Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was one of the most fascinating people of the 19th century. She is mostly known for her book Little Women, but did you know that ...

Some of her early teachers were Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, she was an ardent abolitionist and early feminist, served as a nurse during the Civil War, wrote over 200 works, including poetry, stories about race relations and interracial marriage, and "pulp fiction," was not a "little woman" but was nearly 6 feet tall and the Alcott home functioned as an Underground Railroad stop for fugitives ... Pretty interesting!

Come and explore the life of Louisa May Alcott through the King Library's series of events and other resources about this remarkable American.

Tuesday, Oct. 4: Panel Presentation with Karen English on Louisa May Alcott's Hospital Sketches & Civil War Nursing.  3:30-5:30 p.m. at King Library, 2nd Floor, Rooms 255/257

Sunday, Oct. 23: A Tea with Louisa featuring Valerie Weich.  2-4 p.m. San Jose Woman's Club.

Upcoming November Events at select Branch Libraries  ...

• "Making Paper Dolls and Paper Boats Craft"  - Date TBA
• "Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women Film Screening" - Date TBA 

Louisa May Alcott programs in libraries are sponsored by the American Library Association Public Programs Office with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

For more information visit http://libguides.sjsu.edu/alcott

Friends of the Tully Community Branch Library Book Sale

Date Time: Monday, August 1, 2011 - 10:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Tully Community Branch Library

The book sale takes place on the first Monday of each month except holidays. We have children and adult books/CDs/DVDs including fiction, non-fiction, & Vietnamese language . All proceeds will benefit the Tully Community Branch Library. If you have any question, please call Chieu Nguyen at 408-808-3030

Cookbook Book Sale

Date Time: Wednesday, August 3, 2011 - 9:00am - 12:00pm

Location: Almaden Branch Library

From appetizers to zucchini breads- ideas to get your mouth watering.  Hundreds of wonderful cookbooks, with recipes from a variety of countries.

Friends of the West Valley Library Book Sale

Location: West Valley Branch Library

Date Time: Saturday, August 20, 2011 - 9:00am - 3:00pm

Gently used books and media will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit the West Valley Friends of the Library. Members may enter at 9am; the general public may enter at 10am. Memberships will be available at the door for purchase.

Friends of the King Library Book Sale

Date Time: Saturday, August 27, 2011 - 10 am to 5 pm, $1 hard covers, $.50 of covers

Sunday, August 28, 2011 - 1 pm to 5 pm, $5 a bag day (Friends will provide bags).

Location:  King Library (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library)

Room & Floor: Patio by the Friends Bookstore

All sales are held outside of the Friends Bookstore on the patio. Free parking is available in the 4th Street Garage.  The revenues from these sales are donated to the Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. Library for a variety of different programs that benefit the community.  For more information on the sales or to volunteer, please contact our Book Store at 408.808.2681

NEW Hours and Days of Service at San José Public Library Branches

Scheduled to Take Effect on June 27

Starting Monday, June 27, 2011 the following operating days and hours will be observed at all 18 branches of the San José Public Library system.   Branches will be on a four day schedule.

Monday-Thursday Branches and Schedule

Monday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.    Tuesday - Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.   Thursday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• Dr. Roberto Cruz - Alum Rock
• Biblioteca Latinoamericana
• Cambrian
• Edenvale
• Evergreen
• Joyce Ellington
• Rose Garden
• Tully Community
• Vineland

Wednesday-Saturday Branches and Schedule

Wednesday: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.    Thursday -Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

• Almaden Branch and Community Center
• Alviso
• Berryessa
• East San José Carnegie
• Hillview
• Pearl Avenue
• Santa Teresa
• West Valley
• Willow Glen

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library remains open seven days a week. The following schedule for the King Library is in effect through August 23, at which time the new schedule for the academic year will be announced.

Monday – Friday:  8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday:  9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday:  1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

There are extended hours during summer school for San José State University and students of National Hispanic University, Evergreen and San José City College only from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Monday through Wednesday. 

For information about San José Public Library Branches and the King Library, visit: www.sjpl.org/locations or call (408) 808-2000.

Open a Book, Open a World

San José’s Summer Reading Celebration Kicks Off June 18

SAN JOSE, Calif. ---San José Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration kicks off on  Saturday, June 18 at all 19 locations. This year’s theme allows participants to travel to a foreign destination through their neighborhood library. 

All are welcome to enrich their minds through reading and learning this summer.  Signing up for the reading celebration is quick, easy and free.  Teens and adults will have the opportunity to register online starting June 18 and create a personal account to record reading accomplishments.  Children are invited to stop by their local branch library with a parent or guardian to sign up and pickup a reading passport to track their progress. 

Once the sign-up is completed, every eBook, audio book and/or book the participant reads or listens to from June 18 through July 30 will count toward program prize requirements.  Full prize details are available at www.sjpl.org/SRC2011. Prizes can be claimed at a local library.

• Children, birth through age 12, start receiving prizes after reading 15 books by themselves, with friends, or with a parent.  Books read to children are also eligible for prizes.  
• Teens, ages 12-18, start receiving prizes after reading five books and either writing or submitting a link to an original video review of each book read.  Those who prefer to submit a video review will be entered into a drawing for an eReader that will be awarded at the end of the reading celebration.
• Adults, ages 18 and over, do not have reading goals, but are encouraged to post a short review of each book they read. Those who do, become eligible for biweekly prize drawings.

The library will also host a variety of multicultural events for all ages that include live performances, activities and programs.  Check the library’s online Calendar page at www.sjpl.org/calendar for event details and listings at all 19 locations. 

This year’s Summer Reading Celebration is made possible with additional support from the Friends of the King Library and branch library Friends groups.

For more information on the Summer Reading Celebration contact your local branch library or visit www.sjpl.org/SRC2011.

About San José Public Library

San José Public Library system (SJPL) is the largest public library system between San Francisco and Los Angeles, serving a culturally diverse population of approximately 946,000 in the nation’s 10th largest city.  SJPL is recognized across the country for its innovation and leadership in the field and is one of the busiest library systems nationwide, with an annual checkout rate of nearly 14 million items.

Meriwest Credit Union offers a series of free personal finance workshops for San José Public Library customers througout the month of June.  Learn more about credit issues, identity theft, and financing a small business.

Workshops will be offered in the following topics:

• Credit Myths and Repair workshops,  will focus on basic issues surrounding managing credit and accessing your credit reports, for free.
• Identity Theft workshops, will provide you with tips on how to stay safe when using your debit and credit cards, managing sensitive documents, and how to avoid being a target of internet hackers.
• Access to Capital for Small Businesses, explains what financial institutions are looking for when underwriting small business loans and what entrepreneurs can do to improve their chances of approval of their loan request.

All workshops are FREE and open to the public.  No registration required.

Here is the schedule of workshops for June 2011: