Library News
Tezkatlipoka Aztec Dance and Drum
Aztec Dance and Drum
Posted on September 05, 2017
We are happy to host Tezkatlipoka Aztec Dance and Drum (Tezkatlipoka) to perform at eight branches of Sonoma County Library this fall.
Tezkatlipoka is a traditional Aztec dance circle and a community based performing arts dance group that promotes an appreciation and understanding of pre Colombian art forms through traditional Aztec dance and music. Tezkatlipoka works towards integrating all dimensions of Mesoamerican dance, music, and performance art while honoring the cultural traditions left behind by our ancestors. Tezkatlipoka celebrates cultural diversity by exploring common links that bring and connect all people together in a celebration of movement, art and life.
Tezkatlipoka will share indigenous Meso American culture through Aztec dance and drumming. The program begins by honoring the four directions, north, south, east and west and includes 4-5 dances.
Join us for a truly unique and powerful Aztec Dance and Drum presentation at Sonoma County Library, and enjoy the thread of cultural information and dance.
Upcoming performances:
- October 14, 11:00 am Central Library
- October 14, 2:00 pm Rohnert Park Cotati Library
- October 21, 12:00 pm Sebastopol Library
- October 21, 2:30 pm Guerneville Library
- October 28, 12:00 pm Roseland Library
- October 28, 2:30 pm Petaluma Library
- March 10, 12:00pm Rincon Valley Library
- March 10, 2:30 pm Sonoma Valley Library
LearningExpress comes to Sonoma County Library!
Posted on September 01, 2017
We're so excited to announce the launch of LearningExpress Library, a new online resource that offers educational support for users of all ages!
LearningExpress Library features nearly 1,000 online tutorials, practice tests, and eBooks to help patrons of all ages. LearningExpress helps students and adult learners improve the skills required for academic and career success. It offers job search and workplace skills improvement, skill building in reading, writing, math, and basic science, career certification and licensure exam prep, college and grad school entrance test prep, GED® test prep, and more. LearningExpress is a targeted learning center providing users of all ages with easy-to-use, intuitive online navigation to interactive tutorials, test preparation, and eBooks to support learning.
The very first time you use LearningExpress Library, you will have to "Register" with your Library Card Number, but then you will have access to all courses, tests, and resources in LearningExpress Library.
We are thrilled to add LearningExpress to Sonoma County Library's collection of online resources made available to our customers. Log in, play around, and let us know how you like this new resource brought to you by Measure Y funding!
"Conflict and Compromise in History" is the National History Day Theme for 2017-18
Posted on August 25, 2017
For the third year in a row, Sonoma County Library is partnering with National History Day Sonoma County to offer workshops and research days for participating Sonoma County students. Each year, students --participating through a school classroom or individually signed up--will choose a topic that relates to an annual theme, research that topic, and develop a presentation using one of five categories. Students may then enter their projects into History Day competitions at school, regional, state, and national levels.
The Library co-hosts a teacher informational meeting in September, and will offer workshops throughout the contest period ranging from topic choice and thesis development to search skills and resource evaluation. The emphasis on research and use of resources is a natural fit with the mission of the library, so we are very excited to participate. The program is open to students from all school settings in Sonoma County.
Click here to see more about the SCL-NHD partnership, check out the great information about on the National History Day-Sonoma County site, and consider having your child participate this year!
It's never too late to get your high school diploma!
Back to school time not just for kids--Adults Earn Free High School Diploma through the Library
Posted on August 15, 2017
Kids aren’t the only ones going back to school this fall -- qualified adults can earn your high school diploma at the public library! Scholarships are now available for Career Online High School.
COHS, an 18-credit high school completion program offered through the public library, provides adult learners with the chance to further their education. As part of the world’s first accredited, private online school district, COHS is accredited by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission. AdvancED is the world’s largest education community, engaging 32,000 public and private schools and school systems in more than 70 countries and serving more than 20 million students.
As individuals work through the program, they’re supported every step of the way by academic coaches, certified instructors, and technical support staff. Meanwhile, with a flexible timeframe and an online classroom environment, students can complete coursework according to their own schedules. You are given up to 18 months to finish the program and can even transfer previously-earned high school credits to shorten their time to graduate.
Finish school and get career training too. Find out if you qualify!
https://sonomalibrary.org/events/programs/career-online-high-school
Free ACT and SAT Test Prep Classes Offered At Library
Posted on August 03, 2017
Sonoma County Library presents free 5-hour SAT & ACT Preparation Classes this August and September for high school students who will be taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and American College Test (ACT). These classes are part of the Path to College series the library offers to help students with the college process.
Registration is now open! Students or parents can pick up registration forms online or at the library branches where the class will be offered: Roseland Community Library, Cloverdale Regional Library, Petaluma Regional Library, Sebastopol Regional Library, and Rincon Valley Library.
This series of classes were developed in response to demand in the community for an affordable SAT and ACT prep courses. “Several parents of high school students in town called the library asking if we knew of any low-cost classes to help their students prepare for the SAT and ACT. Last year we began offering an informational workshop about the SAT and other standardized college entrance exams, but this will be the first time we offer an extended review class where students can pick up the kind of test-taking skills taught in courses costing hundreds of dollars. And our class is free!” said Petaluma Library Teen Services Librarian Diana Spaulding.
The SAT & ACT Intensive Prep Classes will include study and review of problematic areas of all four sections of the new SAT: reading, writing & language, math, and the optional essay; as well as all sections of the ACT including the essay. Students will be provided with an individual copy of the Official SAT/ACT Study Guide for use in the class and extended study at home.
These 2 part classes are offered in 2½ hour increments at the following dates/times:
Roseland Community Library: SAT Intensive Prep Class—
- Part 1: Saturday, August 12th from 1:00pm-3:30pm
- Part 2: Saturday, August 19th from 1:00pm-3:30pm
Cloverdale Regional Library: SAT Intensive Prep Classes–
- Part 1: Monday, August 14th from 6:00pm-8:30pm
- Part 2: Monday, August 21st from 6:00pm-8:30pm
Petaluma Regional Library: ACT Intensive Prep Class—
- Part 1: Wednesday, August 30th from 6:00pm-8:30pm
- Part 2: Wednesday, September 6th from 6:00pm-8:30pm
Sebastopol Regional Library: SAT Intensive Prep Classes—
- Part 1: Wednesday, September 20th from 3:30pm-6:00pm
- Part 2: Wednesday, September 27th from 3:30pm-6:00pm
Rincon Valley Library: ACT Intensive Prep Classes—
- Part 1: Saturday, September 23rd from 1:00-3:30pm
- Part 2: Wednesday, September 30th from 1:00pm-3:30pm
Students are expected to attend both parts 1 and 2, as attendance is limited. The class will be taught by local test preparation consultant Ellen Jakes Kelm, Ph.D.
For more information, contact Teen & Adult Services Librarian Diana Spaulding at 763-9801 ext. 0731 or dspaulding@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Read more about services and programs offered by the Library at http://events.sonomalibrary.org/events and keep in touch with the library at www.sonomalibrary.org and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
Sonoma County Library Becomes Literary Landmark
Posted on August 02, 2017
The Sonoma County Library will soon be on the Literary Landmark map, dedicating a Literary Landmark in honor of Charles M. Schulz. United for Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, has dedications at homes and places of interest of hundreds of famous authors throughout the United States. Each Literary Landmark is designated for a special location in each community tied to its literary figure.
As a resident of Sonoma County for over 40 years, Charles Schulz’s influence lives on as we are greeted by Peanuts characters throughout the county. Schulz is remembered for bringing to life stories of the Peanuts gang, including Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Lucy, who are seen through comic strips, books, television, and the big screen. In partnership with the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, the Sonoma County Library is proud to display a Literary Landmark at the entrance of the Central Library in Santa Rosa. The Central Library is an integral staple of the county and a space where many discover Schulz’s work and are greeted by Chuck (Charlie Brown), an honorary resident of the county himself, as they walk through the doors of the Branch.
At 1:00 PM on August 10th, the Sonoma County Library, Charles M. Schulz Museum, and Schulz Family will dedicate the Literary Landmark at the Central Library. In celebration of the life and work of Charles M. Schulz, the Literary Landmark will be a permanent addition to a lasting institution for future Sonoma County generations, and also comes as the Charles M. Schulz Museum celebrates its 15th Anniversary.
For more information regarding the Literary Landmark Dedication, contact Community Engagement Coordinator Angelina Cacioppo by phone at (707) 545-0831 ext. 1510 or by email at acacioppo@sonoma.lib.ca.us. For more information regarding the Charles M. Schulz Museum, contact Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center Marketing Director Tracey Pugh by phone (707) 579-4452 ext. 268 or by email at tracey@schulzmuseum.org.
Keep up with all Sonoma County Library news at https://sonomalibrary.org/blogs/news and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary; and Charles M. Schulz Museum news at https://schulzmuseum.org/explore/press-room/ and on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/schulzmuseum.
Sonoma County Library Commission 1975 - SCL Photo No. 5171
Sonoma County Library Commission Vacancy
Posted on July 25, 2017
Shown here is the new Sonoma County Library Commission who assumed responsibility on March 1, 1975, for the recently reorganized countywide library system. Seated from left to right are Margaret Millner (retired CIA analyst), appointed from the Third Supervisorial District; Dr. Randolph Newman (retired SRJC president), appointed from the City of Santa Rosa; Esther Foster (member of the Business and Professional Women’s Club), from the Fifth Supervisorial District; Myron E. DeLong (Sonoma Valley High School teacher), First District. Standing from left to right, are Dorothy Bertucci (a former UC Berkeley and UCLA reference librarian), Vice Chairman, appointed by the City of Petaluma; John Howland Hicks (Cloverdale High School librarian), appointed from the Fourth District; and Peter Kassebaum (College of Marin anthropology instructor and Rohnert Park resident), Second Supervisorial District.
Today the Sonoma County Library is governed by an independent eleven-member Library Commission as specified in a revised Joint Powers Agreement. The city councils of Cloverdale, Cotati, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, and Windsor, along with the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, each appoint a Library Commissioner. The City of Santa Rosa and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors also jointly appoint one Library Commissioner.
Currently Healdsburg is not represented on the Commission and the City of Healdsburg is seeking applications from those interested in this volunteer position.
For more information please go to http://www.ci.healdsburg.ca.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=203
Get Prepared for the Great American Solar Eclipse!
Posted on July 24, 2017
On Monday, August 21, 2017, there will be a partial solar eclipse visible in Sonoma County. Sonoma County Library staff is very excited to support our public's viewing and interest in what is being called "The Great American Eclipse," through library displays, events and classes.
Information about Eclipses and the 2017 Eclipse
A total eclipse is when the Sun is completely hidden by the Moon, the sky becomes dark, and the Sun's corona becomes visible - like a beautiful halo. This total eclipse of the Sun will be visible in the continental United States for the first time in almost 40 years. The total eclipse will only be visible on a narrow track stretching from Oregon to South Carolina across the United States. Because no other country will get to see this total eclipse, it's been nicknamed "The Great American Eclipse."
In Sonoma County, we will see a PARTIAL eclipse, where the Moon covers only a portion of the sun. The partial eclipse will begin at 9:00 am; its maximum will be at 10:15 am, and it ends at 11:36 am. It is important to use safe viewing strategies during the partial eclipse, since it is dangerous to look at without something to protect your eyes.
How to View an Eclipse Safely
It's not the eclipse that is dangerous to observe - it's the Sun! The sun's visible and invisible rays can cause damage to the sensitive tissues of the eyes, often without being aware of it. Sunglasses or smoked glasses are NOT safe. Here are some ways to watch the eclipse safely when part of the Sun is still visible:
- Use Sun filters like Eclipse Glasses to look directly at the sun.
- Use Pinhole Projectors to indirectly view the sun
Eclipse Events at the Library
Please join us for special presentations by Laura Sparks, chair of the Earth and Space Sciences Department at the Santa Rosa Junior College, to learn about the Sun and the Moon, the exciting history of eclipse-hunting, the science of eclipses, and how and where to view the August eclipse safely. Participants will receive eclipse-viewing glasses to keep, and the class will be followed by viewing the Sun through solar telescopes, weather permitting.
- Wednesday, July 26, at 6:00 pm - Rohnert Park-Cotati Library
- Thursday, July 27, at 1:00 pm - Sebastopol Library
- Saturday, July 29, at 11:00 am - Petaluma Library
- Monday, July 31, at 6:00 pm - Windsor Library
Eclipse Glasses - ALL GONE
The supply of free eclipse viewing glasses at the library is all gone. However, you can still view the eclipse safely using pinhole projectors.
- Use Pinhole Projectors to indirectly view the sun
Information adapted from "The 'All American' Eclipse: A Guide for Public Libraries and Their Communities," by Andrew Fraknoi (Foothill College) and Dennis Schatz (Pacific Science Center).
Library Commission names Tracy Gray as Interim Director
Library Commission Names Interim Director
Posted on July 17, 2017
NEWS RELEASEFor Immediate Release: | Contact: NAME: Helena Whistler |
The Sonoma County Library is pleased to announce the appointment of Tracy Gray as Interim Library Director. Director Gray was unanimously selected by the Sonoma County Library Commission at the July 10th Commission Meeting, and has been serving as Acting Director since May 19th, 2017 following the departure of the Library’s Former Director.
“I’m am very honored to be able to continue to serve the Sonoma County Library and community as Interim Director,” Ms. Gray stated, after being appointed. Prior to her appointment as Interim Library Director, Tracy Gray previously served as the Branch Manager of the Central Library in downtown Santa Rosa.
The Interim Library Director position is a long-term position that will continue until the hiring of a permanent Library Director. The Library Commission is currently in an extensive search process for a permanent Library Director. This process includes input from Library staff as well as the public, any questions or comments regarding this process can be directed to the Library Commission.
For more information, contact Library Commission Chair Helena Whistler at hwhistler@sonoma.lib.ca.us. Keep up with all library news at https://sonomalibrary.org/blogs/news and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
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Text Notices for Account Information
Text Notices for Account Information
Posted on June 27, 2017
Starting June 27, 2017, Sonoma County Library cardholders can choose to receive hold, upcoming due date and overdue account notices by text. Patrons can have the text notifications added by library staff at the circulation desk or choose to add it to their account online.
The text notices are limited to 160 characters. Because of the character limitation, SMS messages cannot contain all the details of email or telephone notices. Our SMS Notices are designed to simply alert patrons about specific account activities.
Here is the short list of the text notices and the proposed text that we will be sending to customers from Horizon:
- Hold Notice: Your requested item is now available for pickup at the Central Santa Rosa Library. Note: “Central Santa Rosa Library” is an example. The actual message will reflect the branch where the hold is available.
- Pre-Overdue Notice: This is a courtesy reminder from your library. One or more borrowed items are due soon.
- 1st Overdue Notice: You have one or more library items overdue, for which this is the first notice.
- Final Overdue Notice: You have one or more library items overdue, for which this is the final notice.
Customers can request text notices at any Sonoma County Library circulation desk or log into their account, select the Personal Information tab and add text notices under the SMS Notifications Menu.
