starvation of his Michigan volunteer Civil War Company who had marched with Sherman to the Sea in 1864. No rations were available from the government or the army. Friendships formed due to the scavenging skills a soldier had. My grandfather knew the land and fought off starvation. My grandfather would eat grubs from rotted logs and enjoyed eating red ants (also claimed ants helped his arthritis) all of his life. After the War, neighbors near his farm would bring him turtles, squirrels and I am sure opossum was also a menu item. Many were boiled in a huge pot on an open fire.

My Spanish Rice turned out just the way I remembered it should taste. And no, I am not seeking opossum. But it was great fun to read the recipe. Just in case you need one, here is a recipe for muskrat.

Muskrat

Skin and remove all fat from hams of six (6) muskrats. Poach for 45 minutes. Saute one half cup of diced onions in 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add the muskrat hams and cook until brown. Serve with a cream of celery sauce.

Yum.

by PCH @Main

Short but Sweet

One of my favorite annual Santa Fe events is the 3 Minute Film Festival. Where else could you watch dozens of films in a single sitting without wandering out bleary-eyed and brain-dead? For the past few years, the screening has been held at the Lensic, and the films range from homegrown to international, hilarious to heartbreaking. Also, as the state's film industry has blossomed, it's common to see friends' names in the credits or their faces on-screen.

If you're a budding or professional filmmaker, the submission guidelines are fairly simple. Films must be 3 minutes or less—that's 180 seconds to you—with a $15 entry fee. There are some other small details about format, and the deadline is April 11.

If you're not quite ready to make the leap into the world of the auteur, make sure to check out this year's festival on Friday, May 20. It's at the Lensic again this year, and ticket prices are TBA. Take heed: they sell out quickly!

FACT Spring Student Art Exhibit

April 1 - 30, 2011
Southside Library

6599 Jaguar Dr.

Opening Reception
Friday, April 1
4 - 6 pm

Celebrate young artists from FACT's Spring 2011 visual arts programs in Santa Fe! Attend the Opening Reception where FACT: Fine Arts for Children & Teens will supply free art-making materials for families to create their own works of art. If making and looking at art isn't enough, refreshments will be offered at the opening.

Featuring over 150 artwork pieces, this exhibition showcases the creative talent of students from Agua Fria, César Chavez, Salazar, and Sweeney Elementary schools as well as art from the Santa Fe Indian School, the Youth with Promise program, the Juntos los Jueves program and FACT ARTbarn Community Studio classes.

Founded in 1990, FACT: Fine Arts for Children & Teens is a non-profit organization that provides visual arts programs to 4,000 youth in northern New Mexico. FACT is nationally recognized for its innovative community-based arts education that supports life long learning.



Image at top: Weather Skyscapes by Ida, Grade 4
Images at top from the Matisse-Inspired Portraits series:
Left: by William, age 7
Right: by Isabella, age 6

Spring Sale at Main

April 2 & 3
Main Library
145 Washington Ave.

Friends Members Only*:
Saturday: 10 am - 12 pm

Open to public:
Saturday: 12 pm - 4 pm

Sunday: 1 pm - 4 pm
$3 Bag Day!

*Memberships available at the door:
Individual: $10 - Household: $15

Hardcover books - $1.00 ea.
Paperback books - $0.50 ea. or 3 for $1.00
Children's books - $0.25 ea.
Videos & DVDs - $1.00 ea.
Cassettes - $0.25 ea.

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.

Kids aren't just the future...

...We've got tons of activities for them in the present!

Did you know that all three branches of the Santa Fe Public Library have Children's rooms with books, audiobooks, magazines, computers, and more. Whether your child is a newborn or in the last year of middle school, there's something for him or her in the Children's Department.

If you want to search just for Children's books and other items, we have a separate search page set up for this on our catalog. We also have a frequently updated list of New Children's Books. If you're encouraging a tween or teen to read, we have both a Young Adult Search and a list of New Teen Titles. Do you or your children need a library card? All the information and printable applications are here.

Our regular programming includes PreSchool Story Time at all 3 branches. This is for kids aged 2-5 years and includes a story, craft or activity each week. If your child is 6 months to 2 years old, check out Books & Babies at La Farge and Southside to encourage reading early. There are regularly scheduled programs that change monthly, so be sure to keep an eye on our For Kids page and the Library Events Calendar for dates, times, and descriptions. We also post notices of Children's and Teen events here at Icarus, so subscribe to our blog so you don't miss anything.

You can always call our Children's Departments to get more information about our fabulous offerings for kids:

Main Library
145 Washington Ave.
955-6783

La Farge Library
1730 Llano St.
955-4863

Southside Library
6599 Jaguar Dr.
955-2828

We look forward to seeing you!

Two-Part Internet Workshop

April 6 & 13

Main Library
Community Room
145 Washington Ave.

Take this two-part workshop to learn the basics about getting online.
This free workshop is limited to ten adults, aged 18 and over.

Participation in Part 1 is required for Part 2.
Registration is recommended and will start on March 23.
Call 955-6781 or register in person at the Main Reference Desk.

Wednesday Mornings
10:15 - 11:45 a.m.

Part 1: April 6
Mouse, Links, and More! –
An introduction to using a mouse, clicking on links, filling out web forms, using search engines, and beginning web surfing.

Part 2: April 13
Get Your E-mail –
Set up a free e-mail account, send and receive messages, forward and reply to messages, delete messages, create folders, and Sign Out.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Full Circle:

A Pioneer Family Story in New Mexico and the West

Thursday, March 24,
7:00 p.m.
Main Library Community Room

Full Circle continues the story of Thomas Chown’s first novel, Wolves at the Door, a story based on his ancestor’s pioneering across Kansas, New Mexico, and Colorado from 1864 to 1944. The story reflects the fictional Devon family's experiences from the Battle of Westport, Missouri, to their Ft. Scott, Kansas, homestead and the founding of Kiowa, Kansas. Their move west continues to the coal mines of Madrid, New Mexico, and to Walsenburg, Colorado. Their story offers a particular historical perspective of early Santa Fe, Madrid, and Las Vegas, New Mexico, all carefully researched by the author.

For reviews of Mr. Chown’s books, check out his website.

This event is free and open to the public.

eBooks Await

Are you curious about eBooks? We are too! We've been getting tons of requests for downloadable texts for your eReaders. Just to assure you, we're looking into options from various vendors for eBook subscriptions.

In the meantime, there are some stop-gap measures you can take. If you have an MP3 player or iPod, visit our One-Click Downloadable Audiobooks page and listen to some interesting titles. For free eBook options, we have listings on our About Books and Literature page. And while we're weighing our options, let us know what you're looking for in an eBook provider. Selection? Ease of download and transfer? New bestsellers or old classics? You can provide feedback in the comments section here, or email us at library@santafenm.gov.

Thanks for your patience, and we're looking forward to hearing from you!

HORIZON LINE

An exhibit of landscape art in all media

March 18 - June 3

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

Opening Reception
Friday, March 18
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Free and Open to the Public.
Refreshments will be served.

The City of Santa Fe Community Gallery announces “Horizon Line”, an exhibit featuring landscape art in all media. The original definition for the term landscape meant a patch of cultivated ground and the intent of this exhibit is to offer the most inclusive representation of “cultivated ground” in the minds of New Mexico artists. Contrary to the title, this exhibit will explore images that include use of the classical “landscape” composition as well as abstractions and variations on the theme.

The exhibit includes work by: Dan Boldman, Michael Darmody, Nicole Dunn, Erica Elliott, Richard Fenker, Daniel Fiverson, Maureen Freyne, Susan Gardner, Charles Greeley, Christina Hall-Strauss, John Hogan, Gregory Hordenski, Kathleen M. Jackson, Steven A. Jackson, Cheryl Koen, Nancy Kriebel, Linda Loliet, Kim McCloud, Diana McCormick, Leslie McNamara, Larry Ogan, Linda Oldham, Nancy Reyner, Victoria Rogers, Kat Sawyer, Nancy Silvia Murata, George Vogel, and S.K. Yeatts.

Community Gallery Hours of Operation:
Tuesday through Saturday: 10 am to 5 pm
Public parking is available in the Center garage, located off Federal Avenue.

For more information:
Rod Lambert, Gallery Manager
Call (505) 955-6705
Email rdlambert@santafenm.gov
Visit The Arts Commission Website.

Image: Winter in Taos by Nancy Silvia (Pastel on pumice-covered board). Photo courtesy of the artist.

Astronomical, and other, Events

Are you an armchair physicist or a back-porch astronomer? You might enjoy the videos from Sixty Symbols from the University of Nottingham: short, informal films that cover everything from neutrinos to Isaac Newton to Neptune. All the videos are under ten minutes in length, and are easy enough to understand for anyone from middle school on.

Check out their video about Solar Eclipses. You get to see a total eclipse in China, with tips on making your own light-filtering lenses and some interesting historical background:




Have trouble seeing the video? Click here.

Exploration of Mathematics

A Free Math Class for All Ages 10 - 100
At Any Level of Math Knowledge


Presented by D. Robert Fant
Theoretical Mathematician
& the Santa Fe Public Library


Oliver La Farge Branch
1730 Llano St.

Thursdays:
March 17, 24, 31
April 7
3:30 - 5:30 pm

Recommended for:

* Public or Homeschooled Students
to raise grades, prepare for GED or college

* Retired or Senior Persons
to maintain brain health

* Artists / Musicians / Construction Trades
to enhance natural talent and expand career options

Using number theory, math history, fractions and geometry to increase Math Knowledge, and make peace with math!

To register and for more information, call 955-4862.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

The 5 Best Strategies to Improve Your Writing

Monday, March 21
6:30 - 7:00 p.m.
La Farge Library
1730 Llano St.

Using concepts from 300 Days of Better Writing, local author David Bowman will discuss 5 top strategies for writing clearly and professionally in this half-hour workshop for adults.

This event is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

Teen Programs Return

The Teen Programs at the Southside Library are returning on Thursday, March 17 at 4:30 pm.

Kicking it off will be Anime Club showing Spiral, episodes 1 & 2.

The full schedule for teen programs:

1st Thursdays: Teen Book Club
2nd Thursdays: Teen Advisory Board
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.

Small Wonders:

Puppet Friends Around the World
A free event for children and their families.

Wednesday, March 16
Main Library:
3:30 - 4:30 pm

Wednesday, March 16
La Farge Library:
6:30 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 19
Southside Library:
10:30 - 11:30 am

Join Sunny Birklund and the Puppet Playhouse for adventures from around the world with amazing puppet friends from many cultures near and far.

Image from PuppetHub.

March Sale

Southside Library
6599 Jaguar Dr.
March 12 & 13

No Members Only Hours!
Open to public:
Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm

Sunday: 1 pm - 4 pm
$3 Bag Day!

Hardcover books - $1.00 ea.
Paperback books - $0.50 ea. or 3 for $1.00
Children's books - $0.25 ea.
Videos & DVDs - $1.00 ea.
Cassettes - $0.25 ea.

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.

He's a character, alright!

Several years ago, a co-worker suggested that I blog about Charles Lummis around his birthday, March 1. I knew a couple of catchphrases about him: writer, librarian, editor, Indian Rights activist. March can be a busy month in Libraryland, so the poor guy has been languishing in my to-do file since then.

After reading a few brief histories of this extraordinary man and his work, I'm glad to finally catch up with him. Born in 1859, in Lynn, Massachusetts, Lummis' life stands out from many of the stories about Yankees who made their way West at that time. For one thing, he walked out here. Yes, when given a job as a reporter for the nascent Los Angeles Times, he decided to take a stroll from Cincinnati and write about his travels along the way. It was on this tramp that he fell in love with New Mexico, despite almost freezing to death in a snowstorm.

The rest of his life was spent divided among Los Angeles, travel, and San Mateo and Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico. As a Yankee who also migrated out West—with the help of modern transportation— I can't help but be entertained by this character. I don't want to give anything else away about this extraordinary man, so I'll just point you to some sources if you're intruigued:

• New Mexico Office of the State Historian: Charles F. Lummis
• Charles Fletcher Lummis, 'Apostle of the Southwest,' 1859-1928
• Library Books about Charles Fletcher Lummis
• Library Books written by Charles Fletcher Lummis

Make a Mobile!

Come join our craft program for children ages 4 - 12.
All materials are provided, and it's free!

Please call or visit your branch to register:

Tuesday, March 8
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Southside Library
955-2828

Wednesday, March 9
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Main Library
955-6783

Thursday, March 10
3:30 - 4:30 pm
La Farge Library
955-4863

Sponsored by The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

March Art in the Library

Main Library
Scissors, Paper and Fabric
Mixed Media Collage
by Alex Jacobs

& In the Glass Cases:
Book Selections
by The Children's Department

La Farge Library
Photorealism in Colored Pencil
by Charles Jones

Southside Library
Shining Seasons
Acrylic Paintings & Photography
by Paula Gallagher, IHM

For more information, check our Art page.

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