Locations and Hours
150 E. San Fernando St.
San José, CA 95112
1-408-808-2000
Hours Effective Jan. 23 - May 20, 2013
- Holiday Closures
King Library Events 
King Library News
The Basic Korean Conversation Club has been going on for five months now in the King Library.
I would like to share our students’ success stories. Most of our students didn’t even know Korean alphabet when they came to the first class. But now we have amazing stories of our regular students to share with you. (I am going to use their first initials of names due to the privacy issues.)
C has been attending our class ever since the first class in January 2013. I met her at the Korean restaurant and heard the conversation with her friends right next to my table. She wanted to go to Korea as an exchange student this summer. So, I introduced myself and our Korean class to her. Finally, couple weeks ago, she got the admission from Ajou University, South Korea. She is going to Korea in August.
L also has been attending our class from the beginning of January 2013. In the meantime of looking for her job, she wanted to learn Korean language because she had been loving K-pop. She recently got a job using her Korean skill at the Korean Bakery in the Bay Area.
V has been attending the class since March 2013. He is one of the most passionate students at the class. He is from India and just got to U.S.A. two months ago. He used to be an computer engineer in India. He says he would like to work at Samsung or LG (Korean Companies) in the Bay Area. He studies Korean language very diligently because he has very strong motivation to learn it.
J taught English as a foreign teacher in Korea. He says he doesn’t want to forget his Korean language skill in U.S.A. He knows a lot of Korean cultures. He shares his experiences of being in Korea.
Other students also have their own stories of why they would like to learn Korean. They love Korean Drama, Korean singers (idol stars), etc.
The volunteer teacher and I feel very rewarded and touched by this journey. Mostly because we can change people’s lives and give them a motivation as working in the public library.
The Basic Korean Conversation Club is open to all, and free. It's fun!
Look at the photo taken at the one of wrap-up parties for the Basic Korean Conversation Club in March.
The King Library also have other language classes (Conversation Cafés). Come join us!
Everyone is invited to our Summer Reading Celebration Kickoff Event on Sunday, June 2 at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, starting at 1:00 PM to 4:00PM.
There will be many fun activities for the whole family to participate in:
- Scavenger Hunt for All Ages: Look for some of the 34 Art Works that are located at the King Library from the Lower Level to the Fourth Floor, answer some fun questions about the King Library and our website. Please note that the last time to pick up a Scavenger Hunt Clue Sheet is at 3:00PM.
- Crafts for Children and Teens: Dinosaur bone craft for kids and making beaded bracelets for teens.
- Games for All: Dr. Seuss games for the young ones, and "Win in a Minute" games for the teens and adults. Lots of fun and laughs playing these games.
- Entertainment: There will be drummers, balloonists, a juggler and multicultural music to appreciate.
- Community Partners: We will have community partners available from 1:30 to 4:00 providing information about their groups and answering any questions you might have.
- Prizes: Everyone who participates in the Scavenger Hunt will receive a small gift and a chance to win some neat prizes.
You really don't want to miss this fun, FREE, event at your Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library!
A common research topic at San Jose Public Library (SJPL) is about the birth of the Tech Industry in Silicon Valley. Much has been written on the subject, but recently a patron in the California Room inquired about how to locate original documents related to technology development in Silicon Valley. We started our search on the Online Archive of California (OAC) which provides free public access to descriptions of primary source materials. Participating intuitions include more than 200 universities, libraries, museums, historical societies, and archives in the State of California. Primary sources are documents created during the time period being studied. In the case of the high tech industry, primary sources include materials related to the operations of the business such as product catalogs, press releases, product literature, and annual reports.
We used the search term "Silicon Valley Tech Industry" on the OAC homepage and were able to locate a finding aid to a collection in the California Room at the San Jose Public Library titled The Silicon Valley Information Collection (SVIC). A finding aid is a document that summarizes a collection of papers or records. The descriptive information in the finding aid we located states that the SVIC collection contains documents and resources which chronicle the birth, development and impact of the high technology industries of Silicon Valley. We then followed a link to the SVIC index on the SJPL California Room webpage.
A quick search of the index led us to such unique material as Apple Computer, Inc. employee magazines from the 1980s, a press release binder from Atari Corporation (1987-88), and annual reports for Plantronics from 1974-1984.
The California Room houses many primary source documents; it is on the 5th Floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
