Posted by: montclairlibrary | February 4, 2013

This week at Montclair Library

Bodac Cultural presents the music and dance of Africa

Bodac Cultural presents the music and dance of Africa

Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Bodac Cultural – 5:30pm
Celebrate African American History Month with Bodac Cultural as you learn about the music and dance of Africa! Bodac Cultural is an international African traditional drumming, singing, dancing and performing arts group that originated in West Africa.

Thursday, February 7, 2013
Toddler Storytime – 10:15am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, February 9, 2013
Citywide business closure. Branches closed; Main Library will be open.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Events | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | February 1, 2013

Pride & Prejudice turns 200

Cover of Pride & Prejudice the graphic novel

P&P gets the Marvel Comics treatment in a graphic novel, with illustrations by Hugo Petrus.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that 200 years ago this week, on January 28, 1813, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen was published. (Although it was published anonymously, sold only as “by the Author of Sense and Sensibility.”)

This book’s classic themes have stood the test of time, spawning literary take-offs from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Pride & Prejudice & Zombies to PD James’ murder mystery, Death Comes to Pemberley.

For even more books inspired by Austen’s tale, see this list from Goodreads.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | January 22, 2013

What patrons want

Graph of Pew Research library data
Pew Research released their library research project today, including a section on Library Services in the Digital Age, about what services patrons want from their libraries.

The responses are based on a new national survey of 2,252 Americans ages 16 and older by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and underwritten by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The interviews were conducted on October 15-November 10, 2012 and done on cell phone and landlines and in English and Spanish.

Some of the desired services are obvious, like “Librarians to help people find info” and “Borrowing books.” But in subsequent questions, respondents also said they’d like libraries to help with job searches, or help them digitize their family photos, or offer interactive learning experiences like a museum.

In a perfect world, what sort of services and programs would you like to see Montclair library offer?

Leave a Comment

Posted in Library Services | Tags: , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | January 18, 2013

Upcoming closure

Heads up: The Montclair branch will be closed Tuesday, January 22nd, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

If you’re enjoying your own day off this long weekend and want to give something back, don’t forget that the Montclair Village Association is sponsoring a Community Work Day this Saturday, 1/19, to help make our neighborhood safer and prettier. And Monday is a national day of service in honor of MLK.

Leave a Comment

Posted in News | Tags: , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | January 18, 2013

Charles the Clown

Charles the Clown
Calling all silly kids! This Saturday, January 19th, at 2:00pm Charles the Clown visits the Montclair Library. Watch Charles the Clown perform his hilarious become-a-clown routine. The show features Biscuit the Dog Puppet, balloon antics, silly magic and comic rhyming. Appropriate even for toddlers, this gentle clown will enthrall the whole family.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Events | Tags: , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | January 12, 2013

Happy birthday, Jack London

Jack London reading to his daughter Joan

Jack London reading to his daughter Joan

Today, January 12th, is author Jack London’s birthday. Born in San Francisco in 1876, London soon moved to Oakland, where he attended elementary and high school and discovered the magic of the Oakland Public Library and librarian (and future first poet laureate of California) Ina Coolbrith, who encouraged his reading and writing.

“And then I came to the city of Oakland, and on the shelves of that Free Library I discovered all the great world beyond the skyline,” London wrote in his autobiographical novel, John Barleycorn.

The Montclair Library has a range of books by and about Jack London, including classics like White Fang and The Call of the Wild, travel stories like The Cruise of the Snark and even an early post-apocalyptic science fiction piece set largely in Berkeley, about a worldwide epidemic illness that strikes in the summer of 2013, “The Scarlet Plague.”

To learn more about Jack London outside of books, visit Jack London State Historic Park in Glen Ellen, including the haunting ruins of Wolf House, which will be familiar to readers of Rick Riordan’s The Lost Hero.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | January 1, 2013

BYOB

Close-up of FOML tote bag
Have you heard? Starting today, most grocery stores in Alameda County will no longer provide single-use plastic bags at checkout, and paper bags will cost you a minimum of $0.10. (More info at Reusablebagsac.org.) If you’re not already using re-usable bags for every shopping trip, make the transition easier by getting in the habit of keeping a bag or two stashed in your car, bike bag, office, coat or purse.

In an East Bay Express article, StopWaste.org points out that plastic bags take hundreds of years to break down, and the ordinance will also save cities money on litter and storm drain cleanup and help keep the Bay cleaner. A reusable bag can replace more than 600 single-use plastic bags over its lifetime!

Now is a great time to support the library by buying a re-usable tote bag featuring the four wise owls from the library sign. These bags are perfect for carrying groceries, library books and other goodies, and start at just $9.95.

Leave a Comment

Posted in News | Tags: ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | December 20, 2012

Last call

Closed Sign photo by Bryan Mills via Flickr

Don’t forget that the Montclair branch (and all of OPL) will be closed for the holidays/budget cuts Saturday, December 22 through Tuesday, January 1. That means you have just 2 days left to pick up some reading material to last you into the new year! (Of course, you can still check out e-books and Discover & Go passes online during the closure.)

For kids, Red Tricycle has a fun list of holiday books that go “Beyond the Grinch,” including funny hits like Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera and How Santa Got His Job by Stephen Krensky.

Or for adults, see what books Judd Apatow, Bonnie Raitt, Tony La Russa and other celebrities recommend at the end of the year, in the Wall Street Journal’s “Twelve Months of Reading.” Recommendations in the Montclair collection include Nate Silver’s The Signal and the Noise and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

Leave a Comment

Posted in News | Tags: , ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | December 19, 2012

Goodbye, Carmen!

Oakland Public Library director Carmen Martinez retired last week, and Gerry Garzon will be the new interim director. Read all about it in The Montclarion, “Oakland library chief ready for life’s next chapter.” Thanks for all your hard work and support, Carmen! Here’s Carmen helping us re-open the Montclair branch after its 2009 closure:

Leon Cho, Susan Piper, Carmen Martinez

Leon Cho, Susan Piper, Carmen Martinez

Leave a Comment

Posted in News | Tags: ,

Posted by: montclairlibrary | December 17, 2012

This week at Montclair Library

Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Button Making – 3:00pm
Kids – Design and create your own unique button!

Thursday, December 20, 2012
Toddler Storytime – 10:20am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

PLEASE NOTE: All Oakland Public Library locations will be CLOSED Saturday, December 22nd through Tuesday, January 1st for holidays and due to citywide budget cuts. Normal hours will resume on Wednesday, January 2nd. That means this is your last week to check out materials to read over the holidays/Winter Break!

Leave a Comment

Posted in Events | Tags: , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories