Library News
Adult learner participant Ako M. poses with ALLI organizers
Adult Literacy Learners Participate in Leadership Institute
Posted on June 02, 2018
Three adult learners from Sonoma County Library's Adult Literacy program attended this year’s Adult Learner Leadership Institute (ALLI) training held in Chico, California in May.
ALLI is a statewide training program that offers weekend-long workshops for adult learners. The workshops focus on the development of leadership skills in networking, advocacy, public speaking and giving presentations. Adult learners who are enrolled in a CLLS library literacy program for at least six months can apply to attend ALLI. The goal of ALLI is to empower the adult learners by helping bring out their leadership skills, strengthen them and apply those skills to help themselves, their library and their community.
These three members of our community who attended ALLI in 2018 will bring back awesome skills and learning to share with others. Kudos to Ako, Irma and Misty for being selected to attend this training, and for all the hard work you've done to get where you are today!
Summer Author Series Kicks Off with Anchee Min at Rincon Valley Library
Posted on May 31, 2018
We're so excited to share this upcoming visit from author Anchee Min to our Rincon Valley Library--on Monday June 4 at 6 p.m.--as part of the Sonoma County Library’s Summer Reading Authors Series.
Min’s books have been on the New York Times bestsellers list and received critical acclaim as “historical fiction of the first order”. Her debut memoir, Red Azalea, is about surviving China's Cultural Revolution. Min has written six subsequent works of historical fiction: Katherine, Becoming Madame Mao, Wild Ginger, Empress Orchid, The Last Empress, and Pearl of China. Her latest book continues where Red Azalea left off. The Cooked Seed: A Memoir tells the story of Min's struggles to find herself in a new land.
Rincon Valley Library Branch Manager, Bill Coolidge says, “We are excited to have Ms. Min speak at the library and provide this opportunity for our patrons to hear from such an acclaimed author.”
Min will speak for 45 minutes followed by a short question and answer session. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the event.
The Summer Reading Author Series comprises visits of 7 award-winning authors to library branches across Sonoma County. Per our summer reading theme "Reading Takes You Everywhere," this is a great time to travel to libraries across the county to participate in these wonderful community events. The Summer Reading Author Series is brought to Sonoma County Library thanks to the passage of Measure Y.
This event is free and open to all. The library is located at 6959 Montecito Boulevard. For more information contact Bill Coolidge at 707-537-0162 or bcoolidge@sonomalibrary.org. Keep in touch with this and other library events at www.sonomalibrary.org/events and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
Changes to Library Circulation Policy
Posted on May 23, 2018
Sonoma County Library is excited to announce changes to our checkout policies to improve borrowers’ library experience. Beginning April 2, 2018, we streamlined four policies (Cards & Accounts, Fines & Fees, Loans & Loan Limits, and Requests & Holds) into one all-encompassing Circulation Policy, with appendices that outline loan limits & requests, and fines & fees. As part of this revision process, we incorporated changes suggested by staff and borrowers to improve and enrich our borrowers’ library experience.
The following changes took effect on Monday, April 2:
- Cardholders may check out up to fifty (50) items at one time (instead of 30)
- Cardholders may renewed items three times, if there are no holds on them (instead of twice)
- Cardholders may place holds on up to 25 items (instead of 20)
- Overdue fines for DVDs are lowered to $.25 per day (instead of $1.00/day)
- Cardholders who owe less than $10 may check out materials and use the computers (instead of $5)
All other circulation parameters remain unchanged, other than those highlighted here.
The goals of these changes are to encourage use of library resources and to remove barriers to library use, while embracing a “One Library” approach for borrowing material across Sonoma County Library service points. With these policy revisions, Library leadership is optimistic that the system will more user-friendly for library patrons and public services staff. We thank you for your patience and welcome your feedback as we navigate these changes.
For more information, contact Bill Coolidge, Branch Manager of the Rincon Valley Library and Chair of the Public Services Management Team, at bcoolidge@sonomalibrary.org.
Read more about Sonoma County Library policies and procedures at https://sonomalibrary.org/about/policies-and-procedures and keep in touch with library events at www.sonomalibrary.org/events and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/sonomalibrary.
Northwest Santa Rosa Library Reopens May 29
Posted on May 22, 2018
Just in time for summer reading, the Sonoma County Library is pleased to announce the reopening of the Northwest Regional Library on May 29, 2018, at 150 Coddingtown Ctr, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. The library will resume regular hours of operation.
Please Note: The temporary site offering a Book Drop and Holds for Northwest patrons at Guerneville Road Plaza; 1331 Guerneville Road, Suite O., will close its doors at 2pm on Saturday, May 26, 2018. See Northwest Hours and Address Information.
On May 29, 2018, Sonoma County Library invites the community to join us for the reopening celebration, which will begin at 10:00 am with a ribbon cutting ceremony with community leaders and library officials. Refreshments and music will follow the ribbon cutting ceremony. The library will continue the celebration in the afternoon with a scavenger hunt in the library for families.
After more than three months of renovations, Northwest Library reopens its doors to reconfigured and enhanced spaces for children and teens, newly installed carpeting and furnishings, and a more efficient layout for collections. Improved disability access and seismic retrofitting are a few of the other upgrades. The community will also be happy to know that our beautiful mural still graces the wall in the Children’s area of the library.
The Northwest Regional Library originally opened in October of 1968. Besides some minor renovations to restrooms, the library did not change much over the past fifty years. Now, the library will have a fresh, new feel with a single service desk and many improvements. “We have very loyal patrons who use our library and we are so happy to be back home and look forward to welcoming them to our vibrant, new space,” said Northwest branch manager Kate Keaton. She added, “We’ll also be continuing the celebration in October with special events surrounding our fiftieth anniversary.”
The Northwest Library is located at 150 Coddingtown Center, Santa Rosa CA 95401.
For more information, contact Kate Keaton at kkeaton@sonomalibrary.org.
Interim Library Director to resign
Posted on May 18, 2018
The Sonoma County Library Commission announces the resignation of Interim Library Director Tracy Gray effective June 2, 2018. Director Gray has held the position of Interim Director of the Sonoma County Library (SCL) since July 17, 2017. She has accepted the position of Library Services Director for the City of Mountain View. Director Gray will be relocating to Mountain View and begin her new job in July.
“Interim Director Gray has done fantastic work during her tenure at SCL,” said Commission Chairperson Helena Whistler. Gray had been the Central Library manager of SCL for two years. She was appointed acting director a year ago when the former director resigned. She was then hired as the interim director while the commission began the search for a permanent library director. “We wish Tracy well in her new position and will miss her very much,” said Whistler.
During Gray’s tenure as interim director, the SCL began implementing improvements made possible through the passage of Measure Y (1/8 cent sales tax measure passed by Sonoma County voters November 2016). A few of the changes Gray directed included adding new programs for adults and children; hiring additional staff to accommodate expanded library service hours and additional programs and materials; and moving administrative staff and materials handling from the Central library in downtown Santa Rosa to an office building in Rohnert Park. “Director Gray has accomplished a lot, which has made our library system more efficient and more accessible and responsive to the public. We owe her a great deal of thanks and appreciation,” said Whistler. The commission will be adjourning their June 4, 2018 meeting in her honor.
The library commission hopes to interview candidates for the interim director position before the end of May and continue the nationwide search for a permanent library director.
Please contact Commission Chair Helena Whistler at hwhistler@sonomalibrary.org for more information.
Learn Something New During Asian Pacific Heritage Month
Posted on May 09, 2018
Are you up for a challenge?
Here’s a little background: in 1978, U.S. Congress passed a resolution to designate a week to celebrate Asians and Pacific Islanders. Then, in 1990, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed it to be Asian Pacific Heritage Month.
Obviously, topics as vital as cultural heritage would ideally be celebrated and championed all year long--not limited to one week or one month per year. At the same time, we know that ceremoniously highlighting various cultures creates opportunities for learning, courageous conversations, and expanding our collective perspectives about people, cultures, and the world around us.
This month, we challenge you to learn something new about the contributions of generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. Check out a book of sijo or haiku poetry. Learn to cook delectable dishes from India or the Philippines. Watch a DVD to expand your views on life in the Pacific or local history here in Sonoma County. Download an eBook about the timeline history of the Transcontinental Railroad. Enjoy the displays at your local branch of the Sonoma County Library--most branches have curated inspiring offerings of relevant books for all ages!
Go ahead, spark your curiosity, engage with your community, learn something new, and grow--we dare you! Not sure where to start? Scroll down for an enthusiastically curated list of resources about Asian Pacific art & music, poetry, foods, culture & historical context, with some electronic resources at the end. OR, you may always find the nearest Sonoma County Librarian and pick their brain about interesting and thought-provoking materials that might ignite your imagination this month… and all year long.
Asian Pacific Heritage Month - Library Resources
Resources for Adults - Cultural and Historical Perspectives:
Art & Music ~
Music cultures of the Pacific, the Near East, and Asia
Growing up Asian in America : prize winning student essays & art
5,000 years of Korean art : an exhibition = [Hanʼguk misul ochʻŏnnyŏn]
The sculpture of Ruth Asawa : contours in the air
Jake Shimabukuro life on four strings (DVD)
Poetry ~
Tap dancing on the roof : sijo (poems)
Looking for the cow : modern Korean poems
A Korean century : river & fields : poems
The art of haiku : its history through poems and paintings by Japanese masters
Foods ~
Cuisines of India : the art and tradition of regional Indian cooking
Eating Korean : from barbecue to kimchi, recipes from my home
Chinese soul food : a friendly guide for homemade dumplings, stir-fries, soups, and more
The fortune cookie chronicles : adventures in the world of Chinese food
Everyday Harumi : simple Japanese food for family & friends
Historical & Cultural Context ~
The making of Asian America : a history
Filipino studies : palimpsests of nation and diaspora
Legacy to liberation : politics & culture of revolutionary Asian Pacific America
Islanders : the Pacific in the age of empire
Understanding Japan a cultural history
Giri : the Sonoma County Japanese American Citizens League oral history project.
The cats of Mirikitani (DVD)
The Chinese in Sonoma County, California, 1900-1930 : the aftermath of exclusion (Reference)
Patriot number one : American dreams in Chinatown
Empire express : building the first transcontinental railroad
Separate lives, broken dreams the saga of Chinese immigration (DVD)
Phoenix in a jade bowl : growing up in Korea
Resources for Teens
Oishinbo, a la carte. Japanese cuisine
Cool Tokyo guide : adventures in the city of kawaii fashion, train sushi, and Godzilla
Write Your Own Haiku : Write Poetry in the Japanese Tradition
Shinrin Yoku : The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing
Uprooted : the Japanese American experience during World War II
This land is our land : a history of American immigration
Yell-oh girls! : emerging voices explore culture, identity, and growing up Asian American
Atlas of Asian-American history (Reference)
Resources for Children -Cultural and Historical Perspectives:
Extraordinary Asian Pacific Americans
Whale Rider (DVD)
Kai's journey to Gold Mountain : an Angel Island story
Good fortune : my journey to Gold Mountain
Iron rails, iron men, and the race to link the nation : the story of the transcontinental railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad : a primary source history of America's first coast-to-coast railroad
To the Golden Mountain : the story of the Chinese who built the Transcontinental railroad
The puzzle of the paper daughter : a Julie mystery
Imprisoned : the betrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II
eResources
The Asian Pacific American Experience (Hoopla Digital)
Asian & Pacific Short Stories (Hoopla Digital)
Philippines (Hoopla Digital)
Authentic Recipes From The Philippines (Hoopla Digital)
Art of India (Hoopla Digital)
A Timeline History of the Transcontinental Railroad (Hoopla Digital)
The Transcontinental Railroad (Hoopla Digital)
Building The Transcontinental Railroad (Hoopla Digital)
Japanese Haiku (Hoopla Digital)
Japanese Music and Musical Instruments (Hoopla Digital)
Let's Cook Japanese Food (Hoopla Digital)
A Dictionary of Japanese Food (Hoopla Digital)
SCL Partners with StoryCenter to Share Sonoma County Fire Stories
Posted on May 04, 2018
SCL is joining with the California Listens project, a statewide media collection effort being sponsored by the California State Library, in their California Wildfires Story Project. The project is a partnership of the California State Library, StoryCenter and the County Libraries of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino. We are hoping to add to their ambitious collection over this year.
Stories will be recorded at the Rincon Valley Library on Monday, May 21, from 1:00-6:00 pm. You can reserve a spot at https://www.storycenter.org/sonoma-fire-stories-may2018.
From StoryCenter:
“The 2017 fires wrote a new chapter in the lives of millions of California residents. The scope, spread and fierceness of the 2017 fire season, for the residents of Sonoma county; have sharpened our attention to the need to be and stay aware of ways to prepare for, and respond, to the threat of wildfires and other disasters that will surely come in the years to come.
We invite you to come and share a 30 minute reflection and stories about your experience of the fires last year, or in years before. You can come to be interviewed or bring a friend, family member or colleague to have a conversation about your experiences and the lessons learned from these events. The interviews will be conducted using the Listening Station recording kit developed by StoryCenter organization based in Berkeley. Library staff and StoryCenter representatives will assist. Your recording will be stored as part of the California State Library collection. https://archive.org/details/storycenter.”
Sonoma County Library Announces 2018 Summer Reading Program
Posted on April 19, 2018
Sonoma County Library is excited to announce its Reading Takes You Everywhere summer reading program, launching June 1, 2018. During June, July, and August, the library will host a range of free activities for children, teens, and adults to encourage and support a love of reading. Those who participate in fun and free activities available at all Sonoma County Library branches this summer can win prizes for reaching their reading goals.
“We’ve planned a wonderful program of events for all ages to make the library a great place to read, learn, and discover what’s available for enjoyment,” said Kathy DeWeese, Youth Services Administrator at the Sonoma County Library. “Our events support the Reading Takes You Everywhere theme, to help expand worldviews and provide windows into other cultures and experiences.”
To combat the summer slide, the Reading Takes You Everywhere program encompasses reading, science, technology, art, math, and fun for all youth. The Library has a terrific line up of fun cultural, and educational children’s events including visits from Alphabet Rockers, Wildlife Associates, Didgeridoo Down Under, and Kenn Adams’ Adventure Theater, as well as themed activities with Crafting Takes You Everywhere and Around the World with Magic Treehouse. A new addition this summer is to add hands-on workshops for children in grades 4-6 to explore skills and activities around science, technology, engineering, art, and math.
Teens, entering grades 7-12, have a number of exciting, artistic and engaging events including drawing comics, DIY Spa Science, Henna Art, Summer Smoothies, and Watercolor Collage. Teens who participate in Summer BINGO have opportunities throughout the summer to win prizes including a ChromeBook!
Research has shown that reading over the summer prevents summer learning loss. “Studies indicate students who read recreationally outperformed those who don’t. Students read more when they can choose materials based on their own interests,” DeWeese added. “Our libraries are committed to supporting lifelong learning and educational enrichment for all families, and a big part of that is instilling the love of reading at a young age. We make it fun, but our goal is to keep everyone reading all summer long.”
The Library is also offering events for adults, providing enrichment for the entire family. Adult Summer Readers can participate in Summer BINGO and win prizes including gift cards to local shops, a Sonoma County Parks pass and more. Special events include author visits, as well as musical performances by Stephen Kent Didgeridoo, the Mideast Tapestry Ensemble, and David Carrera’s Latin Guitar Trio.
To learn more about this summer’s Reading Takes You Everywhere program, sign up at your local library branch starting on June 1. All Summer Reading events are free and open to all.
National Library 2018
Celebrate 60 Years of National Library Week April 8th-14th!
Posted on April 09, 2018
2018 marks the 60th anniversary of National Library Week!
Celebrated April 8th-14th, 2018, National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians to promote library use and support. All types of libraries across the country - school, public, academic and special - participate. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association(ALA) and libraries across the country each April.
2018 National Library Week
The Sonoma County Library is celebrating National Library Week by sharing stories from our patrons about how the Library has made an impact on their lives.
- If you'd like to share your story, visit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P9CP79L.
Library Launches Odilo Spanish-Language E-Book and E-Audiobook Service
Posted on April 02, 2018
Sonoma County Library Launches Odilo, Spanish-language E-book and E-audiobook service
More eBooks and eAudiobooks in Spanish are now available for Sonoma County residents. Using their library card number and PIN, patrons can quickly browse, click, and enjoy thousands of new Spanish titles at https://sonomalibrary.odilo.us/opac/.
The eBook management platform, powered by ODILO, features quality Spanish titles from hundreds of publishers, to better serve the needs of the Hispanic community.
“Our Hispanic population makes up 25 percent of our community, and now the Library will offer thousands of native popular and bestselling titles," said Jane Greenwood, Collection Development Coordinator. “This provides quality Spanish content our patrons want.”
Library patrons will also appreciate the ability to enjoy the new digital content on many devices, whether a Chromebook; eBook reader (Sony® Reader, Barnes & Noble NOOK™, Kobo eReader, and Amazon® Kindle eReaders); iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod® touch; PC or Mac® computer; or anything Android™. Readers will never incur any late fees - as titles automatically expire and return to the library collection.
Find out more about Odilo at: https://sonomalibrary.org/odilo
