Summer Reading Events, Week of July 1-5

Wednesday, Jul 2: Storytime and Crafts - Planting Seeds (Dinuba Branch Library, 10:30am, Children).

Thursday, Jul 3: Join us in welcoming the Omnipresent Puppet Theater! (Visalia Children's Wing, 11:00am and 3:00pm, Children).
Thursday, Jul 3: Come learn about composting and recycling! (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Adults).

Friday, Jul 4: No programs today! All locations, including our central Visalia location and all 15 branches, will be closed for the Fourth of July Holiday.

Saturday, Jul 5: What is Soylent Green? Come find out when we air the 1973 film starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson. (Visalia Branch Purple Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Adults).
**Saturday, Jul 5 is also the first day that you can pick up your ticket for any of the four Chaffee Zoo presentations on Thursday, Jul 10. Tickets will be handed out at the Children's Desk in Visalia. 

Visalia Branch to Offer Forever Young Adult Book Club

Forever Young Adult

A book club for Adults who like Teen Books!

Join us September 16 at 6:30pm to discuss We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

Request your copy today.

Tulare County Library Branches Announce Children's July Crafts

Independence Day will be the focus for the first week of children's activities at the Tulare County Library branches. That week, kids can make a red, white and blue handprint wreath, assemble puzzles, take part in a coloring contest and have candy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The July crafts for each week are:

 
July 1 through 5 * Fourth of July activities

July 7 through 12 * Beaded wind chime                              

July 14 through 19 * Cloth pen dragonflies

July 21 through 26 * Summer visors

July 28 - August 1- Sidewalk chalk art (Summer Reading Theme 'Fizz Boom Read)

These crafts will be held at different times each week at the Alpaugh, Earlimart, Exeter, Ivanhoe, Lindsay, Orosi, Springville, Strathmore, 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
 

Strathmore                 (559) 568-1087
 

Tipton                         (559) 752-4236

Woodlake                   (559) 564-8424

First Tuesday Book Club Meeting, July 1

Our July pick for the First Tuesday Book Club is The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. The Year of Magical Thinking is an autobiographical portrait of marriage and motherhood by the acclaimed author which details her struggle to come to terms with life and death, illness, sanity, personal upheaval, and grief.

We will be meeting in the Visalia Branch Blue Room to discuss this book on July 1 from 6:30pm - 7:45pm.

Summer Reading Events, Week of June 24-28

Tuesday, Jun 24: Come watch The Secret Life of Walter Mitty in the Digital Media Lab (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).
Tuesday, Jun 24:  Join us for the first of two book discussions of a variety of science and science-fiction books. (Visalia Branch Purple Room, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, Adults).

Wednesday, Jun 25: Science-Dipity Science Show (Dinuba Branch Library, 10:30am, Children).
Wednesday, Jun 25: Science-Dipity Science Show & Experiments (Dinuba Branch Library, 12:00pm, Teens).
Wednesday, Jun 25: Marshmallow Towers: Who can build the highest tower using just marshmallows and toothpicks?  (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Tweens).

Thursday, Jun 26: Come laugh with us and Boswick the Clown! (Visalia Children's Wing, 11:00am and 3:00pm, Children).
Thursday, Jun 26: Join us for a Scavenger Hunt for prizes! First three teams to successfully complete the hunt, which will take place in downtown Visalia, win a prize. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water. (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 6:00pm - 8:00pm, Adults).

Friday, Jun 27:  Tabletop Game Day! Play The Logo Game, Apple to Apples, Fact or Crap...any games you want. Just play to win (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).
Friday, Jun 27: Independent Film Series: screening of Three Worlds. (Dinuba Branch Library, 6:00pm, Adults).

Saturday, Jun 28: Come out for a viewing of Logan's Run, the third movie in the Adult Summer Reading Program Sci-Fi Film Series! (Visalia Branch Purple Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Adults).

Visalia Branch Library to Host Adult Scavenger Hunt

The Tulare County Library is hosting a scavenger hunt this Thursday, June 26 at 6 pm, as part of the Adult Summer reading program.

Participants will be shown photographs of various buildings in downtown Visalia and the historic district, all within walking distance of the library.  Teams will be formed in the library Blue Room and then head out to determine where the various photographs were taken. The first three teams to complete the task and return to the Blue Room will receive 1st, 2nd or 3rd prize.

Please wear comfortable shoes, bring a bottle of water and join us in the Blue Room at 6pm! If you have any questions call Carol at 713-2707 or e-mail carol.beers@tularecountylibrary.org.

Pictographs Program at Three Rivers Branch, June 26

image via parks.ca.gov

  Manuel Andrade, local resident and expert on Native American pictographs in Tulare County will give a talk on the pictographs of Rocky Hill, Exeter. He will show a video and bring rock samples and pigments. Shirley Keller, a local artist and specialist in primitive art, will display her art photos of the pictographs.

The program starts at 6:30pm at the Three Rivers Branch Library. Please call (559) 561-4564 for more information.

Try Out Electronic Tablets, E-Readers, Before Buying at the Tulare County Library Visalia

TULARE COUNTY LIBRARY VISALIA BRANCH NOW HAS A TECHNOLOGY TEST DRIVE TABLE

What is it? It's a table with eReaders and tablets for patrons to look at and test drive.

Why are we doing this? We get a lot of questions from patrons about what type of eReader or tablet they should buy, what the eBook apps look like, and how to find settings and things in the apps. We have the equipment, so we are making it available to the public for practice and comparison of the different devices before they buy one of their own.

The Nook Color, Sony eReader, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Fire, and Kindle HDX are now set up to test drive on the table. Other devices will be added as they are available to the library.

Each of the devices has at least five books downloaded to the apps or the native reading platform of the device (such as the Sony eReader, the Nook and the Kindles). The devices are programmed to allow patrons to read the books that are downloaded to get a feel for the eReading experience. Their ability to download additional apps, access the internet, or to download and play games is not enabled on these test drive devices.

The Technology Testing table is located next to the Reference Desk in the library. For questions, please call Electronic Resources Librarian Amanda Grombly at 713-2710.

Stop by the Visalia Branch Library and take a test drive before you buy!

Tulare County Library to Begin Material Recovery Program

Effective July 01, 2014, the Tulare County Library System will contract with Unique Management Services to help collect non-returned library materials and unpaid fines over $25.00.

 

Unique Management Services is a collection agency that works with libraries throughout the United States and specializes in the recovery of overdue materials. The agency has an excellent record of treating patrons professionally.

 

Patrons will still be notified by the library that their materials are overdue and have sixty days to respond prior to being turned over to collections.

 

To avoid being sent to collections, patrons can do the following:

• Return items on or before the due date and in good condition. Book-drops are available for after hour convenience at all Tulare County Branches.

• Promptly pay any overdue fees on your account(s).

• Renew online, in person or over the phone.

 

A service charge of $10.00 will be added to the balance for all unresolved accounts that are turned over to Unique Management Services.

 

For more information on the Material Recovery Program, please call the Visalia Branch Library at 559-713-2711.

Summer Reading Events, Week of June 17-21

Tuesday, Jun 17: Come watch Frankenstein in the Digital Media Lab (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).
Tuesday, Jun 17: Wild Child Adventures. (Ivanhoe Branch Library, 2:00pm - 3:00pm, Children).

Wednesday, Jun 18: Storytime and Craft - Jellyfish Decorations. (Dinuba Branch Library, 10:30am, Children).
Wednesday, Jun 18: Join us for a showing of the Lego Movie! (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Tweens).
Wednesday, Jun 18: Omnipresent Puppet Theater (Three Rivers Branch Library, 10:30am - 12:00pm, Children).

Thursday, Jun 19: Join us, and be awed by E&M Reptile Family! (Visalia Children's Wing, 11:00am and 3:00pm, Children).
Thursday, Jun 19: Brush up your knowledge with the Tule Gem and Mineral Society. (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Adults).

Friday, Jun 20:  Gamers unite for Video Game Day!  (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).
Friday, Jun 20: Banned Book Club: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. (Dinuba Branch Library, 3:00pm, Teens).
Saturday, Jun 21: Come out for a viewing of Batteries Not Included, the second movie in the Adult Summer Reading Program Sci-Fi Film Series! (Visalia Branch Purple Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Adults).

Summer Reading Events, Week of June 10-14

Tuesday, Jun 10: Come watch Ride Along (PG-13) in the Digital Media Lab (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).
Tuesday, Jun 10: Timothy James, the Magician. (Alpaugh Branch Library, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, Children).

Wednesday, Jun 11: Reptile Show. (Dinuba Branch Library, 10:30am, Children).
Wednesday, Jun 11: Building with Legos! Put your skills to the test. (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Tweens).
Wednesday, Jun 11: Reptile Show. (Lindsay Branch Library, 3:00pm - 4:30pm, Children).

Thursday, Jun 12: Join us, and be amazed by Timothy James, the Magician! (Visalia Children's Wing, 11:00am and 3:00pm, Children).
Thursday, Jun 12: How to Survive a Zombie Attack. (Dinuba Branch Library, 4:00pm, Teens).
Thursday, Jun 12: Learn how to solve crimes with the Jim Potts Visalia Crime Lab. (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 6:30pm - 8:00pm, Adults).

Friday, Jun 13:  Tabletop Game Day! Come play Munchkin, Gloom, or Family Business. Play for bragging rights and points! (Visalia Branch Blue Room, 2:00pm - 5:00pm, Teens).

Saturday, Jun 14: Get weird with us, and come join us for a viewing of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the first movie of the Adult Summer Reading Program Sci-Fi Film Series! (Visalia Branch Purple Room, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Adults).

Collect Summer Reading Prizes Beginning June 10

Show us what you've read and collect prizes! Tuesday, June 10 is the first day you can come in for prizes for the Children's, Tween, and Teen Summer Reading Programs.

If you haven't yet registered for Summer Reading, be sure to stop by the library to do so!

Teen Summer Reading Program

Teens, are you ready to lose your heart to a good book this summer?

Rules for the teen summer reading program, which is absolutely free and open to teens between the ages of 13-18, can be found here.

Please see Faythe, our Teen Librarian, at the Reference Desk of the Visalia Branch Library to sign up for the program. The desk is right next to the Young Adult section.

Don't Forget About Our Adult Summer Reading Program!

Sign ups are now open for Literary Elements, our adult summer reading program. Absolutely anyone, from 18 to 218, is welcome to participate!

Please call 559.713.2703 or stop by the Visalia Branch Library for more information.



Linnell Camp Residents Sought for Tulare County Library Program

Photo by Jim Stein. More photos here.

Did you live in Linnell Camp in the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s?

If so, the Tulare County Library wants to talk to you.

We are currently in the planning stages of an exhibit featuring photos of Linnell Camp taken by Julius (Jim) Stein during the camp's early years. We greatly desire first-hand accounts and memories from people who lived in the first camps to include as part of the exhibit.

If you lived in the original Linnell or Woodville Camps and would be willing to share your story, please contact Lisa Raney at the Tulare County Library at 559.713.2723. Please call her before June 11, 2014.

First Ever Tween Summer Reading Program

Join us for our first ever tween reading program this summer! The tween summer reading program is for kids between the ages of 10-12. Sign ups begin this week and the first day for prizes is Tuesday, June 10. More rules about the program can be found at the teen site.

Events we have planned for the tween summer reading program include:

Jun 11: Building with Legos
Jun 18: Watching The Lego Movie

Jun 25: Building a Marshmallow Tower

Jul 9: Come and Make some Oobleck!

Jul 16: Video Game Day with the Wii U!

Jul 23: Tween Book Club*

  

All events for the tween program are from 2:00pm - 4:00pm in the upstairs blue meeting room at the Visalia Branch, and are absolutely free.

Tweens do not need to be accompanied by an adult to attend these events, and can attend the events without signing up for the summer reading program. They do not have to attend events to participate in summer reading.

*Our book club selection is What We Found in the Sofa (and How it Saved the World) by Henry Clark. Participation is limited to the first 18 tweens due to a limited number of copies. 

Tulare County Library "Food For Fines" Event Another Success

The semi-annual "Food for Fines" program sponsored by the Tulare County Library raised 3,661 pounds of food items to benefit county residents in need. The food was donated to Foodlink for distribution throughout the county.

During the month long event, 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 $4642.22 in fines for donors to the program, more than the amount forgiven in the first drive last November. In addition, many library patrons made food or cash donations without having fines on their library accounts.

Foodlink will use the items to restock the pantries of food banks throughout the county.  Items collected from the fifteen branches will be distributed in each branch's local community and surrounding areas.

"Food for Fines" is a team effort sponsored twice a year by the library and Foodlink. The next "Food for Fines" will be held in November.