Author and former OPL employee Jason Shiga (author of Bookhunter, set partly in a fictionalized Oakland Main Library) is back with a new graphic novel, Empire State, A Love Story (or Not)
Jason will be at local bookstore A Great Good Place for Books talking about Empire State this Tuesday, May 3 at 7pm.
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: literary news
“Amazon said on Wednesday that it would allow Kindle users to read e-books from more than 11,000 public libraries on the devices beginning later this year, a reversal of the company’s previous policy.” Read the full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/technology/21amazon.html
Amazon said it would work with OverDrive, which powers Oakland Public Library’s e-Port e-book and audio book service, so it sounds like it will work with the OPL system. Stay tuned.
Posted in Library Services | Tags: services
As we gear up for our big book sale May 14th, I thought you might like to hear about some of the projects your generous donations and book sale purchases have enabled the Friends of Montclair Library to help out with recently at the library. In addition to the Early Literacy Toy Station I blogged about earlier, here’s a partial list of things we’ve provided funding for over the last couple of months:
Be sure to stop by our book sale Saturday, May 14th from 11am-3pm to pick up some great deals on books and help us continue to supplement the library’s budget in these tough times.
Baseball season is upon us, from our local Little League fields to the World Champion Giants. Get in the spirit by playing the American Library Association’s “Step up to the Plate @ your library” trivia game.
Step Up to the Plate @ your library encourages people of all ages to use the print and electronic resources available at their library to answer a series of trivia questions designed for their age group (10 and under; 11-13; 14-17; and 18 and over). Answer all four questions correctly and you’ll be entered to win a trip for two in October to the Hall of Fame’s World Series Gala event in Cooperstown, N.Y.
This year, the program connects generations by exploring baseball’s more than 150-year history through topics like famous baseball families and historical baseball franchises. Visit atyourlibrary.org to play.
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: library news
Aurora School has announced that their second annual Head for the Hills 5K Run/Walk will again donate 25% of all proceeds to the Friends of the Montclair Public Library. Thanks!
The course winds through the picturesque streets of upper Rockridge. This exciting, family-friendly community event offers fun, fitness, and T-shirts for all, and benefits the children of our community as well as the library.
When: Sunday, May 8, 2011, 9:00 a.m.
Details: http://www.auroraschool.org/5k2011.html
$25 adults, $15 kids through 5/6/11
$30 adults, $20 kids on Race Day
This is a professionally timed, as well as family-friendly event – strollers welcome!
Posted in Events | Tags: Events, Fundraising
From the just-for-fun files: Did you know there are books on the International Space Station? The folks over at LibraryThing have cataloged the library of the International Space Station — so far they’ve located 100 titles aboard the station.
What are the astronauts reading? Not surprisingly, a lot of science fiction, but also everything from “The Last of the Mohicans” to David Sedaris. Check out the full list at http://www.librarything.com/profile/IntlSpaceStation.
Posted in Just for Fun | Tags: literary news
The library is closed today, but you can still get a jump on celebrating April’s National Poetry Month! From nursery rhymes to the classics to commercial ditties, poetry is all around us, but sometimes we forget to appreciate it.
See the Academy of American Poets’ website for 30 Ways to Celebrate. There’s even an iPhone app that will deliver a daily poem right to your phone.
If you prefer the low-tech approach, try memorizing a poem to “carry buzzing around in your head,” as local poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass once said. Stuck for ideas? Try the sing-songy, playful poetry of e.e. cummings, the all-ages appeal of Robert Frost, something silly for kids by Jack Prelutsky or something pensive for grown-ups like Adrienne Rich, all available at the Montclair branch. Or just browse the 811 sections for kids or grown-ups, and see what strikes your fancy.
Search for California poetry events, poets and poems here.
Posted in News | Tags: literary news
Join us Tuesday, April 5 at 6:30pm when local author and “strongman-for-hire” (according to his website) Mac Barnett visits the Montclair Branch.
From a real-live treasure hunt
What has Mac written? Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem
It’s no April Fools joke – The Montclair branch (and all branches) will be closed this Thursday, March 31 and Friday, April 1 as part of a citywide business shutdown. Come on in Tuesday (12:30-8pm) or Wednesday (10am-5:30pm) to stock up on reading materials.
Posted in News | Tags: hours, library news
Some important dates coming up at the Montclair Library – mark your calendars and stay tuned for details:
Saturday May 14 – Friends of Montclair Library book sale, 11am-3pm.
Saturday June 18 – Summer Reading Program kick-off. In addition to reading and prizes for kids, the branch will have activities and entertainers for kids every Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning throughout the summer, and the Friends will be sponsoring a summer reading program for adults, too, with drawings for fun prizes. Look for sign-up info for the kids’ program soon.
Friends of Montclair Library 