Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 14, 2012

Guerilla libraries

Little Free Library photo by Michael R. Perry via Flickr

The Montclair library may be closed for budget reasons today, but Merriewood folks can still access their own mini library, started by resident Jennifer Fish. As Ginny Prior reported in the Montclarion a while back, Fish got the idea from the Little Free Library movement, which seeks to promote literacy, the love of reading and a sense of community through free book exchanges. She started out with a few books in a box outside her home, and now the outpost has grown so popular a neighbor is building the library a permanent home.

The guerilla library concept seems to be taking off around the world, from converted phone booths in New York City and the UK to bus stops in Paris and Ljubljana. Read the GeekMom article “Tiny Libraries Everywhere” for even more ideas for extending libraries and book sharing into the community.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 10, 2012

Library schedule and changes

Closed sign photo by Tallent Show via Flickr
The Montclair branch (and all OPL branches) will be closed next Tuesday, August 14th. Which means tomorrow (Saturday 8/11) is your last chance to visit the library for a few days.

It’s also your last chance to claim your summer reading prize. AND your last chance to experience Family Storytime with children’s librarian Miriam, who will be moving on to the Lakeview branch later this month. A new children’s librarian will be joining the Montclair branch soon – stay tuned for details. Thursday storytimes will continue, but the Saturday storytimes are being discontinued due to the new children’s librarian’s schedule. The Rockridge and Lakeview branches have Saturday Family Storytimes, if you miss your weekend infusion of songs and stories.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 6, 2012

Daniel Clowes at the Oakland Museum of California

Panel from Daniel Clowes' graphic novel 'Wilson'If you’re a graphic novel fan, you probably know the work of Daniel Clowes, the author of sad, quirky comics like Ghost World and Wilson. Clowes lives in Oakland, and Wilson is set here, too. “He felt like a guy that could be hanging out on Grand Avenue or Lakeshore or Piedmont,” Clowes says of Wilson. In fact, according to Oakland Local, the graphic novel is currently being developed into a film set to be shot in Oakland. For more about Clowes and how he uses Oakland in his work, see/hear this interview from KQED.

The Oakland Museum of California has a retrospective of Clowes’ work on display through next Sunday, August 12. The OMCA calls Clowes “the cartoonist most responsible for developing the graphic novel into a credible literary and artistic form.” You can read an OMCA interview with Clowes here.

The Montclair branch has a copy of Clowes’ graphic novel The Death Ray. For more Clowes works in the OPL system, click here.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 6, 2012

This week at Montclair Library

Elf and Owls vintage children's book illustration by Richard Doyle

Illustration by Richard Doyle from “In Fairy-Land: A Series of Pictures From the Elf-World” (1875), from the New York Public Library via Nancy Ellis

You have three options for storytime this week:

Thursday August 9, 2012
Toddler Storytime – 10:15-10:45am
Songs, active rhymes and stories especially for ages 18 months to 3 years, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.

Baby Bounce – 11:30-11:45am
Play, sing, and rhyme one on one with your baby from birth to 18 months, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.

Saturday August 11, 2012
Family Storytime – 10:15am
Stories, songs, and rhymes for all ages, followed by playtime! Make new friends and play with toys.

P.S. For those of you who receive our email newsletter, we forgot to include one of next week’s items on the monthly calendar:
Correcting the correction – the Montclair branch will actually be closed Tuesday 8/14. Sorry for the confusion!
Tuesday August 14, 2012
Lawyers in the Library – 6:00-8:00pm
Free legal information and referral presented with the Alameda County Bar Association. Sessions are popular and sometimes subject to change. Please call in advance to confirm on the day of the program. Meets second Tuesday of the month. Sign-up for lottery at 5:45 pm.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | August 6, 2012

This week at Montclair Library

Dreamcatcher photo by Widerbergs on Flickr

The summer reading program winds down this week with one last craft and a slate of storytimes. Don’t forget to turn in your reading program sticker booklets (if you’re a kid), passport (for teens) or reviews (for adults) by 8/11 to receive credit!

Wednesday, August 8
Dreamcatcher Craft for Kids – 10:30am

Thursday, August 9
Toddler Storytime – 10:15am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, August 11
Family Storytime – 10:15am

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 30, 2012

This week at Montclair Library

Campfire storytime

Campfire storytime – photo by Forest Park Public Library (http://fppl.org/)

Tuesday, July 31 – 7pm
Campfire Storytime
Gather around the Montclair Branch “campfire” for spooky stories, sing-alongs and s’mores! Best for ages 3 and up. Pajamas encouraged! (And if you’re looking for some camping-themed books to read, check out this blog post from Read It Again, Mom.)

Thursday, August 2
Toddler Storytime – 10:15am
Baby Bounce – 11:30am

Saturday, August 4 – 10:15am
Family Storytime

PLUS:
Sunday, August 5, from noon-4pm, the Oakland Public Library’s Summer Reading Program draws to a close with a big party at the Oakland Museum of California (in the Museum Gardens, 1000 Oak Street). Admission is free, and entertainment will include performers from Circus Bella, games with Oakland Parks and Recreation, storytime, hands-on arts and craft activities, face painting, and more! The library will conduct a ceremony to honor all Summer Reading Program participants who succeeded in reading eight hours or more this summer.

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 28, 2012

Books for sale

Did you see the recent article from Time about “10 Things You Should be Buying Used“? Number three on the list was books! Save some money and help out a great cause by perusing the used books for sale outside the library every day the library is open. Money from the sale of these books goes straight into helping fund programs and amenities at the Montclair branch.

There’s always an interesting selection of fiction and non-fiction available on the sale carts. As of last Tuesday, you could find useful manuals on everything from managing life’s events big and small (How to Bury a Goldfish and Other Ceremonies & Celebrations for Everyday Life) to surviving a zombie apocalypse (The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead). How’s that for well-rounded reading?

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 27, 2012

Dive in to Olympics books

Photo by Wayne Silver via Flickr

The 2012 Summer Olympics kick off with the Opening Ceremony tonight. Here are some books at the Montclair branch to get you in the spirit of the games:

Adults:
Gold: A Novel by Chris Cleave
Get on the waiting list for this novel about Olympic cyclists, by the author of Little Bee

Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics by Jeremy Schaap

Olympic Portraits by Annie Leibovitz

Private Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
Mystery/thriller set during the London 2012 Olympics

Children & Young Adults:
Look for a special display of kids’ books about sports and the Olympics on the children’s librarian’s desk!

America’s Champion Swimmer by David A. Adler
About gold medalist and pioneering female athlete Gertrude “Trudy” Ederle. (Age 6 and up)

Hour of the Olympics by Mary Pope Osborne (Magic Treehouse #16)
Jack and Annie take the Magic Treehouse back to ancient Greece. (Age 6-9)

Wilma Unlimited by Kathleen Krull
Biography of Wilma Rudolph, who overcame crippling polio as a child to become the first woman to win three gold medals in a single Olympics. (age 6-9)

Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo
Biography of Korean American diving champion Sammy Lee. (age 6 and up)

Let the Games Begin! by Maya Ajmera and Michael Regan
Shows children around the world and various aspects of sports, including physical benefits, the importance of practice, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, and more. (age 6 and up)

Jesse Owens: Fastest Man Alive by Carole Boston Weatherford
Biography of ground-breaking runner Jesse Owens. (age 7 and up)

The Story of the Olympics by Dave Anderson
The Olympics from ancient history to modern times. (age 10 and up)

Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics (Final Four Mystery, #6) by John Feinstein
This one’s available at Main, not Montclair, but it’s actually set at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. (age 10 and up)

The Olympic Games by Stephen Currie
(age 13 and up)

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 23, 2012

This week at Montclair library

The Bubble Lady - photo by Sylvia Fife

It will be bubbles, bubbles everywhere this week as The Bubble Lady visits the Montclair branch Tuesday, July 24th at 7pm as part of the Summer Reading Program. With just soap and water, the Bubble Lady creates giant bubble animals, wigs, and much more. When one bubble pops there is always another close behind. Ages 3-10.

Also on tap this week:
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
10:15am – Toddler Storytime (18 months-3 years)
11:30am – Baby Bounce (birth-18 months)

Saturday, July 28th, 2012
10:15am – Family Storytime (all ages)

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Posted by: montclairlibrary | July 18, 2012

Batmania

Batman relaxes with a book - from an Association of American Publishers poster

Screenwriter Jonathan Nolan recently described in an interview how the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight Rises, which opens this weekend, was inspired by Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.

I was looking to old good books and good movies. Good literature for inspiration…A Tale of Two Cities was, to me, one of the most harrowing portraits of a relatable, recognizable civilization that completely folded to pieces…

Try reading (or listening to or e-reading) Dickens’ novel before seeing the movie, to enhance your understanding of the movie’s direct and indirect allusions to the book.

If you’re not up for Dickens as a little light summer reading, how about getting in the spirit of the movie with one of the many Batman books available at Montclair library, including picture books, easy readers, children’s graphic novels and lots of young adult graphic novels.

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