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Science and Tattoo Obsessed

To be perfectly honest, I’ve grown tired of looking at other people’s tattoos … and yet I can’t avert my gaze completely. Because in spite of my claim of disinterest, I can still recall that waitress in Portland with the dramatic Steel Bridge across her shapely arm and, of course, a lot depends on the canvas, but that’s another story.

So it wasn’t without some mild interest that I picked up this book Science Ink by Carl Zimmer to see just what separates “Tattoos of the Science Obsessed” from the rest of us, whether we have some ink on our bodies or not. It’s a somewhat predictable, yet educational visual and verbal attempt to share what individuals who occupy places in the world of Science, academia or otherwise, want to have inked on their skin. The book is broken up into chapters of scientific fields, so we gather the following: Paleontologists like dinosaurs and fossils as much as Chemistry people can appreciate molecular diagrams of, say, Diazepam. So yes, the book is predictable on that level, but it’s also a clever vehicle to ask just what is an Uffington Horse, or Buckyballs, and who would tattoo Siphonophores on their ankle for that matter?

These individuals are dedicated to their obvious interests and the concept of this book works if you appreciate skin art, the sciences, or some odd combination of both that lead to finding yourself gazing at pages of tattooed science geeks. Fun reading, now if only they’d publish more books about other self-obsessed people who want to tell you their life story via their epidermal canvas. Wait, that didn’t come out right. Anyway, I say check it out!

Posted by Arturo Villasenor on May 11, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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Scavenger Hunt at the King Library

Summer Reading Celebration

You're Invited!

Sunday, June 3 from 1-4 p.m

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

The kickoff event invites people of all ages to participate in a scavenger hunt inside the King Library (Lower Level-4th Floor).

The scavenger hunt will be divided into three groups: families with small children, teens and adults. Each group will have their own set of clues and will have to search for hidden treasures inside the library to be eligible to win a prize.

Prizes include tickets to ...

Great America
Tech Museum
Laser Quest
Happy Hollow Park and Zoo
Children’s Museum
San Jose Giants

The kickoff event will also feature a community resource fair and plenty of live entertainment.

Downtown Parking:

Free parking in the street and the 4th and San Fernando Street Garage located across from the King Library

Posted by Elizabeth Chavarin on May 8, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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Book Trailer Contest - June 1 - July 31, 2012

Teens: want to do something more imaginative than just writing a review for Summer Reading books that you have read? Create and submit a book trailer review for Summer Reading, and you could win a Kindle Fire! Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube, providing your review of the book. Be creative! The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration .

How to enter:

Create your own book trailer, reviewing a book that you read for Summer Reading. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.
Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2012SRC
Sign up for Summer Reading here, starting in a few weeks.
When you log the book you read on the Summer Reading website, make sure to include a link to your video in the review field.

Entries will be judged on creativity and content by a panel of library staff.

Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by Nathan Verdonk.

Here are links to some professional book trailers:

- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

- The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:

Picture of Kindle Fire Picture of iTunes card picture of Jamba Juice card

1st place: Kindle Fire
2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice

Entries for the contest must be submitted between June 1 and July 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in August.

Posted by Yelena Giannuzzi on May 2, 2012 | Comments: 2 |

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Graphic Novel Making Contest - June 1 - July 31, 2012

If you have a talent for creating comic/manga style illustrated short stories, you are invited to enter San José Public Library’s Graphic Novel Making Contest for all ages as part of our Summer Reading Celebration, 2012. This contest is sponsored by San José Public Library, Hijinx Comics, San José Museum of Art and TRY Japan Culture Group.

Here’s how to enter …

Create your own comic book with a maximum length of 8 pages, including the cover page.
Use letter-size paper (8.5 x 11) with black-and-white drawings and text on one side only
Each submission must be the creative and original work of a single individual—the author/illustrator.
Computer generated images are acceptable as long as they are your original work (no clip art)
Consider submitting a photocopy that is an accurate reflection of the original (as submissions are non-returnable).
San José Public Library reserves the right to reproduce your work. You can reuse all your work after the contest
Be sure to print and complete the creative works release form. Include your Name, Age, Contact Information and Signature.
Entries can be submitted to any San José Public Library location no later than 8p.m. on Tuesday, July 31, 2012. There is a limit of one entry per contestant.

Entries will be judged on content and illustrations by a panel of library staff and comic industry professionals. All cash prizes will be awarded as gift cards.

Children (up to age 6): first place will receive Art Supplies
Children (7-12): first place $40, second place $20
Teens (ages 13-17): first place $100; second place $70; third place $50
Adults (age 18 and above): first place $100; second place $70; third place $50

Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at a reception to be held at the Berryessa Branch Library on Saturday, August 25th at 2:00 p.m.in the Community Room. Check out the award winning entries from 2011 and 2010.

Learn how to make your own comic book, graphic novel or manga! Author Oliver Chin will be teaching this free workshop for teens at some San José Public Library branches.

San José Public Library staff members are ineligible to participate.

San José Public Library reserves the right to refuse submissions that are not appropriate for a general audience.

Posted by Vidya Kilambi on May 1, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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Tìm Trợ Giúp Về Bệnh Nghiện Cờ Bạc

Quý vị có nhận thức về Cờ Bạc như là một bệnh nghiện có ảnh hưởng tai hại đến chính bản thân và mọi người chung quanh không?

Quý vị có biết Cờ Bạc có thể gây nên các vấn đề xã hội, cảm xúc căng thẳng, và khó khăn về tài chính? Cờ Bạc còn làm ảnh hưởng đến các mối quan hệ, tình cảm, sức khoẻ, và ngay cả việc làm và học hành.

Xin giới thiệu quý vị đến GIFT (Gaining Insight into keeping Families Together) là một chương trình giáo dục và cung cấp dịch vụ tư vấn của cơ quan Asian American Recovery Services, Inc. (AARS)*.

Mục tiêu chung của chương trình GIFT là nhằm giúp cộng đồng nâng cao nhận thức về việc Cờ Bạc Có Vấn Đề cùng những loại nghiện ngập khác và giúp thăng tiến đời sống của những người vướng phải việc Cờ Bạc Có Vấn Đề và gia đình của họ, hầu có thể đạt được một đời sống lành mạnh.

Các dịch vụ bao gồm:

Sự Nhận Thức Và Giáo Dục: qua truyền thông/kịch nghệ, các buổi tiếp xúc với cộng đồng, các buổi hội thảo và thuyết trình.
Hỗ Trợ:
- Dịch vụ tư vấn: Cơ quan AARS cung cấp các dịch vụ tư vấn cho cá nhân, nhóm và gia đình. Ngoài ra, cơ quan còn cung cấp chương trình hỗ trợ ngay tại nhà.
- Tài nguyên, thông tin: Cơ quan AARS hỗ trợ cộng đồng qua những sự nối kết họ với các nguồn tài nguyên, thông tin hữu ích.

Để được thêm thông tin xin liên lạc (408) 271-3900.

* Mục tiêu của cơ quan Asian American Recovery Services, Inc. (AARS) là nhằm giảm thiểu tỷ lệ vướng mắc và tác động của sự lạm dụng thuốc trong các cộng đồng Á Châu và Thái Bình Dương ở Vùng Vịnh San Francisco. Văn phòng của cơ quan AARS tọa lạc tại: 1340 Tully Road, Phòng 301 & 304, San Jose CA 95122.

Posted by Daniel Ong on Apr 14, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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The First Modern Pandemic

Book cover of The Great Influenza Barry’s The Great Influenza is a history of the 1918 flu epidemic. However, the book is of interest not just as history, but as an education in the science of medicine and the nature of disease. Largely forgotten today, in its era the epidemic was as much of a crisis as the first world war that was being fought at the same time. Barry’s narrative moves along at a brisk pace as he explains how wartime preparation and troop movements altered the progress of the epidemic at the same time that the epidemic forced changes in the conduct of the war. Rural areas far from the fighting, both in the US and elsewhere, also suffered from the ravages of the disease despite never hearing a shot fired in anger. But while the public has largely forgotten, medicine has not forgotten the 1918 epidemic, as in the intervening decades researchers have continued to study samples collected during the plague years, advancing the science of epidemiology against the possibility of future plagues. And Barry seamlessly integrates these modern discoveries into the historical record, creating a rather interesting detective story which traces the origin, spread, and decline of the disease. In an era when world-wide epidemic scares are a feature of the evening news, Barry’s tale of one of the first pandemics is useful as well as entertaining reading.

Posted by Bryan Mills on Apr 13, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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We need your suggestions for the IMPAC Dublin award

Book cover: The tiger's wife Cover title: Swamplanida Book cover: State of Wonder Book cover: The marriage plot Book cover: The Leftovers book cover: 11/22/63 Book cover: 1Q84

Have you read 1Q84, 11/22/63, The Leftovers, The Marriage Plot, State of Wonder, Swamplandia, The Tiger’s Wife?

These are among the best fiction for 2011 as nominated by NPR, the New York Times, Salon, Publishers Weekly and Library Journal.

If you have read any of these, vote for the novel that you think San Jose Public Library should submit for the 2013 IMPAC Dublin Literary award.

Other titles (novels, not short stories) welcome for submission if published in 2011.

Click on Add new comment below and let us know the title. Our deadline is April 25th.

Posted by Lucille Boone on Apr 12, 2012 | Comments: 2 |

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You Belong @ Your Library

Hey everyone its National Library Week, April 8-14!

Celebrate National Library Week with a fun Scavenger Hunt at your local library. All participants will receive a prize. This program is designed for children ages 6 and up.

While at the library visit the information desk and pick up a heart and tell us why you love your library.

Posted by Elizabeth Chavarin on Apr 10, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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For the Record: Vinyl Rules

Sometimes a book deserves recognition because, like any object, it resonates beauty, visual admiration, an overall aesthetic charm shall we say.

This particular book The Record: Contemporary Art and Vinyl manages to correlate a gem of a book with the appeal of album cover art . . . a clever and appropriate match. In addition to some fine displays of vinyl records as symbols of art and culture we have some great essays from notable writers like Jeff Chang, Luc Sante, and others extolling the virtues of vinyl records in a world that has traded convenience (digital files, mp3) for the true soul of musical representation in vinyl. Well, that's my feeling anyway, let me know if you object or care to dispute the sentiment. So, yeah, I chose to blog this title primarily because it's a great looking piece of book cover art, but it's really much more than that, especially if you have an enduring love affair with vinyl records and remember what it's like to drop that needle to the groove of your preferred auditory vices.

I got my copy through the Link+ catalog (thank you UNLV!) because our one copy was on loan at the moment, so don't forget about the benefits of this great DIY interlibrary loan service.

Posted by Arturo Villasenor on Apr 5, 2012 | Comments: 0 |

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