Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Mystery Readers Meeting, January 21

Mystery Readers Book Group  
Sponsored by The Friends of the Library
(559) 713-2709
For January: Read the book you got at the December meeting, or a mystery that you received over the holidays.
 

Next Meeting
January 21 at 6:30pm



Meets every third Wed. of the Month

In the blue meeting room, upstairs

Thursday, December 18, 2014

All Locations Closed on New Years Day


All Tulare County Library locations will be closed on Thursday, January 1st for New Years' Day.

The Visalia Branch Library will be open from 9:00am until 6:00pm on Wednesday, December 31st.


Please call 559-713-2700 or your local branch with any questions. Happy holidays!

Tulare County Library's "Food For Fines" Stocks Foodlink Pantries for the Holidays

The semi-annual "Food for Fines" program sponsored by the Tulare County Library recently donated food items for county residents in need to Foodlink for distribution throughout the county.

During the month of November, anyone who brought in non-perishable food items to any branch of the Tulare County Library had their fines reduced or eliminated.  The library forgave $6,394.67 in fines for donors to the program.  In addition, many library patrons made food or cash donations without having fines on their library accounts.
        
Foodlink will restock the pantries of food banks throughout the county with the donations.  Items collected from the fifteen branches will be distributed in each branch*s local community and surrounding areas. "Food for Fines" is a joint effort held twice a year by the library and Foodlink. The next "Food for Fines" will be held in
April.
                                                                     

Monthly Friends Meeting, January 8

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, January 8, at 7:00 PM in the library's upstairs (purple) meeting room. Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend, including and especially current Friends, prospective Friends, and anyone who is interested in learning more!

Please contact Sheryll at 713-2709 for more information.

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Life-Size Candyland at the Visalia Branch, January 2 & 3

The Visalia Library's Homework Center will be transformed into Candyland at the beginning of the new year! Children ages 3-12 are invited to play through the game as a life-size piece to win treats and prizes!

This event is free and no registration is required. Sessions will last about 20 minutes each. Drop in any time to play.


Visalia Branch Library
200 W. Oak Avenue

Friday, January 2                Saturday, January 3
2:00pm - 5:00pm                  2:00pm - 4:00pm

Visit www.tularecountylibrary.org or call 713-2731 for more information. 

Friday, December 12, 2014

All Locations Closed December 24 & December 25



All Tulare County Library locations will be closed December 24 & December 25.


Happy holidays!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Stretching the Food Dollar: For the Holidays, December 16

Do you know someone who needs a warm coat, a holiday meal for their family, or new shoes for their children? Learn where you can go for help and where you can go to help at this special holiday edition of our Stretching the Food Dollar program on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:30pm.
 
Click to view full size

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Additional Toddler Time Starting at Visalia in January

Due to popular demand, we will have two toddler times each week which will begin in January: the original session on Tuesdays at 10:00am and another (new) session on Thursdays at 11:00am.

The additional Thursday session will not run during the summer months because of our summer reading program events, but the Tuesday session should continue.

Three Rivers Branch Presents Geology of the Kaweah Watershed Program, December 11

Have you ever wondered what forces shaped the landscapes that surround us?  This Three Rivers Library talk will explore how our mountains and canyons came to be as well as how they continue to evolve. The "Introduction to the Geology of the Kaweah Watershed Program" will be presented by William Tweed, local resident and retired Chief Naturalist of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Thursday, December 11th @ 6:30 pm
Three Rivers Branch Library
(559) 561-4564

Independent Film Movement Series, January 27

The Independent Film Movement Series will be taking a short break in December. We'll be starting up January 27, when we will be showing Ilo Ilo.  

Synopsis:
Set in Singapore during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Ilo Ilo chronicles the day-to-day drama of the Lim family - troublesome grade-schooler Jiale and his overstressed parents, Heck and Leng. Comfortably middleclass and with another baby on the way, they hire Teresa, a Filipino immigrant, as a live-in maid and nanny. An outsider in both the family and Singapore itself, Teresa initially struggles to manage Jiale's antics and find her footing in her new community. The two eventually form a unique bond, but just as Teresa becomes an unspoken part of the family, unforeseen circumstances in an uncertain economy will challenge the new normal yet again.


Directed by Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2013 | Mandarin, Tagalog & English with English subtitles| 99 min.

The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. Movies are shown on the 4th Tuesday of each month. This event, and future events in this series, is free and open to the public. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

For more information, visit the Reference Desk or call (559) 713-2723.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Storytime Break

No storytime on December 24th (library closed)

No storytime on December 31st (library open until 5:00pm)

Storytime will resume the first week of January.

Happy holidays!!


Thursday, December 4, 2014

All Locations Closed, December 12



All Tulare County Library locations will be closed on Friday, December 12, 2014 due to a staff meeting.


We apologize for any inconvenience. 

Special Holiday Performance by Oklin Bloodworth, December 20













Sing along, dance, and spread holiday cheer with our favorite musician, Oklin Bloodworth!!

Visalia Branch Library
Saturday, December 20th
at 11:00am


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

First Tuesday Book Club Meeting, January 6

For January, we'll be reading A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.

Summary: 
With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India. The time is 1975. The place is an unnamed city by the sea. The government has just declared a State of Emergency, in whose upheavals four strangers--a spirited widow, a young student uprooted from his idyllic hill station, and two tailors who have fled the caste violence of their native village--will be thrust together, forced to share one cramped apartment and an uncertain future. 

We will be meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on January 6 from 6:30pm - 7:45pm.

Tween Holiday Cupcake Decorating, December 19

Just for Tweens
Ages 10 - 12












Join us for holiday cupcake decorating!


Friday, December 19
4:00 - 5:00pm


Visalia Branch Library: Blue Room

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Mystery Readers Meeting, December 17

Mystery Readers Book Group  
Sponsored by The Friends of the Library
(559) 713-2709

For December: No book to read!!
 

Instead, bring a wrapped book (paperback or hardback - may be new or gently used) with no name on it. Some people have added bookmarks or other items; however, gifts shouldn't be very expensive. 

We will play the "Yankee Swap" game with the wrapped books.

Next Meeting
December 17th at 6:30pm

Meets every third Wed. of the Month
In the blue meeting room, upstairs
 

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Tulare County Library Branches Offer Holiday Crafts and Activities for Children


The December crafts for each week are:
 
December 1 through 6 – Snowmen
December 8 through 13 – Mice and Candy Cane Ornament or Candy Cane Beaded Ornament
December 15 through 20 – Cupcake Liner Christmas Tree or Tolietpaper Reindeer

In addition, a variety of other projects will be offered such as Santa Letter writing, jewelry making, Christmas tree decorating, glitter pine cones, name ornaments and Christmas cards.

These crafts will be held at different times each week at the Alpaugh, Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Orosi, Springville, Three Rivers, Tipton and Woodlake branch libraries.

For more information on days and times of the crafts at each individual branch, please go to:


Alpaugh                    (559) 949-8355
Earlimart
                   (661) 849-2525

Exeter                       (559) 592-5361
Ivanhoe                     (559) 798-1264
Lindsay                      (559) 562-3021
Orosi                          (559) 591-5830
Springville                  (559) 539-2624
Three Rivers              (559) 561-4564
Tipton                         (559) 752-4236
Woodlake                   (559) 564-8424

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Monthly Friends Meeting, December 11

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, December 11, at 7:00 PM in the library's upstairs (purple) meeting room. Absolutely everyone is welcome to attend, including and especially current Friends, prospective Friends, and anyone who is interested in learning more! 

Please contact Sheryll at 713-2709 for more information.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

"War Comes Home" Final Events Scheduled by Tulare County Library

The Tulare County Library is hosting two events on November 20 and 22, as the wrap up for the "War Comes Home" project featuring war veterans and their concerns and issues.

A Panel Discussion on Veterans' Issues will be held on Thursday, November 20, at 6 pm.  Representatives of the Employment Development Department (EDD), AMVETS and other community and government agencies will discuss employment opportunities and training, suicide prevention, local resources and benefits for veterans.  The goal is to provide awareness and access to those affected so they can make use of the various resources already available in our community.  Veterans, their families and friends are encouraged to attend.

A Veterans History Project presentation is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, at 6:00 pm.  The oral history event will show segments of interviews with local veterans conducted by the library's Teen Advisory Group. Each interview, in its entirety, will be sent to the Library of Congress as part of the Veteran's History Project, and a
copy will be retained for the Annie Mitchell History Room here in Visalia.

The public is encouraged to attend November 22 at 6:00 p.m. to view the movie, meet some of the veterans and learn more about those who served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. "War Comes Home" programs have been held over the past three months as part of a Cal Humanities grant received by the library.  Both the
concluding events will be at the Tulare County Library Visalia branch at 200 West Oak Street.  The public is welcome and no reservations are necessary.  For more information, call 713-2703.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

All Locations Closed for Thanksgiving


All locations will be closed on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 for Thanksgiving.

All locations will close at 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 26.

Locations that are open on Saturdays will open at their normal time on Saturday, November 29.

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Tulare County Library Branches November Crafts Feature Birds and Trees

The November crafts for each week are:

November 10 through 15 * Pine Cone Bird Feeder
November 17 through 22 * Hand Print Turkey Keepsake Hanger
November 24 through 29 * Giving Tree

These crafts will be held at different times each week at the Alpaugh,
Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Orosi, Springville, Three Rivers, Tipton, and Woodlake branch libraries.

For more information on days and times of the crafts at each individual
branch, please go to: http://tularecountylibrary.org, and choose the
locations tab or call the branches:
 

Alpaugh                    (559) 949-8355

Earlimart                   (661) 849-2525
Exeter                       (559) 592-5361
Ivanhoe                     (559) 798-1264
Lindsay                      (559) 562-3021
Orosi                          (559) 591-5830
Springville                  (559) 539-2624
Three Rivers              (559) 561-4564
Tipton                         (559) 752-4236
Woodlake                   (559) 564-8424

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Tulare County Library Joins in Launch of WAR INK Exhibit

Tulare County Library Joins in Launch of WAR INK Exhibit
to Open Vital Dialogue Between Vets and Civilians
          Visalia, Calif., November 11, 2014 – Tulare County Library is helping Americans struggling to find meaningful ways to honor the nation’s 2.6 million Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans by supporting WAR INK, a powerful new online exhibit that opens today. The honest and emotionally raw collection of original video, photography and audio interviews uses the memorial tattoos and words of 24 veterans to open a dialogue between civilians and returning vets.
                Tulare County Library joined with 20 other California libraries to play a critical role in recruiting local veterans to participate in the WAR INK exhibit. From Tulare County, U.S. Army soldier Jonathan Synder is featured. As a depository for human stories and narratives, Tulare County Library saw this exhibit as an ideal complement to its mission and is now actively promoting the exhibit.
Libraries have a duty to provide resources to all citizens but place special emphasis on serving our returning veterans—a segment of our community that has been overlooked. Libraries also collect the stories that tell us who we are as a society,” says Carol Beers, Librarian.
“WAR INK emerged out of a need to recognize veterans’ stories of service and sacrifices and to bridge the divide between the veteran and civilian communities,” says WAR INK co-creator Jason Deitch, a former Army medic and military sociologist. “This is both an exhibit and a forum, using tattoos as a springboard for veterans to share their stories.”
                Stark, beautiful, disturbing and often darkly humorous, the featured tattoos in WAR INK are a visual expression of memories and emotions that can be difficult for veterans to discuss openly. But the creators of WAR INK and the 24 men and women who bravely shared their stories and their tattoos hope their openness will help civilians develop a deeper understanding of their experiences and provide a safe entry point to honestly and authentically engage in a conversation.
“Veterans need ways to reconnect with their communities,” says Chris Brown, WAR INK co-creator and senior manager at the Contra Costa County Library, which will launch the program along with over 20 other libraries throughout California. “As librarians we’re pleased to play a part in bridging that gap and sharing the poignant stories of our veterans.”
The sudden transition from war to civilian life leaves many vets facing deep feelings of alienation and isolation. Tattoos, Brown and Deitch explain, are a shared form of expression between many civilians and vets, and offer a unique gateway to conversations which can begin to build that community.
 “Every tattoo on my body tells a story,” says WAR INK veteran Ron “Doc” Riviera of Santa Cruz, California. “If people would just ask, they wouldn’t get a movie or a book, they would get the real thing.”
Elegantly produced, WAR INK walks visitors through four multimedia chapters. In the veterans’ own words, they remind guests that “We Were You” by sharing their experiences before they entered the military. The “Changed Forever” chapter is a searing examination of the horrors of war, followed by “Living Scars,” a candid look at the physical and emotional wounds of their military experiences. The exhibit’s final chapter, “Living Not Surviving,” tells of the challenges veterans face, but also of their strength and resilience as they try and return to their communities.”
To tell the WAR INK story, Dietch and Brown assembled an impressive coalition of diverse partners, including the StoryCorps Military Voices Initiative and premier photographer Johann Wolf. Video for the site was directed by filmmaker Rebecca Murga and the online exhibit was designed by Favorite Medium.
WAR INK was supported in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian, and made possible with support from the following funders and donors: Cal Humanities, the Pacific Library Partnership and StoryCorps.
Support for veterans begins by really listening to their stories and experiences. Visit the WAR INK exhibit at www.warink.org.