Vacations

Everyone has a different idea of the perfect vacation. Some people like to sit and people watch, some people like visit a spa, some people like to hike or mountain bike, some people like to go to casinos, some people like to visit museums – the important thing is to get pulled out of your usual routine and experience something new or something you have wanted to do. The library offers many travel guides to plan any trip and memoirs to satisfy any armchair traveler.

After many years of traveling – in the U.S. and in other countries – I finally have figured out what I need in a vacation – I like to walk. Yep. That’s right. Walk. I like to walk on the beach, I like to walk in the mountains, I like to walk in National Parks, but I especially like to walk in cities. I love looking at the architecture. I love looking at the gardens. Walking gives you time to absorb, to become familiar with an area. Visits to the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Parks were planned around day hikes.

On a visit to Scotland I set up home base in Glasgow and walked to restaurants, shopping, and museums. In San Francisco I just roamed the streets while enjoying the vistas, parks, and squares this hilly city has to offer. I’ve walked in New York, Chicago, Seattle, London, Edinburgh, New Orleans, Boston, and Portland, Oregon, just to name a few. I admit I have never walked the Appalachian Trail, so hilariously described in Bill Bryson’s A walk in the woods. That’s not my kind of walking, though it may be yours.

If vacations sound expensive, well, they can be. Just the cost of getting there can be prohibitive for many people. You can read about exotic locales. But if you are lucky enough, you can live somewhere like – well, Santa Fe. Spas? Got ‘em. Hiking, biking? Fishing? That too. National Parks and Monuments? Not far off. Museums, restaurants? Oh, yeah. Casinos? Yep. People watching? Definitely. Music? Certainly. And you can walk. So take a week and plan out some activities that you always wanted to do. Then vacation in Santa Fe.





PS@SS

First annual Mrs. Dalloway Marathon Reading.

Want to have your voice heard? Want to hear how others interpret Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway?
The Student Writers Association of Santa Fe University of Art and Design invites you to participate in a Santa Fe community and campus literary celebration--the first annual Mrs. Dalloway Marathon Reading.

"Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway, published in 1925, was a bestseller both in Britain and the United States and is noted as the first contemporary novel. Mrs. Dalloway is the story of a single day in June 1923, as lived by a few London citizens. It is a psychological story that explores the inner lives of its characters and how humans exist between the public and private self."

Readers and performers of the Marathon will take turns reading the entire book aloud, from cover to cover, beginning at 11:00 a.m..
The event will take place on Saturday, March 31, 2012 at Fogelson Library on the Santa Fe University of Art and Design campus, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive, Santa Fe..

Ooooh! More Book Sales

Ooooh! More Book Sales presented by the Friends of the Library! Fill your book shelves and stock up with books for the possible Spring snow storm!
March 24 & 25: Main Library Spring Sale, 145 Washington Avenue
Discount (Tatum Community Room) & Specially-priced Books (Southwest Room)• Saturday 24th: Members only 10:00 AM–Noon, Open to the Public Noon–4:00 PM• Sunday 25th: 1:00–4:00 PM, Open to the Public Bag Day in the Tatum Community Room

April 28 & 29: Southside Spring Sale, 6599 Jaguar Drive
Discount Books & Specially-priced Books. Open to the public both days, no members-only hours.• Saturday 28th: 10:00 AM–4:00 PM• Sunday 29th: 1:00–4:00 PM, Bag Day, Open to the Public
Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Funds raised from the book sales are used by the Library to purchase new books.

A Certain Peace: Acceptance and Defiance in Northern Ireland

A Certain Peace: Acceptance and Defiance in Northern Ireland, B/W photography by

Martin J. Desht will be on display in the Davis Satin Gallery at the Main Santa Fe Public

Library, 145 Washington Ave. through the month of March 2012.

March Art Selection Committee Meeting Canceled

The March 7th Art Selection Committee meeting has been cancelled but we will resume our regular monthly schedule, April 4th at 2 pm in the Pick room.

Library presents Harrell House of Natural Oddities Program

The Santa Fe Public Library presents The Harrell House of Natural Oddities, a free program for children and families on Friday, March 16, 2012, 4:00 p.m. at the La Farge Library; Saturday, March 17, 2012, 10:30 a.m. at the Southside Library; and Saturday, March 17, 2012, 1:30 p.m. at the Main Library. No registration is required.

The Harrell House of Natural Oddities is dedicated to sharing their enthusiasm about the natural world through art and education. Join us for a discussion of the critters around us and meet a few them.

For more information call your local branch: La Farge Branch Library, 1730 Llano Street, 955-4863; Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive, 955-2828; Main Library, 145 Washington Avenue, 955-6783

Sponsored by The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library

PCH/Main

Library hosts Santa Fe Concert Association’s “Catkin”

The magic of Antonia Barber’s story of “Catkin” will be presented free for families and youth at the Santa Fe Public Library on Saturday, March 10. Join in the Santa Fe Concert Association’s EPIK Artist Program at two library locations. The performances will be held at the Southside Branch Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive, at 11:00 a.m. and at the Main Library, 145 Washington Avenue, at 3:30 p.m.

Catkin is a tiny, magical cat that carelessly allows a young girl to be captured by the Little People. He must confront her captors and solve three cunning riddles in order to rescue her.

A group of SFCA EPIK Artists will take on the roles of the story’s characters. Joe Illick will be the pianist. The piece is a story drama, including music and narration.

The program is a free event open to the public.


Pch/Main

Volunteers

In the last couple of months we’ve had several staff members either retire or relocate. We will miss these colleagues who’ve become friends. Staff members are scrambling to fill in the holes left in desk schedules and are picking up extra duties until these positions are filled. In the meantime, we are extremely grateful for our volunteers. We have several wonderful people who come to the library and help us out. Many volunteers shelve books – a Sisyphean task. They come in day after day, week after week, and cheerfully put books in order on the shelves. Again and again. We love them. They are so helpful and so cheerful. Our volunteers free up staff to attend to other pressing duties. We don’t know what we would do without them. We just want to say thank you to all of you who brighten our day and give us that extra help that we need.
If you are not a volunteer and would like to be, just come in to the library and fill out the volunteer application form. We may just put you to work. Thanks!

PS@Southside

Poet Laureate shares her Heart

February 14, Tuesday – Poetry a la Heart: Drive-By Love-In at four Santa Fe Nursing Homes- bring a short poem or just yourself. We will hand out Valentines hand-made the weeks before, sing a little, and read poems to the residents. Plans in the work, join us for 10:00-11:30 or 1:30-3:00 visits, and for lunch at Real Food Nation at 11:45. For details call Joan Logghe at 505-459-3482.

February 17, Friday, 5:30-7:00 ArtWorks opening of student art and poetry, Santa Fe Community Gallery on Marcy Street. Work from the public schools of Santa Fe and will be up for a month. Wander in. Catch the joy.

March 23, Friday, 5:00-7:00 Opening of Odes & Offerings, finale of Joan’s Poet Laureate tenure. 36 poets and 36 visual artists, a collaboration of text in the works. On display at The Community Gallery through June 8th with readings and workshops to accompany the show.

April 27th, Friday, 6:00 PM. Three Laureates Reading: Arthur Sze, Valerie Martinez, and Joan Logghe at the auditorium of the New Mexico History Museum. Celebration for Santa Fe Poet Laureate program.

Library Presents the Percussion Lady Helen Trencher

Santa Fe, NM—February10, 2011. Catch the world beat with Helen Trencher “the Percussion Lady” at all three branches of the Santa Fe Public Library.

This free program for children and families will be held Friday, February 17, 2012, 4:00 p.m. at the La Farge Library, 1730 Llano St., on Saturday, February 18, 2012, 10:30 a.m. at the Southside Library, 6599 Jaguar Dr. and Saturday, February 18, 2012, 1:30 p.m. at the Main Library, 145 Washington Avenue.

Ms. Trencher provides a multicultural excursion introducing Middle Eastern, Latin and African rhythms, drumming and percussive grooves. All percussion (hand drums, bells, shakers and scrapers) are provided--but feel free to bring your own!

No registration is required.

For more information contact your local branch:
La Farge Branch Library 1730 Llano Street 955-4863
Southside Branch Library 6599 Jaguar Drive 955-2828
Main Library 145 Washington Avenue 955-6783


Sponsored by The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library


PCH at Main

Creative Ways to Utilize the Media Department

If you’re feeling frustrated about not being able to browse the Media shelves in person during our temporary closure, here are some links that might help. You can browse the catalog, put holds on the titles that catch your eye, and then pick up the materials at the circ desk of any branch convenient to you!
http://catalog.ci.santa-fe.nm.us/screens/medialists.html

If you’re feeling adventurous and a little nuts, you can also do a catalog search for, say, call number “DVD B” and see every movie we have with a title that starts with the letter B. This works with non-fiction also – for example, try “DVD 940.5” and check out all the films we have on WW2!









AA@Main

eBooks or Real Books

The raging debate these days is whether eBooks can replace delightful, real, printed, paper books. Well, I guess you can tell where I stand in my first sentence. There is something about the tactile sensation of holding someone’s words in my hands. It is the paper, typeface and general graphical design that are a part of reading to me.

Despite my general preference for paper, a friend amazed me recently. There in her hands was her new Kindle Fire and she was in awe. She had just purchased four works by Jane Austen for one cent apiece. One cent. She kept saying, “I can’t believe I own them. I feel I should pay more because it is JANE AUSTEN” !

I understand. I have the same feeling when I find a special book at a book sale where books are priced $ .50 to $1.00. I can’t believe I got a Jane Austen in perfect condition! Now if I could just find an autographed Jane Austen which proves her very hands touched it, well I would be in heaven. I don’t think that is likely to happen with a Kindle or Nook.

So the battle rages on. In a way I hope the Kindles and Nooks win this one—it means more special hardbound books for me!

PCH at Main