Are you learning English? If you wish to practice your conversational skills, you can come to the Edenvale Branch Library's ESL Conversation Club. For more information, including new times and dates, you can consult our calendar. You can also view this week’s featured ESL site.

If you shop in the City of San Jose, beginning January 1, 2012 (that's about 4 months away) there will no longer be disposable plastic bags for your merchandise.  That means you will need to bring your own bags to put your groceries or other purchases in. 

Plastic bags are a convenience that just isn't worth the price on the environment.  Did you know that plastic bags are the most commonly found items during creek clean-ups or that Californians use 4 million plastic bags a year?   Plastic bags are considered to be dangerous to over 260 species of wildlife including sea turtles who mistake the bags in the ocean for jellyfish and then try to eat them.  Swapping out plastic bags for reusable ones is a change that everyone can easily make!

What can you do to get ready for the change?

Recycle your plastic grocery bags by turning them into "yarn" that you can then use to crochet a reusable shopping bag. This is recycling/reuse at its finest. I've made a couple of these myself - they are quick to make and they are flexible and strong!  This video shows you how to do it!

Purchase bags at your local store.   They are only a few dollars and if you start now buying one a week, you'll easily have enough for your weekly grocery run before the ordinance goes into effect.

Check out the book bags the library friends sell!  These bags are built for toting books, but they'll carry your canned goods and loaves of bread just as easily.  And you'll be supporting the library as well!

Do you enjoy reading and discussing what you read? If the answer is yes, the Edenvale Book Club is the club for you! Come to the fireplace area of the Edenvale Branch Library on Wednesday September 7, 2011 at 6:00 pm. This month, we will discuss Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. All are welcome to join us. This book is available in print format and ebook format.

What do you do if you have a generous heart and some new or very gently used books, DVDs, videos, or CDs that you don’t need?

Of course, you should donate them to your local branch’s Friends of the Library, who gratefully accept these items at donation bins in all library locations.

But here is a tougher question — What do you do if you have a generous heart and some gently used magazines, National Geographic issues, encyclopedias, or textbooks that you don’t need?

The answer is that unfortunately, the library and its Friends groups cannot accept donations of magazines, including National Geographic; encyclopedias; or textbooks.

So, where can you donate these kinds of items, especially if you prefer that they be re-used rather than simply recycled?

Here is a list of organizations in the local area that may accept donations in these categories — provided that the items are in good condition. This list was compiled by searching recyclestuff.org. Please call each organization before donating, since it may no longer accept the kind of donation you are planning to give.

Magazines:

•Friends Outside in Santa Clara County - (408) 468-0100

•Saratoga Library Friends - (408) 867-6126

•St. Elizabeth's Day Home - (408) 295-3456

•Yu-Ai Kai/ Japanese American Senior Services - (408) 294-2505

National Geographic Magazine:

•Boys and Girls Club of Silicon Valley - (408) 957-9685

•Yu-Ai Kai/ Japanese American Senior Services - (408) 294-2505

Encyclopedias:

•Friends Outside in Santa Clara County - (408) 468-0100

•Friendship Church of God in Christ - (408) 258-5445

•Savers Thrift Store - (408) 287-0591

•St. Elizabeth's Day Home - (408) 295-3456

Textbooks:

•Goodwill - Donation Center - (408) 998-5774 ex248

•Goodwill - Retail Store - (408) 265-5692

•Salvation Army - (408) 286-3291

•Savers Thrift Store - (408) 287-0591
Note: The Friends of the Pearl Avenue Library, Friends of the Seventrees Library, and Friends of the Hillview Library will take gently used textbooks.

For where to donate other items that the Friends of the Library cannot accept, you can search the recyclestuff.org database yourself. Like, where can I donate my dust-accumulating classic computing books from the 1970’s?