Monday, September 22, 2014

Monthly Friends Meeting, October 9

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, October 9, 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.

Mystery Readers Meeting, October 15

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


For October:

Read
Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny


Next Meeting
October 15th at 6:30pm

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

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Three Rivers Library to Host October Raven Fest

This is the second year that Three Rivers is having an October Raven Fest with activities throughout town.  All of these activities will be at the library except for the Critter Creek Program on the 18th that is sponsored by the Three Rivers Library, but will take place at the Memorial Building.  
 
Oct 2nd   6:30 pm – RAVEN INTELLIGENCE – David Graber (recently retired Chief Scientist for the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service), Kristina Roper (archaeologist and lecturer in Anthropology at California State University, Fresno – Raven intelligence and as a species, how ravens use tools.  Also included will be the place of ravens in Native American  culture. 
 
Oct 4th _  11:00 am – Sequoia Natural History Association Lead Naturalist, Mike Springer will do a “Raving about Ravens” talk. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving complicated problems.  These big, black birds thrive among humans, stretching across the sky on easy, flowing wing beats and filling the empty spaces with an echoing croak.    Mike will be available at the library to answer questions from 10 am to 3 pm.
 
Oct 4th  –  Raven Land LEGO Challenge from 10 am – 3 pm.  Bring your Raven inspired creation from home or work on your creation at the library – tubs of LEGOS will be available to work with.  We will also have raven inspired crafts.
 
Oct 16th - 6:30 pm  - Christina Lynch will read “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe and her original Three Rivers parody based on “The Raven”.    Christina is a television writer, novelist and writing instructor at COS, Antioch LA and UCLA Extension.  She has co-written two novels under the pen name Magnus Flyte:  the City of Dark Magic and City of Lost Dreams.  The winners of the Raven Writing Contest will then read their short stories with a reception to follow.
 
Oct 17th – 10:30 am “Learning About Ravens" for the Preschool and Play Group.  Just like us, ravens enjoy learning, experimenting and playing.  From figuring out puzzles to becoming acrobatic fliers, let’s play our way to discovering how ravens are such a big part of our everyday lives.
 
Oct 18th – 6:00 pm –  Critter Creek introduces “Augustus” the crow, “Edgar” the raven and “Vinnie” the vulture.  Learn about this rescue organization and the birds in their care.  Three Rivers Memorial Building – sponsored by the Three Rivers Friends of the Library.
 

Oct 23rd – 6:30 pm  - Native American Folklore with Marie Wilcox and Jennifer Malone.  Marie is the last fluent speaker of the Wukchumni language, and her daughter Jennifer, will share traditional Native American stories and their personal basket collection.  “Who Speaks Wukchumni”, a New York Times documentary, featured Marie Wilcox and the dictionary she created.  Her document will support the revitalization of the Wukchumni language for future generations.

Click to view all events for Raven Fest


Learn About the Common Core Standards at Tulare County Library Presentation

Visalia Unified School District Superintendent Craig Wheaton will be speaking about Common Core at the Visalia Branch of the Tulare County Library on Thursday, September 25th, 2014 at 6:30 pm.
 
The California Department of Education voted to adopt the Common Core State Standards System in 2010, with implementation scheduled by 2014. Common Core was instituted in the Visalia Unified School District beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, although the transition began last year. The emphasis of Common Core is on problem solving and being able to explain how you arrived at your answer. Please join us in the Library's Blue Room to learn more about Common Core. This program is free to the public and all are welcome to attend. For more information, please call (559) 713-2703 or go to: www.tularecountylibrary.org.
 
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Family Reads! Book Club, October 25

Family Reads! Book Club


Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow
Inspiration for the animated film The BoxTrolls
Recommended for ages 8-13

Book Discussion: 
Saturday, October 25th at 2:00pm

Pick up your copies at the Children's Reference Desk 
at the Visalia Branch Library today!

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

California Library Literacy Services Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Visalia, Calif. This September, California Library Literacy Services, a program of the California State Library, celebrates 30 years of changing the lives of low-literate adults and their families. Since its inception, California's Library Literacy Services has helped nearly a quarter of a million Californians learn to read and write.

To mark the 30th anniversary milestone of this volunteer-based program, the state is launching a month-long awareness campaign titled "Together, California Reads" to encourage communities to support the efforts of their local public libraries in raising adult literacy rates statewide.

Locally, the Library Literacy Center will have a display in mid September featuring literacy activities in the lobby of the Visalia branch library.  The Center also will be hosting a reception for the public on Wednesday, September 24, from 6 to 7:30 pm in the Blue Room of the library.

 The U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Adult Literacy found that nearly 25 percent of California adults lack basic literacy skills: meaning they can't read a newspaper, a bedtime story to a child or the instructions on a bottle of medicine. Based on the state's current population, as many as 4.5 million Californians over the age of 18 read below fourth grade levels.   I Tulare County, as many as 32 percent adults lack basic literacy skills.

Low adult literacy contributes to major socio-economic challenges, with a high percentage of prison inmates and those living in poverty testing at the lowest literacy levels.  The children of low-literate parents often aren't read to and have few books in the home, leading to future generations of low-literate adults.

According to ProLiteracy, low adult literacy creates a detrimental cycle that is estimated to cost the U.S. more than $225 billion each year in workforce non-productivity and loss of tax revenue due to unemployment.

"All over California, trained volunteer tutors are reversing the low adult literacy cycle by working one-on-one with adult learners to help improve their reading skills," said Greg Lucas, California's State Librarian. "The sad fact is there just aren't enough volunteers to meet demand. Nearly 4,000 eager-to-learn adults are on waiting lists across the state."
 
Last year, California public libraries provided services at 558 locations to 21,192 adult learners through nearly 10,700 volunteers generating over 500,000 hours of service. Working with their volunteer tutors, California adult learners achieved significant literacy goals.

Last year, 72 percent of those who set goals were able to share a book with their child and 65 percent were able to help their children with their homework.  Sixty-five percent were able to complete a job application and 57 percent wrote their own resume. More adult learner successes can be found in the 2014 California Library Literacy Services Report to the Legislature.

"What's awesome is the magic that happens when learners and tutors come together," said Carla Lehn, California Library Literacy Services program coordinator.  "Not only is the learner's life changed for the better but so is the volunteer, even though they may be giving just a couple of hours a week."

Inspirational stories about California adult learners and their volunteer tutors, as well as a complete statewide listing of public library events celebrating 30 years of California's Library Literacy Services, can be found at www.CalReads.org.  For social media updates and other announcements regarding California's adult literacy issues, please follow the CLLS twitter handle @CalReads (#CalReads).

About California Library Literacy Services:  California Library Literacy Services helps low-literacy adults and their families. Over 20,000 adult learners each year are provided one-on-one or small group instruction by thousands of trained volunteer tutors in over 500 public libraries.  Instruction is based on each individual learner's pace and goals. The program targets English speaking adults who struggle with basic reading and writing skills. As a result, these adults are voting for the first time, reading newspapers, reading aloud to their children and securing jobs. For more information, visit www.CalReads.org.

About the State Library: Founded in 1850, the California State Library is the central reference and research library for the Governor's office, legislature, state employees, and the general public. The State Library administers federal and state grants for programs in historical preservation, library construction, civil liberties education, literacy, volunteering, and broadband connectivity in public libraries. For more information, visit www.library.ca.gov.

Tulare County Library and Library of Congress Collecting Veteran's Histories

The Tulare County Library, as part of its three month 'War Comes Home' program, is offering veterans the opportunity to submit their war experience to the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress.

The interviews will be conducted and recorded by the library's teen volunteers, following Veterans History Project guidelines, beginning October 1 through November 7, 2014. For more information contact librarian Faythe Arredondo at 713-2706, or go online to tclwarcomeshome.blogspot.com.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Tulare County Library to Offer Forever Young Book Club

Adults who love Young Adult literature will have a book club of their own at the Tulare County Library, beginning Tuesday, September 16, at 6:30 pm.

The new club is a local offshoot of the national "Forever Young" program and is aimed at "fans who are a little less Y and a little more A."  It will meet every third Tuesday at 6:30 in the Blue Room of the Visalia Branch library.

The first book to be discussed is We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart, at the September 16 meeting.  Any library patron interested in joining the club is responsible for acquiring their own books.

Information on the national "Forever Young" program can be found at: http://foreveryoungadult.com/fya-book-club-locations.   For a listing of the books to be read in the coming months at the Visalia library, please go to: http://tclnews.blogspot.com/2014/08/forever-young-adult-book-club.html.

Tulare City Read to Succeed Program Receives Southern California Edison Community Grant

A Southern California Edison Community Grant, designated for the Tulare City branch of the County Library Read to Succeed literacy program, has been received by the Tulare County Library Foundation.

The grant, *Transforming Tulare,* has the primary focus of assisting young adults in workforce readiness.  The participants will be shown how to create employment portfolios and resumes, and given practice in interview skills. Training will be given by Tulare City Chamber of Commerce members who have a history of success in the business world and are currently active in the hiring process for their companies.  The chamber panel provides insight to what employers are looking for in the city of Tulare.

A pilot project, coordinated by the Chamber members and Read to Succeed Tulare Literacy Specialist Kim Torrez, is currently underway.  After the results of this project are determined, a fully developed program, funded by the grant, will be opened to Read to Succeed students in Tulare City.

According to Mrs. Torrez, Kathleen Johnson, CEO of the Chamber, was very instrumental in getting this program started. "Without Kathleen's amazing knowledge, encouragement and support, we would not have received this much needed grant from Southern California Edison.  The Read to Succeed program is very grateful to her and to the Chamber members participating in this project."

Ms. Johnson said, "The Chamber members are very excited about this program.  It completely falls in line with our mission of promoting economic opportunities and business prosperity in the city of Tulare. The Chamber panel has been very giving to students in the pilot program, sometimes serving as mentors to them. The enthusiasm of the participants demonstrates to us that the Chamber will indeed be helping to provide a valuable and skilled work force for our city."

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

New Candidate Sought for Tulare County Library Advisory Board

The Tulare County Library Advisory Board is seeking a candidate to fill a vacancy representing Supervisor District Two.

The Advisory Board meets once a month and advises the County Librarian on library issues important to their district. They also advise and make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding all phases of library services and operations of the Tulare County Library System.

District Two includes the City of Tulare, the communities of Allensworth, Alpaugh, Earlimart, Pixley, Teviston, Tipton, Richgrove, Waukena, and surrounding rural areas.

Board members receive reimbursement for actual and necessary travel expenses within the County in connection with their duties.

For an application form or additional information, contact the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors' Office at (559) 636-5000. The application form is also available on the Tulare County website.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Independent Film Movement Series, September 23

The Independent Film Movement Series continues with its second movie of the year on Tuesday, September 23. Please note its new night: it's now on the 4th Tuesday of each month.

Anne has a very active imagination, only natural for a writer. But in her mid-thirties, she still knows practically nothing of her own family's past. After her mother's death, Anne discovers old photos and letters that convince her to take a closer look at the life of her parents, Michael and Léna. The young couple met in the concentration camps during World War II, later moving to France to start their new life together. Soon, Anne's research into their Jewish history and their ties to Lyon's communist party reveals the existence of a mysterious uncle, Jean, whom everyone seems intent on forgetting entirely. As she gradually closes in on the discovery she didn't know she was looking for, her father grows ever more ill, and may take the secret that kept them apart for so long to his grave. In a journey that stretches from post-war France to the 1980s, Anne's destiny intertwines with her father's past until they form a single, unforgettable story.

Directed by Diane Kurys | France | 2013 | French with English subtitles | 110 min


The film will be shown at 6:00pm in the upstairs "blue" meeting room at the Visalia Branch Library. 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.

Governor Brown Proclaims September "Adult Literacy Awareness Month"

Proclamation coincides with 30th anniversary of California Library Literacy Services

Sacramento, Calif. - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued a  proclamation <http://gov.ca.gov/s_proclamations.php> declaring September "Adult Literacy Awareness Month."  The proclamation coincides with a statewide awareness campaign titled "Together, California Reads" which was  announced <http://www.library.ca.gov/pressreleases/pdf/pr_140825.pdf> by the California State Library on August 26 in celebration of California Library Literacy Services' 30th anniversary.

Since its inception,  California's Library Literacy Service<http://calreads.org/>s has helped nearly a quarter of a million Californians learn to read and write. It is estimated that more than 4 million California adults have low literacy skills, rendering them incapable of reading a newspaper, a bedtime story to a child or the instructions on a bottle of medicine.  Nearly 4,000 Californians are currently on waiting lists across the state hoping to be matched with a volunteer tutor who can help them improve their literacy skills.

Inspirational stories about California adult learners and their volunteer tutors, as well as a complete statewide listing of public library events celebrating 30 years of California's Library Literacy Services, can be found at www.CalReads.org<http://www.calreads.org/>. For social media updates and other announcements regarding California's adult literacy issues, please follow the CLLS twitter handle  @CalReads <https://twitter.com/calreads> (#CalReads).

About California Library Literacy Services: California Library Literacy Services, a program of the California State Library, helps low-literacy adults and their families. Over 20,000 adult learners each year are provided one-on-one or small group instruction by thousands of trained volunteer tutors in over 500 public libraries. Instruction is based on each individual learner's pace and goals. The program targets English speaking adults who struggle with basic reading and writing skills. As a result, these adults are voting for the first time, reading newspapers, reading aloud to their children and securing jobs. For more information, visit  www.CalReads.org <http://www.calreads.org/>
                                 

First Tuesday Book Club Meeting, October 7

For September, we'll be reading What it is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes.

In his memoir, Marlantes relates his combat experiences in Vietnam and discusses the daily contradictions warriors face in the grind of war, where each battle requires them to take life or spare life. He also underscores the need for returning veterans to be counseled properly.


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

*Author Karl Marlantes will be speaking at the Visalia Veterans Memorial Building on October 9, 2014 at 10:30 am to discuss his book, What is it Like to go to War, and to answer questions. More information on this event can be found here.*

Fall Tween Programs!

The Visalia Branch Library is hosting fall tween programs for ages 10-12 in the purple room from 4:00-5:30.

September 19 - Super Mario Bros.

October 17 - Decorate Sugar Skull Cookies

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Author and Veteran Karl Marlantes to Speak on the Experience of War

Author Karl Marlantes will be at the Visalia Veterans Memorial Building on October 9, 2014, at 10:30 am to discuss his book, What is it Like to Go to War and to answer questions.

Marlantes is a Vietnam veteran, a Rhodes Scholar and the author of the New York Times best-selling novel Matterhorn. His book, What is it Like to Go to War, has received much reader and critical acclaim since its publication in 2011 and has frequently been cited by veterans as the work that best expresses their experience.

The book has been selected by Cal Humanities as the community read for its "War Comes Home" initiative. Focusing on the veteran experience, this initiative aims to increase public understanding and empathy for those who have served, as well as to spark a public conversation on how best we can support the process of reincorporating our veterans into the fabric of civilian life.

The Tulare County Library has organized several programs and events in conjunction with this state-wide initiative. For more information, go to tclwarcomeshome.blogspot.com, or contact Carol Beers at 559-713-2700.