Three Christmas Movies This Friday, December 2nd 2-5pm! Family Fun Fridays @ the Visalia Library!!!

Family Fun @ the Visalia Library!!!
Join us every Friday for free Kinect gaming, movies and over 15 board games that families can enjoy playing together!
When: Every Friday 2pm-5pm
Movie @ 2pm:Beauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (71 minutes)
@ 3:50pm: Triple feature! Ice Age Mammoth Christmas (25 minutes), Prep & Landing (22 minutes), and Beauty and The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (71 minutes)
(children might want to bring pillows or something comfortable to rest on during the movie.)

Kinect Sports! 3-5pm
(Kinect is for ages 6-13)
Board Games available to play in Children's Wing:
Candy Land, Chess, Checkers and Backgammon, Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Connect 4, Dominoes, Go Fish card game, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, Regular playing cards, Scrabble, Sorry!, Uno
Cost: Free!!!
Where: The Children's Wing of the Tulare County Library Visalia Branch
Who: Children, teens and parents (adults must be with a child in order to attend this program)
*Parents must stay with children under the age of 14. *No group or daycare visits are allowed during our program times.Please call in advance to schedule a group visit.For further information or to schedule a group visit, call the Children's Dept. 713.2731

Santa is Coming to Tulare County Library Branches

Santa is coming to the Tulare County Library branches on the following days:

Woodlake: December 13 @ 3:30 pm

Strathmore: December 14 @ 3:30 pm

Orosi: December 15 @ 3:00 pm

Springville: December 15 @ 6:00 pm

Exeter: December 16 @ 2:00 pm

Tipton: December 16@ 4:30 pm

Dinuba: December 20 @ 3:30 pm

Three Rivers: December 20 @6:00 pm

Earlimart: December 21 @ 4:30 pm

Alpaugh: December 21 @2:00 pm

Ivanhoe: December 22 @ 2:30 pm

Lindsay: December 22 @ 6:00 pm


Call your local branch for more information.


These programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Tulare County Library.

Learn How to Download eBooks, December 14th

Join us every second Wednesday of the month for a class on how to download the library's selection of eBooks and audiobooks. Instruction will be given on how to download these materials for each available format. The class will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 in the computer lab at the Visalia Library.

Literacy Center Gets Early Gift

The Wells Fargo Foundation ensured holiday happiness for the Tulare County Library Literacy Center with a donation of $1250 to the program.

In receiving the funds, Sue Gillison, Literacy Program Manager, said, “Our tutors and learners depend on us to provide at no cost the materials they need for study. The budget constraints on our program have been a major concern for all literacy programs in California. Our Tulare County Library Literacy program is very fortunate to have this Wells Fargo Foundation Community Partners grant to aid our local literacy efforts. Wells Fargo truly gives back to its community.”

The Library Literacy Center has been serving the residents of Tulare County for over ten years. With a 41 percent illiteracy rate in the county, its services are vitally needed to make the Central Valley competitive in today’s economy.

Independent Film Night, December 15

This month's film is The Piano in a Factory.

For more information, visit the Independent Film Movement Series page on the Library's web site.

Socrates Cafe, December 13

Every second Tuesday of every month, the Visalia library will be hosting a Socrates Cafe at 6:30pm in the library's "blue" meeting room.

This month's topic: Colonizing out of this world: what do we take along?

Socrates Cafe is a gathering of people who--with the help of a facilitator--engage in lively conversation about philosophical questions, posing questions, listening to others, raising challenges, and considering alternative answers.

Please join us for this free and fun event!

First Tuesday Book Club, December 6

The next "First Tuesday Book Club" will meet on December 6th at 6:30 pm in the blue meeting room.

This month we are reading I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallmann.

For more information on this title and to see a list of other library events, please visit the library web site's Free Adult Programs page.

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, December 8, at 7 PM in the library's upstairs (blue) meeting room. Everyone is welcome to attend! Please contact Sheryll at 713-2709 for more information.

Libraries Closed, November 24th and 25th

All libraries in the Tulare County Library System will be closed on November 24th and 25th in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Friday, November 18th 2-5pm: Family Fun Fridays @ the Visalia Library!!!

Family Fun @ the Visalia Library!!!
Join us every Friday for free Kinect gaming, movies and over 15 board games that families can enjoy playing together!
When: Every Friday 2pm-5pm
Movie starts @ 2pm & 4pm
This week's movie:The Muppets Take Manhattan
(children might want to bring pillows or something comfortable to rest on during the movie.)

Kinect Adventures! 3-5pm
(Kinect is for ages 6-13)
Board Games available to play in Children's Wing:
Candy Land, Chess, Checkers and Backgammon, Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Connect 4, Dominoes, Go Fish card game, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, Regular playing cards, Scrabble, Sorry!, Uno
Cost: Free!!!
Where: The Children's Wing of the Tulare County Library Visalia Branch
Who: Children, teens and parents (adults must be with a child in order to attend this program)
*Parents must stay with children under the age of 14. *No group or daycare visits are allowed during our program times.Please call in advance to schedule a group visit.For further information or to schedule a group visit, call the Children's Dept. 713.2731

ELF event, December 2

The next ELF (Early Learning For Families) event will be held December 2. We will read Mooseltoe.

New Head of the Literacy Center Named

Sue Gillison has been named to lead the Tulare County Library Literacy Program, announced County Librarian Brian Lewis.

“Sue brings a wealth of literacy, community and educational experience to the Literacy Center,” said Mr. Lewis. “She is passionately dedicated to literacy excellence and to the educational welfare of our Tulare County residents. I am pleased and proud to have Sue as part of our Library family.”

A former tutor at the Literacy Center, Ms. Gillison also worked with the Literacy Volunteers of America during the time she lived in New York state. She was an adjunct professor at the College of the Sequoias and served for five years as a board member and president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Community Learning Center Charter School. Ms. Gillison is married and the mother of twin daughters.

“I am excited to be part of this team effort,” said Ms. Gillison. “It’s a privilege to serve this community.”

Ms. Gillison succeeds Patricia Habeck, who retired November 4, after eleven years as the Library Programs and Literacy Specialist.

AAUW Gift Benefits Literacy Center

The Visalia Sequoia Chapter of the American Association of University Women donated $750 to the Library Literacy Center recently. Presenting the check to retiring program manager Patricia Habeck were Vicki Setzer, Jan Johnson and Dona Meinhardt of AAUW.

The funds are earmarked for the purchase of General Educational Development Test books for Literacy Center learners. Thirty-nine of the Literacy Center customers are currently in the process of obtaining their GED’s, and books in five different subjects are needed for each student. Recent governmental budget cuts for library literacy programs have made donations from community organizations increasingly necessary for purchasing needed materials for learners.

AAUW is a nationwide organization of college educated women dedicated to equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy and research. November is National AAUW month and marks the 130th anniversary of the group.

Library Branches Opening Late, November 4th

All Tulare County library branches (that are normally open on Fridays) will be closed until 2:00 PM on November 4th due to a mandatory staff meeting in Visalia. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Independent Film Night, November 17

This month's film: PROTEKTOR

1938, Prague. Emil, a radio reporter, is married to the beautiful Hana, an actress whose new film has catapulted her into fame. As the Nazis come to power, however, Hana's Jewish heritage precipitates her fall from stardom to the bottom of the social ladder. In order to protect her, Emil compromises himself collaborating with the new Nazi-controlled state radio station. But as Emil starts enjoying the attention and respect that had previously evaded him, his fidelity and loyalty towards his wife begin to falter. The assassination of the Third Reich Deputy Protector and a chance encounter on a bicycle bring their lingering marriage to a crisis, possibly sealing Hana's fate.

Czech Republic | 2009 | Drama-Thriller | in Czech w/ English subtitles

Friends of the Library Meeting, November 10

The Friends of the Tulare County Library will hold their monthly meeting on Thursday, November 10, at 7 PM in the library's upstairs (blue) meeting room. Everyone is welcome to attend! Please contact Sheryll Strachan at 713-2709 for more information.

Mystery Readers' Meeting, November 16

The next Mystery Readers' Meeting will be held on November 16 at 6:30pm at the Visalia Library (upstairs, in the "blue" meeting room).

For November, read any Culinary Case.

For more information, please contact Sheryll at 713-2709.

Socrates Cafe, November 8

Every second Tuesday of every month, the Visalia library will be hosting a Socrates Cafe at 6:30pm in the library's "blue" meeting room.

Socrates Cafe is a gathering of people who--with the help of a facilitator--engage in lively conversation about philosophical questions, posing questions, listening to others, raising challenges, and considering alternative answers.
This month's discussion topic: The Influence of the Media

Please join us for this free and fun event!

Long Time Leader of Library Literacy Center to Retire

Retiring head of the Tulare County Library Literacy Center, Patricia Habeck, was honored today by the Board of Supervisors for her years of dedication and commitment in establishing and directing the library literacy program. Supervisor Phil Cox presented Mrs. Habeck with a proclamation citing her leadership in local, state and national library literacy services.

Mrs. Habeck, who started the program in 2000 under County Librarian Brian Lewis, has led the Read to Succeed program for eleven years. During that time, over 1200 adults with literacy needs have been served throughout Tulare County. Beginning in one room in the library, with 3 tutors for 6 learners, the program now has 110 tutors and a variety of activities to serve the differing requirements of the county’s population.

Under Mrs. Habeck’s aegis, the Literacy Center has added two Early Literacy activities for parents and children, English Speakers of Other Languages Conversation Circles, a Transition Team study series for customers ready to enter the work force as well as a number of special projects. One of these projects is the ongoing partnership with the county Health and Human Services Agency that serves TulareWORKS referrals to the literacy program.

All of the supervisors praised Mrs. Habeck for her devotion to helping these disadvantaged residents and for her leadership in literacy in Tulare County. Commenting on her retirement, the proclamation stated that, “Pat will be able to enjoy her avocations, which include spending time with her dogs, cooking and baking German food, and dreaming up stories about mythical animals.”

Friday, November 4th 2-5pm: Family Fun Fridays @ the Visalia Library!!!

Family Fun @ the Visalia Library!!!
Join us every Friday for free Kinect gaming, movies and over 15 board games that families can enjoy playing together!
When: Every Friday 2pm-5pm
Movie starts @ 2pm & 4pm
(children might want to bring pillows or something comfortable to rest on during the movie.)


This week's movie:Disney's Cars 2(in Blu-ray)
Animated Feature
Voices by: Owen Wilson,
Michael Caine, Jason Issacs
Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation;
Directed by Brad Lewis and John Lasseter
Rated G; 113 minutes; 2011

"Star racecar Lightning McQueen, and the incomparable tow truck, Mater, take their friendship to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage. Torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret spy mission, Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world."

Kinect Adventures! 3-5pm
(Kinect is for ages 6-13)
Board Games available to play in Children's Wing:
Candy Land, Chess, Checkers and Backgammon, Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Connect 4, Dominoes, Go Fish card game, Hi Ho Cherry-O, Memory, Regular playing cards, Scrabble, Sorry!, Uno

Cost: Free!!!
Where: The Children's Wing of the Tulare County Library Visalia Branch
Who: Children, teens and parents (adults must be with a child in order to attend this program)
*Parents must stay with children under the age of 14. *No group or daycare visits are allowed during our program times.Please call in advance to schedule a group visit.For further information or to schedule a group visit, call the Children's Dept. 713.2731