The
Del Mar Library
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| The photo above is by Larry Brooks. |
Refurbishment of the Library: Letter from the President
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| The Friends of Del Mar Library received a generous grant from the Neighborhood Reinvestment Funds of San Diego County District 3 Supervisor Pam Slater-Price. This grant will purchase furniture for the Del Mar Library. FDML appreciate Supervisor Pam Slater-Price’s support for our library. Pictured are Gretchen Schmidt, Librarian; Pat Freeman, President FDML; Supervisor Pam Slater-Price and Bill Michalsky, Treasurer FDML. |
This is an exciting time for Friends of Del Mar Library. We are in the midst of an effort to “refurbish” the Library. Our aim is to update the library interior to serve the needs of our current users. The main library service desk will be removed and a smaller one installed. Some of the library stacks will be removed and replaced by gondolas that are on wheels and can be moved as needed. This will open this space allowing more sunlight and will enable us all to see more of this fantastic historical building. Teens will have a designated area. A laptop bar will be added. In the children’s area the computer desks will be changed and some new furniture added. New carpet will be installed throughout the library. The current carpet is the original from 1996 opening.
The Friends of Del Mar Library, a community non-profit (501.c.3) received a grant from San Diego County Board of Supervisors at Supervisor Pam Slater-Price’s recommendation for new furniture. Four chairs and two tables have already been purchased. Come sit in these very comfortable craftsman style chairs. More furniture will come. The Friends of Del Mar Library have committed to paying for the new carpet. The Del Mar Farmer’s Market Board has pledged to aid in this carpet purchase which will be a significant cost. Since the Library building is owned by the City of Del Mar, they will undertake to assist with many of the interior updates that will include removal of the service desk and electrical upgrades. The San Diego County Library system will supply the gondolas, new smaller service desk, and laptop bar.
The Board of FDML believes these changes will enhance all your library experience.
Our funds will be greatly depleted as a result but we feel the changes are worth the expense.
Sincerely,
Pat Freeman, President
SAN DIEGO COUNTY LIBRARY NAMED 2012 LIBRARY OF THE YEAR
Inform, educate, inspire, and entertain – nobody does it better than San Diego County Library (SDCL). On June 5, Gale (part of Cengage Learning) and Library Journal magazine announced that SDCL was selected as the 2012 Library of the Year. This prestigious honor is awarded to the top public library in the nation. SDCL was selected for its devotion to building community and providing access to a variety of essential programs and services.
SDCL first opened its doors in 1913 and has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. Over the last six years, SDCL has managed to triple materials circulation to a whopping 12.4 million annual check-outs and quadruple program attendance to 427,666 annual attendees. In addition, SDCL has implemented an ambitious capital project program with new libraries for Lincoln Acres and Lemon Grove underway. Open an average of 52 hours a week, SDCL has increased hours and retained all staff members despite the global recession. The award specifically applauded SDCL’s unique and innovative programs, including foreclosure prevention clinics, health and fitness programming, parenting classes, and a variety of others.
“We have our finger on the pulse of the community of San Diego County,” said Library Director José Aponte. “Our staff members work day in and day out to develop and implement life-changing programs and services, never wavering from a devotion to providing the best customer service possible. Our branches are community living rooms where people from all walks of life are welcome to learn, explore, and transform.”
For more information on SDCL and the 2012 Library of the Year award, visit www.sdcl.org or contact Polly Cipparrone, Community Relations manager, at (858) 694-2447.
Liana-Melissa Allen
Library Volunteer and Author and Illustrator of Children’s Books
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Liana-Melissa Allen, 16, a Junior at Torrey Pines High School has been volunteering at the Del Mar Library every Saturday for about the past four years. She is now the author and illustrator of five published children’s books; A Horse Valley Adventure: The Three Little Horses and the Big Bully Donkey; Los Tres Caballitos y el Burro Bravo; The Tale of Jane Sadear; The Ice Queen; and The Horse and his Girl. She is currently working on her latest book called Donkey’s Kite that will be the second book of her series A Horse Valley Adventure.
Liana-Melissa has had a passion for reading, writing, and illustrating since her young years at Del Mar Heights elementary school. It all started with her dad reading to her in what they fondly called “The Big Chair.” To show Liana-Melissa how fun reading was he would make a batch of his famous popcorn, and read aloud to her, making her laugh with the different amusing voices that he would conjure up for the characters (although he always insisted that the characters were merely speaking through him). Then as a test to make sure that she was following along he would suddenly stop at various parts of the story, so that Liana-Melissa would have to take over the reading in order to receive her dad’s delicious popcorn as a prize.
Reading has been engrained into a part of Liana’s daily life. Her dad insists that the TV will only melt your brain cells into a pile of mush, and that you can always be assured that reading will bring those mushed cells back to life to fuel your imagination into forming a magical motion picture in your head. “Turn off the TV and Read!” is Liana and her dad’s favorite mantra (which her dad repeats to the first graders that he has been reading to every Friday for the past twelve years at Del Mar Heights School).
Liana firmly believes that reading is like magic, and that the more you read, the more knowledgeable you will be, the better your vocabulary, and the stronger your imagination will become. Reading has improved Liana-Melissa’s writing, and ever since her dad started to read to her in that “Ol’ Big Chair” she knew that she wanted to be an author and illustrator.
All of Liana-Melissa Allen’s books can be obtained online at Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Warwicks.com, and all the other online bookstores. Go to Liana-Melissa’s website www.LMAbooks.com for more information and the links to her books.
Liana-Melissa Allen loves volunteering at the Del Mar Library because it is such a quiet and beautiful library with a great history. But mostly because the librarians are so friendly and helpful and have focused on developing many great reading programs for children.
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Books, Books, Books
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When patrons donate books to the FDML, we recycle them by putting them into the library’s collection or selling them. These donations are responsible for contributing $200 to $300 monthly to our budget. Please continue to donate your gently used books.
Childrens and cook books are very popular. Giving one box at a time is greatly appreciated!
Amagansett, by Mark Mills
What a good mystery this is! Set in 1947 in Amagansett on Long Island’s coast which was home to two separate communities. The locals are mostly fishermen and shopkeepers who are descendants of early English settlers and ethnic immigrants. The other community are the wealthy New Yorkers who built large vacation homes and employed but did not mix with the locals.
A young woman turns up dead in the fishing net of Conrad Labarde, a second generation Basque immigrant and newly returned veteran from the Second World War. She is the daughter of one of the wealthy summer people.
The story follows Conrad and the detective, Tom Hollis, as they separately investigate the death that appears to be accidental. There is some interesting fishing history of the area, intrigue and conflict which makes for a good mystery.
This was the first novel by Mark Mills who has written 3 other novels and some screenplays.
No Easy Day, by Mark Owen
No Easy Day with Kevin Maurer is a fascinating look at the life of a Navy SEAL and the teamwork that must work for the missions assigned. Should the author have written the book and did he compromise SEAL security.....the reader can make his or her own call, but the mindset required for this job is unlike any other. The missions are all very different and ingesting, but the commitment is there for every member of the team. Don’t miss this one.
The Giving Tree Club
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| Minji, President Specialties: English, art |
Every Tuesday from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, a group of students from Torrey Pines High School takes over the Community room at the Del Mar Library. The Giving Tree Club, a student-based, high school club made up of students at the local Torrey Pines High School in Carmel Valley volunteer at the Del Mar Library to help children with homework, projects, and test prep. The student tutors of the Giving Tree Club help kids ranging from kindergarten to the seventh grade, in all subjects. Whether it’s a homework packet, a book report, or an essay, the tutors will be able to help. Each tutor specializes in a specific subject, although all of them are able to handle any subject or task given to them. No homework? The Giving Tree Club will then make creative and fun storybooks and other crafts with kids as well, with supplies provided by the Del Mar Library. The helpers are always ready to assist any child for any purpose, whether it’s academics or simply mentoring. The bilingual students can speak Korean and German as well.
The Giving Tree Club meets at the Del Mar Library, 1309 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014, every Tuesday from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. If you are interested, have any questions, or would like to reserve a specific tutor, please contact thegivingtree11@gmail.com, or the Del Mar Library at Jennifer.Runge@sdcounty.ca.gov, phone number (858) 755-1666. Reservations are not necessary, but are recommended if you would like a specific mentor, as we run on a first-come, first-serve basis. We hope to see you here!
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Introducing New Student Worker
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| Katrina, new student worker on the library staff |
My name is Katrina and I’m proud to be joining the staff of the Del Mar Library as their newest student worker. I’m seventeen and a junior in high school. An avid reader and attendee of both the Fallbrook and Del Mar branches since childhood, I started volunteering at the Del Mar Library in junior high school. This year my essay on volunteering won the Violet Richardson Award and a donation to the library. I have many fond memories there and I’m looking forward to making more!
Outside of the library, I’m an active member of several school clubs and president of the Bookworm Book Club. I also participate in an afteroschool conservatory for the visual arts. I’m still considering the question of where to go to college (somewhere in California) and what I want to be when I grow up (maybe a librarian?). The people who know me best describe me as creative, young-at-heart, shy, and apt to sing if I think no one’s listening. I love writing, drawing, animals, beach walks, and spending time with my friends and family.
Summer Reading Program
Dream Big–Read!
Signups begin online at www.sdcl.org/src on June 1. This is an all-ages program for babies, kids, teens, and adults. There are a variety of children’s programs over the summer for each age group. Everyone is encouraged to read (or to be read to) over the summer to earn fun prizes and to be entered into our grand prize raffle.
On Tuesday, June 19, we will be hosting a Teen Sleep-Shirt decorating craft where teens will be able to use acrylic paints as well as other accessories to make a fun sleep shirt. T-shirts will be provided.
On Wednesday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m., Sparkles the Clown will visit our preschoolers for a magic and bubble show.
School-aged children are welcome to explore Mad Science as they can assist with live experiments. This program will be held on Tuesday, July 10, at 4:00 p.m.
For our younger customers, we have a Baby and Toddler Story time with Baby Sign Language specialist Monta Bryant on Wednesday, July 18, at 10:30 a.m.
Children interested in animals or magic will love to come to our Animal Magic Show on Tuesday, July 24, at 4:00p.m. Important note: With all of our programs, space is limited; please come early if you wish to attend. Seats will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Our summer reading finale will take place on Wednesday, August 1, at 10:30 a.m., with Mary Beach as the Tooth Fairy. This interactive story time includes songs, stories, and a dress-up parade throughout the library.
Because of space limitations, we are unable to post the complete schedule here. Please check flyers found in the library or check the web site.
President’s Corner
Dear Friends,
As our current budget year comes to a close on April 30th, we can reflect on the $13,000 that the Friends of the Del Mar Library has been able to provide in the means of books, magazines, newspapers and programs for our community. A grant from the Del Mar Foundation and support from our local community has made this possible. We are looking ahead to next year with high expectations and new goals.
One of those goals is to assist in the “refreshing” of our library. As you know, funding is being cut in all categories around the county so your assistance is greatly needed. A focus is to replace the 16 year-old carpeting and remove the large outdated and mostly unnecessary desk as self serve electronic checkout has been so successful. We will apply for a grant to help fund this project.
We currently purchase our books for the local collection from The Grove in North Park. Anne Mery is one of the owners and offers us a discount and delivers the books to the library. Anne Mery, at one time was the proprietor of the Earthsong Book Store in Del Mar. Supporting independent booksellers is a priority of the FDML.
As you enter the library from the 13th Street entrance, look to the left for these recently purchased books.
Thank you for your support as it goes right into our local materials and programs thus making our Del Mar Library one with something for everyone.
Pat Freeman, President
Slate of Candidates for the 2011-2012 Board
The following is the slate of officers for the Friends of Del Mar Library Board. These will be voted on at the next regularly scheduled meeting on May 15 from 5:30-6:00 pm. The location is the Del Mar Library Community Room and all who wish to attend are invited:
President: Pat Freeman
Secretary: Barbara Myers
Treasurer: Bill MichalskyMembers:
Barbara Anderson
Anne Benckendorff
Marcia Blackmon
Kathy Finnell
Mary Murrell
Marion Perlman
Randall Stoke
Mini book reviews
Harlan Coben has another great book on the shelves--Stay Close gets the reader’s attention on the first page. Megan is a soccer mom, but it is her past that catches up with her as we go through the story, and she can’t let it go. Her life as a soccer mom with two kids seems to be so calm and like everyone else’s, but as the story goes on we learn about her former life. Prepare to sit down and read it cover to cover as you won’t be able to put it down.
Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr is an easy enjoyable book to read. The story begins with Katie Malone and her twin boys on the road to her brother’s in Virgin River when a flat tire is too much for her to handle. Along comes Dylan Childress and his group of occasional motorcycle riders to the rescue. The chance encounter changes the course of both of their lives. It is a heartwarming story that keeps the reader interested until the end.
--Barbara Myers
How you can help the library
The Friends of the Del Mar Library needs your support more than ever in these tough economic times. After successfully navigating three years of budget reductions, the San Diego County Library’s (SDCL) budget for books is tight and will impact collections at all branches including Del Mar. SDCL is asking the Friends of the Del Mar Library to help with contributions to the library’s collection this year. SDCL has developed a donation and recognition plan.
There are two ways you can contribute and help the Del Mar Library and support readers in San Diego County and be recognized for your effort.
1. Give a Book: SDCL’s Most Wanted book donation campaign asks supporters to bring a new copy of one of SDCL’s Most Wanted books to the Del Mar Library. Donated books will be adorned with a special bookplate and added to the collection to start filling requests. A new list of Most Wanted titles can be found at www.sdcl.org/most-wanted.html each month. Beginning in October, SDCL has two lists, one for adults and one for youth.
2. Make a donation: The Friends of the Del Mar Library invest in the SDCL’s matching funds program every year. This makes a huge difference at your local Library. Donated funds will be used to purchase new materials such as newspapers, magazines and books for our own local Library. In addition, your dollars assist in providing programs at the Del Mar Library for youth and adults.
ESL
Café to Start in October
The Del Mar Branch of the San Diego County Libraries is hosting a new ESL (English as a Second Language) program starting in October.
The ESL Café Program will start on Wednesday, October 12th 2011 at 6:00 pm. The ESL café will be formatted to be a relaxed affair with light snacks and coffee in the hopes of fostering an environment conducive to light hearted communicating. The Library has plans to host two sessions per month (the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 6pm excepting November and possibly December) and the group will be limited to twelve attendees maximum. There will be no curriculum. Instead staff will lead the group in a positive exchange consisting of games and story-telling adventures.
Please feel free to drop in. Currently, there is no sign up. This may change in response to the popularity of the program. We hope you will tell your friends!
New doors
The City of Del Mar, which owns the library building, has purchased new front doors for our library. Our old wooden ones from 1996 were “coming apart at the seams.” These new doors are lighter yet sturdier and more durable. Thank you to the City of Del Mar.
Program News from the Del Mar Library
Do you want to add some exercise to your weekly routine? Would you enjoy finding and discussing books of interest to read before your next vacation? You are invited to attend these free programs:
New Programs this fall for Adults:
Hatha Yoga, taught by Marce Ziolkowsky, registered yoga teacher, on Thursday’s 3-4p.m., October 6, 13, 27 & November 3 & 17.
Armchair Travelers Book Group, led by Gretchen Schmidt, Branch Manager, on the first Friday of the month at 2p.m., October – April.
Continuing and Returning Programs:
Bridge Lectures to Improve Your Game, with Marilyn Anderson, on Thursdays 10am-noon, October 27, November 17 & December 15. Topics include: Leading Against Suit Contracts & Second Hand Law.
Investment Education with Richard Loth. Learn the basics and get answers to your questions at this monthly lecture on the first Wednesday at 6:00p.m. and the first Thursday at 1:00p.m. Topics include: How to use Morningstar and How to use ValueLine.
Getting to Know North San Diego County with MiraCosta College on Thursday, October 13 at 6:30p.m. Lisa Montes presents “A Historical Perspective of North County: La Colonia de Eden Gardens”.
Meet the Authors:
Beverlee Harbour Gopp, “Choose Gratitude Not Attitude” on Thursday, October 27, 6:30p.m. Discover what you are grateful for and get past blame and negativity. Navigate toward self-love, appreciation, contentment and bliss. www.walkinginthenow.com. Registration Required.
Suzi Weintert, “Garage Sale Stalker”on Friday, October 28, 2:00p.m. She will discuss her new mystery novel. For more information: www.garagesalestalker.com.
Frank Wesch, “Del Mar: Where the Surf Meets the Turf” on Thursday, November 10, 6:30p.m. Come learn about the racetrack, the noted jockeys, the infamous matchups and the best of Del Mar.
Call the Del Mar Library for more information 858 755-1666.
Magazines
check them out
The Del Mar Library subscribes to more than 150 magazine titles, and you can use your library card to check out previous issues for one week loan. If you need them longer, they can be renewed. There is something for everyone, so come take a look and browse the titles to find something to match your interests.
Children’s corner
Baby Story time
Story time classes for babies ages 6-18 months are offered at the Del Mar Library the first Thursday of every month at 10:30am. Linda Farmer hosts this program with age appropriate songs, finger plays, and board books. This is an opportunity for young parents to meet, and improve reading readiness for their babies. Children are sent home with a toy or board book after each class.
Preschoolers
The Del Mar Library is the place to be on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m., and on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. for story time, and at 11:00 a.m. for crafts.
Kids after school time
It’s also a terrific place for kids to spend their time after school. We have exciting monthly programs such as “Lego Madness,” 3rd Wednesday of every month at 3:30 p.m. Children 4-14 come to the library and create their own Lego masterpiece! Legos and Duplos provided!
Children, ages 5-9
Interested in discovering your inner artist? Our “Books & Art” program meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 4:00 p.m. Children, ages 5-9, can register at the library to listen to a fantastic story and create a wonderful piece of art with a variety of mediums including watercolors and clay.
Family PJ story time
P. J. Story Time is a great way for the family to gather together for a yummy snack, a few sleepy stories and sing some songs. This event takes place on the 4th Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Children are encouraged to show up in their favorite pajamas and cuddle with their parent for a night of fun.
Love on a leash for all ages
Start off your weekend right with Love on a Leash! Practice your reading skills by reading to “man’s best friend.” These certified therapy dogs make great listeners and fuzzy friends. All ages welcome, 1st and 3rd Saturday at 10:00 a.m. On the 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10:00 a.m., stop by the library for “Grandparents and Books” and enjoy a story or two from one of our volunteers.
A message from the President
Dear Library Supporters,
Now more than ever your donations count very much. In these difficult economic times, the County Library system has been hit with cuts that have severely affected our own Del Mar Library. The County has cut the entire Library materials budget from $4.41 million in 2007-08 to a base budget of $750,000 for 2011-12. Need I stress, how important our donations are, to ensure that the books and periodicals you are looking for are still available in our Del Mar branch. The Friends of the Del Mar Library appreciate each and every donation to help keep our materials current and in supply for our readers. We are at the point of necessity to ask that perhaps you would consider donating a new bestseller once you have purchased it and read it. For suggested books to purchase please visit www.sdcl.org for a list of the Ten Most Wanted Books.
We are happy to welcome Mary Murrell to the Friends of the Del Mar Library board. Mary has offered her talents to oversee our newsletter and we look forward to working with her.
A special Del Mar thank you to our own Andy McCracken for trimming our Cassia tree on the south side of the building. Andy did this as a community service. Please thank him when you see him working around Del Mar.
The ongoing book sale continues to offer a variety of reading material for all. Thank you for supporting our efforts. Our librarian, Gretchen Schmidt, sorts through the donations and selects appropriate titles for the library collection and remainder is offered for sale.
Thank you for your donations to help us support the programs in our own library. We thank the Del Mar Foundation for their grant assisting our program efforts.
Pat Freeman, President
eBooks update
As a follow-up to an article in our last newsletter on ebooks, OverDrive Kindle eBooks are now available from San Diego County Library at www.sdcl.org.
Mini book reviews
Split Second, by Catherine Coulter hooks the reader in the first line. Coulter’s main characters, husband and wife FBI agents, Savich and Sherlock, hunt for a murder with ties to an infamous criminal. There is a twist at the end that is unexpected making this thriller a great read from beginning to end.
Karen Robards has done it again with Justice. It is a romantic thriller with the main character in the unofficial witness protection program. Jessica Ford, a feisty attorney doesn’t know whom to trust and just wants to do her job until she wins a high profile case that throws her life into chaos. The reader won’t want to put this one down.
Images of America
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WINNER |
Anyone who mines the stacks of the Del Mar Library is apt to come up with some nuggets. That’s what Librarian Gretchen Schmidt did recently and her discoveries have led to an intriguing exhibit that will open in May.
Titled Images of America, it will display 32 books from Arcadia Publishing Company, which specializes in chronicling the history of local communities and bringing to life the people, places and events of the past. Employing local authors, the books are primarily pictorial histories augmented by expanded captions or short blocks of text.
While the exhibit concentrates on San Diego County, it also includes other selections from Arcadia’s 6,000 titles that span the country from Maine to California. The three books that attracted Schmidt’s attention all have Del Mar roots.
Published in 2008, Del Mar Fairgrounds should bring smiles to the faces of even the most rabid anti-fair grumps. Packed with historic photos and enhanced by the excellent writing of Diane Y. Welch, the book traces the county fair from its inception in National City in 1880, interim years in San Diego’s Balboa Park and permanent relocation to Del Mar in 1936.
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LOSER |
Like all good histories, the book goes beyond a simple story about the fair to present a graphic picture of how this area has changed from the Great Depression, through World War II and on to the present day.
Almost as compelling is Del Mar Racetrack published in 2006. Like the other book, it includes the iconic photo of Bing Crosby greeting the first visitors to the track on July 3, 1937. A short pictorial section on what the book calls “Del Mar Racetrack’s neighbor, old Del Mar,” supplements photographs of Hollywood celebrities and racetrack action.
Published in 2007, Lifeguards of San Diego is an informative history of the nine professional agencies that serve the public on the beaches and bays of the county. Author Michael Martino, a UC San Diego graduate and longtime lifeguard, skillfully blends fact and fable to back up an impressive collection of photos from the early 20th century onward.
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Lifeguard Knox Harris mans his post at the foot of the Del Mar pier, which was demolished in 1959. |
There is an eight-page chapter on Del Mar that includes such familiar faces as Gardner Stevens and Grant Larson. An eye-catching photo shows lifeguard Knox Harris on duty at the foot of the Del Mar Pier, which was demolished in 1959.
Schmidt said the exhibit would be on display as part of the library’s celebration of Older Americans month. In addition to Images of America, Arcadia also has published books on sports, black America, college campuses and U. S. history. Its latest title commemorates the start of the Civil War 150 years ago at Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Fittingly, the company’s headquarters are in nearby Charleston.
e-Books are available for Library Users
Del Mar Library has taken another small step into cyberspace. Along with other San Diego County branches, the library is offering a limited number of e-books to its patrons.
E-books can be read on most e-readers or computers. While the present number of selections is relatively small - current best sellers and 15,000 classics that no longer are under copyright - it is expected to grow as more library patrons purchase e-readers.
Library cardholders can borrow e-books, which can be downloaded on most e-readers except the Kindle. They first must sign up on the library’s database.
Patrons can borrow an unlimited number of books for up to two weeks, renewable if no other borrower is waiting. Books are available at any hour day or night.
At present, e-books make up only a small fraction of the library’s total collection. But publishers are predicting e-book sales will increase 50 to 100% this year and that interest will carry over to libraries. One impediment may be publishers’ reluctance to unlimited borrowing.
Short Stories from the Del Mar Library
Sensory pleasures
A feast for the senses will be offered at 11 a.m. April 29 at the Del Mar Library.
Singer/harpist Mair Rathburn will perform a concert of songs about roses and spring in the library’s community room.
The program will be held in conjunction with the Del Mar Rose Society’s rose show so that the audience can view and smell the prize-winning blooms as they listen to the music.
Guests also can enjoy the taste of light refreshments. But they won’t be touched for money. Librarian Gretchen Schmidt said the event is free and paid for by Friends of the Del Mar Library.
Nostalgia time
A nostalgic visit to the great wits of yesteryear will be provided at the Del Mar Library from 11 to 11:30 a.m. May 6.
Storyteller Linda Henry-Bonin, in the guise of Little Miss Marker, will enact stories by such mid-20th Century masters as James Thurber and Damon Runyon.
As part of the library’s celebration of Older Americans Month, the program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served after the performance.
Children’s programs
Del Mar Library’s children’s reading program will have an international theme this summer.
Beginning in July, the library will offer an “Around the World” story time at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday. Each week will feature a different language – Spanish, German, French, Farsi and sign language.
Wednesday mornings are for family programs, including puppets, clowns, music and art, ending with a Mary Poppins finale at 10:30 a.m. August 10. Wednesday afternoons feature movies, puzzles and other activities for older children. Teen programs – movies, munchies and scrap booking – are scheduled twice monthly at 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Families are urged by children’s librarian Jennifer Runge to register online or in person after June 1. She also is accepting applications for teen library volunteers.
Denise Vando
Denise A. Vando, a mainstay of the Del Mar Library for 19 years, died Jan. 20 in San Diego. She was 74.
A native of New York and graduate of Bennington College, Denise held a variety of jobs before joining the library staff in 1990. In addition to her work at the circulation desk, she used her artistic skills to assist in children’s craft programs. She retired as assistant customer service supervisor in 2009.
Short Stories from the Del Mar Library
Destiny and Desire by Carlos Fuentes: Mexico’s leading novelist has pulled out all stops in this sprawling saga of his native land. A classic Cain and Abel story becomes a complex, cynical and occasionally tender tale of love, violence and political opportunism. Spanning a century from Mexico’s 1910 revolution to its present narcoterrorism, Destiny and Desire employs all of Fuentes’ formidable talents including magic realism. The narrator is a severed head oozing life on a Pacific beach. Don’t let that scare you off! This is a captivating book of particular interest to us who live near the border.
— Peter Kaye
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is a timely and unusual story that keeps readers engrossed to see what will happen next. It involves a couple’s attempt to have a baby and its tragic climax with a miscarriage. What happens next involves such contemporary controversies as gay rights, abortion and the Christian Right. Picoult carefully explores these issues from all sides. Her characters are carefully delineated so readers can understand their motivations and how they fit into the overall plot.
— Barbara Myers
Atlantic by Simon Winchester. Winchester is the Shamu of authors -- entertaining, energetic and capable of diving deep into his subject. This is a whale of a book comparable to his earlier triumphs such as Krakatoa and The Professor and the Madman. Winchester tells how the Atlantic Ocean has been shaped by forces of nature and follies of mankind -- tectonic plates, explorers, sea battles and the environmental disasters that mankind is creating.
— Peter Kaye
A Librarian for Life
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Gretchen Schmidt bookworm |
Gretchen Schmidt began her long love affair with libraries when she was a small child. As a teenager she flirted with a career in medicine but gave that up after sampling a hospital environment. As a Stanford undergraduate, she landed her first library job.
“My dad worked for Hewlett Packard,” she said, “and when I graduated from college he told me to go into computers. ‘You’ll never make any money in libraries,’ he said.”
Instead, she turned her back on Silicon Valley and became a librarian for life.
Married the day after she graduated from Stanford, Gretchen accompanied her first husband, an Army helicopter pilot, to Germany where she managed two small libraries on military posts near Nuremberg. Later she worked in city, county and university libraries in and around Carson City, Nevada. In 1984, she served as president of the Nevada Library Association.
Along the way, she earned a master’s degree in library science from the University of Texas and worked in a nearby community college library.
Gretchen came to San Diego County in 1996 as a reference librarian at the Vista branch of the county library system. In 1998, she became librarian for Solana Beach and Del Mar and when a new library opened in Solana Beach, she was given a choice. It was Del Mar’s great good luck that she picked the newly refurbished branch at 13th street and Camino del Mar.
Calm, quiet and competent, Gretchen is the epitome of a librarian. She combines intelligence and experience with a quality common to all good librarians – helpfulness. Watching her assist library patrons in navigating stacks of books, using the new automated checkout system or tracking down a reference work validates the vocation she chose many years ago.
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Gretchen Schmidt snow bunny |
While Gretchen’s work might classify her as a bookworm, her life definitely does not. As a native Californian, she participated in two of her state’s favorite sports – surfing and skiing. As a youngster and teenager, she braved the cold waters off Santa Cruz to board and bodysurf. And she learned to ski on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada.
During her three years in Germany, Gretchen perfected her skiing in the Swiss and Austrian Alps and when she returned to the United States, she taught beginners to ski at Lake Tahoe’s Incline Village.
“It was something I always wanted to do,” she said.
Age and a bout with breast cancer, have slowed Gretchen’s outdoor activities, but her armchair adventures have led to popular programs sponsored by the library
The most notable was long distance swimmer Lynne Cox, who previewed her book Swimming to Antarctica before an overflow audience at the Del Mar Powerhouse. Other author-adventures included mountain climbers Arlene Blum and Kelly Perkins and yachtsman John Silverwood who describes his family’s near disaster in the South Pacific. Silverwood wrote part of “Black Wave” at the Del Mar Library.
During Gretchen’s tenure, the Del Mar branch has grown to serve far more than the 2,000 households in the city itself. It has evolved from a reference library to a community center used by children, senior and specialized groups such as chess and bridge activities.
With a computer center, California and Del Mar collections and specialized periodicals, the library caters to local readers. It also has become a partner in community events and local school activities.
Remarried with a son and two stepchildren, Gretchen says she still looks forward to coming to work every day: “I love the beauty of Del Mar, its proximity to the ocean and most of all the opportunity to be involved with some wonderful people.”
Volunteers bolster library’s services
With its workload up and its payroll down, Del Mar Library is turning to the time-honored tradition of volunteerism. Members of the community, young and old, are showing up to restock shelves, meet reader requests and assist in children’s and adult programs.
“I don’t know what we’d do without our volunteers,” says Librarian Gretchen Schmidt.
Within the last year, said Schmidt, book checkouts and check-ins have increased from 10,000 to 15,000 a month. At the same time, the library staff has lost one and a half positions.
Much of the slack has been taken up by the library’s automated checkout systems. The two Radio Frequency Identification (RDIF) stations now account for more than 90% of customer usage.
But in other labor-intensive jobs, such as restocking shelves and filling requests from customers and outside libraries, paid staff members must be augmented by volunteers. For 10 years, Sharyn Orcutt and others have maintained the list of requests from other branches.
Sometimes volunteers fill specialized slots. Debbie Marsh, an early childhood education specialist, conducts children’s story times twice weekly.
The library got a big boost last summer from participation in a county-sponsored program for student volunteers. About 30 teenagers, including 12 Boy Scouts, donated six to 40 hours restocking shelves and helping with craft programs for kids. Now Jennifer Runge, the library’s youth services director, wants to revive teenage participation by setting up homework centers in the library.
Short stories from the Del Mar Library
Mira Costa Programs
Del Mar Library is partnering with Mira Costa College in an ongoing series of programs. The next event is a Chinese culture program presented by Aubrey Kuan at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
With campuses in Oceanside and Encinitas, Mira Costa is teaming up with libraries in Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe to provide speakers. Other upcoming programs include:
Tracy Williams will talk about Mira Costa’s theater program at 3 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Solana Beach Library.
Barbara Magone will perform Celtic music at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Encinitas Library.
John Kirwan will lecture on Cervantes and Don Quixote at 11 a.m. Nov. 20 at the Rancho Santa Fe Library.
Chess Tournament
Del Mar’s Chess Club will hold an open tournament at 3:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Powerhouse. The competition is free of charge to chess players of all ages.
Founded a year ago by Dawn Erickson, the Chess Club meets at 3:30 p.m. Thursdays in the library’s community room. A lifelong enthusiast, Erickson offers lessons without charge to promote interest in the game.
Bridge Lessons
Classes to help bridge players perfect their games are now being offered at the Del Mar Library.
Marilyn Anderson, a member of the American Bridge Teachers Association, will conduct the sessions in the community room one Thursday each month from 10 a.m. to noon. Not designed for beginners, the lessons are designed to teach new techniques. Upcoming classes include:
Oct. 28, take-out doubles; Nov. 18, overcalls, and Dec. 16, leads and signals.
Readers’ Group
Two approaches to reading and discussing books are available on the Del Mar library.
Book Talks and Treats began as a group that meets monthly, usually at 2 p.m. on the fourth Friday, to hear the library staff’s recommendations of old and new favorites.
“At first, we all just came to listen to what the librarians recommended,” said volunteer Kathy Ellis, “but this group has so many active readers that they started adding to the list.”
For an hour each month the group shares books they are reading or listening to on tape. Then, over coffee and cookies, members make recommendations.
Sponsored by Community Connections, the Seasoned Readers book club meets at 2 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month except December. The 15 members select one book for each session making sure copies are available in paperback or at the library.
Both groups meet in the library’s community room and can be joined without charge.
Mini book reviews
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is four books in one. All are brilliant. David Mitchell has painstakingly re-created early 19th Century Japan and its intricate interaction with its only Western outpost – the Dutch trading settlement on an artificial island in Nagasaki Bay. A young Dutch clerk, Jacob de Zoet, glues the plots together. He struggles against corruption in the Japanese Shogunate and his own company, is infatuated with a Japanese midwife, who is confined in a convent run by a mysterious mystic, and has a heroic role against an attack by a British warship. Mitchell’s research is impeccable, his characters are unforgettable and his writing at times lapses into pure poetry. A must read! --Peter Kaye
Growing Up Laughing by Marlo Thomas is a delightful read by the former That Girl star and daughter of comedian Danny Thomas. She tells about sharing the dinner table with the greatest of all comedians. Milton Berle did magic tricks at her birthday parties. As a teenager, she’d hurry home from dates because she knew Bob Hope, Bob Newhart or Don Rickles might be there. This is a story of comedy and a close loving family that nurtured the love of laughter. There are interviews with many of the great ones and some of the female comics, including Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar. A witty and enjoyable book to laugh your way through. --Barbara Myers
Spring Newsletter 2010
New Library Partnerships Proliferate
Want to improve your writing? Bidding? Planting? Designing, knitting or castling?
Del Mar Library is partnering with other individuals and organizations to offer a variety of activities to the community. Most are held in the library’s new community room. All are free.
A popular newcomer is “Bridge Lessons to Improve Your Game,” from 10 a.m. to noon every fourth Thursday. Taught by Marilyn Anderson, an American Bridge Teacher’s Association instructor, the class is aimed at intermediate players. Other Thursday programs are “Knit and Stitch” in the first week and the Chess Club with master instructor Dawn Erickson at 3:30 p.m. weekly. Book Talks and Treats is offered at 2 p.m. on fourth Fridays.
Many of the activities involve education and gardening. One includes both. Betsy Schultz, who co-designed the wall in front of the library, has built a hydroponic garden cart to show third graders at Del Mar Heights School how to grow vegetables in small containers. During summer vacation the cart will be housed at the library where children can continue to see pagelearn about gardening. In August it will be harvested.
Again this April the Del Mar Rose Society holds its annual show at the library and, as in the past, the building will be filled with its colorful and fragrant blooms.
Library is abloom with Rose Society’s finest entries.
During April and the first two weeks of May, the County of San Diego has set up a kiosk to demonstrate water conservation techniques in gardening. An interactive touch screen computer display helps identify garden pests and how they can be controlled using few or no chemicals. Horticulturist Doug Kalal will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. June 16 on ”Thirty Great Tolerant Plans for Your Garden.”
In observance of Older American Month, the American Society of Interior Designers is offering a program on home improvement at 2 p.m. May 14. It will feature a talk, film and other materials to help seniors improve the quality of independent living at Meldahl discussing his latest book “Hard Road West.”
New library landscaping is flourishing
Automated Checkout Has Arrived
Del Mar has joined the long list of libraries utilizing automated checkout systems. At the end of January, two Radio Frequency Identification (RDIF) stations were installed and now account for more than 80% of customer usage.
Utilizing bar codes on library cards and books, the RDIF units are fast and easy to operate. Eventually, said librarian Gretchen Schmidt, they can be used to help manage inventory, restock shelves and add to library security. While that’s the case in some libraries nationally, it’s still in the future in San Diego County.
Of more immediate benefit, the automated checkout frees librarians to interact and provide better service to customers. It’s also a labor saver; Schmidt says Del Mar’s library staff is down one and a half from last year. More use of volunteers also helps maintain the library staff’s effectiveness, she added.
Another advantage of automation is that the RDIF units can check out multiple materials instead of the one-at-a-time manual system. That reduces the chance of carpal tunnel syndrome, an ailment that plagues librarians as well as others performing repetitive tasks in the work place.
No trouble using automated check-out.
Two Authors to Speak in May
Two different faces of writing will be presented during Del Mar Library’s Meet the Author series in May.
Merrill Joan Gerber, a prize-winning novelist and short story writer, will speak at 2 p.m. May 8. The focus of her talk will be memoir writing and the audience is expected to including members of writing groups in the area.
Gerber has published seven novels, five volumes of short stories, nine young adult novels and three books of non-fiction. In 1986, she won the prestigious O. Henry Prize. At present she teaches fiction writing at Cal Tech.
Vince Reardon will talk about his first book Legacy: Passing on Cherished Values in a Values-Starved World at 2 p.m. May 22.
Some of the 25 notable Americans profiled are Daniel Ellsberg, peace activist who leaked the Pentagon Papers, the Rev. Tom Doyle, who exposed sexual abuse by Catholic clergy, and Jeffrey Wigand, who disclosed abuse in the cigarette industry.
A San Diego resident, Reardon has worked in corporate marketing and public relations for 20 years.
Circuit adds a new link
San Diego County Library System’ popular Circuit has added a new Link.
Introduced in 2008, the Circuit enables library users to quickly borrow books from four universities - San Diego State, Cal State San Marcos, UCSD and the University of San Diego. With a simple click of computers at home or a library branch, books can be ordered and will be sent out within 24 to 48 hours. More than 7.5 million library books and periodicals are available.
Now The Circuit has been expanded to include 28 more college libraries in California and Nevada. Called Link+, the expanded service is available without charge and books
Mini Book Reviews
I highly recommend Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Cee Cee is 12 and when her mom dies, she goes to live with a great aunt in Savannah, Georgia. This book has wonderful lovable eccentric women characters. While reading it, I laughed out loud and at times I felt very saddened. It is amazing to me that this first novel could explore so many feelings and experiences of relationships while relating the journey of a young girl who loses her mother. I enjoyed it as much as The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk.
--Pat Freeman
Caught by Harold Cohen catches the reader with the first page. The story seems clear-cut, but then it begins to evolve and captivates the reader with each detail. A junior reporter, Wendy, reports a story and then wonders is she has mistakenly accused someone, but then the story takes off in another direction. It is hard to put down as it makes you want to read until the book is done. Lots of twists and a great story to enjoy just like all of Cohen’s other books. Add it to your list.
--Barbara Myers
Children’s librarian hired
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Jennifer Runge |
Del Mar has half of a new children’s librarian. Jennifer Runge will split her time between the Del Mar and Cardiff branches. Her specialties are story telling and puppetry.
A graduate of Cal State San Marcos with a master’s degree in library science from UCLA, Runge comes to Del Mar from the county’s 4S Ranch Branch where she was youth services librarian. She lives in Carlsbad with her new husband, Stephan Hoover, a dog, two cats and a turtle.
The oil painting above is by Mac McMillan. 2009
Beautification of Our Village
Have you taken a look at our library recently? The Del Mar Library is looking good! Over the past year a new community room has been added, the roof has been replaced and now, the Del Mar Garden Club, in partnership with the City of Del Mar, has made significant improvements with the landscaping, cleaning the masonry and upgrading the lighting and irrigation. The Friends of the Del Mar Library contributed $500 to purchase plants yet the Garden Club is trying to keep costs down, and they have donated many of their own plantings to fill the space. Importantly, the Garden Club has also volunteered to plant and water.
Arline Paa, coordinator for the gardening project, along with Mary Friestedt and Zus Van Thillo, thank the city for assisting so generously with the project. Five cubic yards of mulch from the San Diego landfill was brought to the site to help prevent erosion. The soil has been amended as well so that plantings will have ample opportunity to flourish.
Arline Paa reports that the goal for the project is to open up the views towards the library, to highlight the sculpture wall as well as the James Hubbell sculpture. A change with the lighting will help focus on the Hubbell sculpture. By using only drought tolerant plants, such as Mexican feather grass, blue fescue and succulents Arline hopes the public will see attractive plantings in public places and move in that direction for their own homes. A decomposed granite path is being added to help our librarians change their signage and a succulent rock garden is designed in front of the new community room. Two pots, with blue-grey succulents on either side of the Hubbell bench, will offer the final touch to the project.
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Fall Newsletter 2009
Friends of the library spin a new web, Fall 2009
Crawling out from under its piles of paper, Friends of the Del Mar Library has joined the 21st Century with an online edition of its activities. The new site can be accessed at friendsofdelmarlibrary.org.
The website will supplement rather than replace this newsletter, which will continue to be published and distributed to Friends members twice yearly. “The new site,“ said Pat Freeman, Friends president, “will enable us to quickly and thoroughly inform the public about library services and activities. It is available to anyone at any time without charge.”
From its home page, topped by a new photograph of the recently remodeled library building, viewers are directed to five inside pages:
About Us contains articles and photographs about the library’s history, improvements to the building and other pertinent information.
News and Reviews has book reviews and details of past, present and future library activities and events.
Calendar is an up-to-date summary of upcoming activities.
Contribute tells how viewers can become member of the Friends of the Del Mar Library and how they can contribute to library programs.
Contact lists phone numbers and email addresses for library staff and names of board members.
Freeman urged residents of Del Mar and surrounding communities to use the website, tell their friends about it and offer criticisms and suggestions: “This is a wonderful way for the Friends to encourage community participation to help provide the best possible library services for Del Mar.”
The Friends website was designed and will be maintained by Virginia Lawrence, a resident of Del Mar Terrace since 2006. A former French teacher in New York and an English teacher in Switzerland, Lawrence designed her first website in 2003. Other clients include the Sandpiper, the Del Mar Foundation, and the Friends of the Powerhouse.
Editorial
When the economy turns sour and public funds dry up, libraries are the first to feel the pinch. San Diego County’s library budget is $41,313,536 - a decrease of 9.4% from the previous year. The cuts have been felt at every one of the county’s 33 branches.
At the Del Mar library, a hiring freeze within the county system has resulted in short staffing that has been especially hard on its handful of employees. Activities and acquisitions have been reduced. That’s where Friends of the Del Mar Library comes in. A $1,000 contribution will enable children’s and adult programs to be maintained at their present levels. Other funds insure no reduction in magazine subscriptions.
However, our own resources are strained. Friends contributed $50,000 last year to supplement a $200,000 appropriation by the county for our new community room. This new resource already is attracting a variety of users.
Del Mar Library has a history of strong supporters. The county Board of Supervisors, led by Pam Slater Price, a Del Mar resident, has been exceedingly generous. So has the City Council, which recently paid most of the cost of a new roof, and currently is helping finance landscaping improvements. Del Mar Farmers Market has been a generous friend.
Now we’re asking individuals in the community to help us face this financial crisis. Your contributions, large and small, can help us maintain and improve our library. Turn to the back page of this newsletter to find out how.
Chess club meets weekly at the library
If enthusiasm were ability, Dawn Erickson would be a grand master. Instead she’s the founder of Del Mar’s new chess club that meets at 4 p.m. every Thursday in the community room.
Erickson welcomes players from seven on up. Pretty soon, she says, she’ll start teaching 4-year-olds. All she asks is commitment on the part of players and their parents.
So far the chess club has about 20 members divided into two groups - seniors over 50 and children. But anyone can join. Erickson sees chess as a wonderful opportunity for children to interact with their parents and grandparents.
“Age is no obstacle,” she says, “nor is language. Every emotion can be expressed on a chess board.”
To encourage participation, Erickson has designed what she calls sub-games for children and their parents. She’s also devising a curriculum for teaching chess to second and third graders. She charges nothing for the class but is encouraging donations of chessboards and pieces.
Born in La Jolla, Erickson is the daughter of an Air Force fighter pilot and learned to play chess at the age of 3.
“Chess taught me the lessons of life,” she said.
Married to a realtor in Rancho Santa Fe, Erickson has switched her focus to education, but chess will continue to play a big part in her life.
How good is she?
“I’ve held my own against some pretty good players,” she said.
Library landscaping looms
Del Mar Library has a new roof and community room. Thanks to the Garden Club and city it’s about to get new landscaping.
Arlene Paa outlined the landscape plan to Friends of the Del Mar Library last week and the board responded by appropriating $500 to buy new plants. Another $3,000 will be contributed by the city of Del Mar for masonry, irrigation and electrical improvements.
Paa said landscaping would combine drought resistant native plants such as ceanothus and lemonade berry with succulents and grasses. Some new plants will be purchased and others will be donated.
Existing bougainvillea, bay laurel and a sun camellia will be retained. At the southwest corner of the library site, in front of the new community room, a rock garden will be installed.
The design and much of the planting will be donated by the Garden Club, augmented by city landscapers who‘ll be responsible for maintenance.
Pat Freeman, Friends president, said she hopes the project will be completed by the end of November.
Three authors will talk at the library
Baseball, wildlife and unholy mischief will be the topics of talks in Del Mar Library’s “Meet the Authors” series this fall.
Local author Elle Newmark will talk about “The Book of Unholy Mischief” at 1 p.m. Oct. 24.
A mystery set in Renaissance Venice, the novel uses food as a metaphor to describe the intrigue in and around the Doge’s palace. Newmark also will speak about her upcoming book set in India.
Harry Katz, a Del Mar author, will discuss his two latest books, “Baseball Americana” and “Herblock” at 2 p.m. Nov. 1. A former curator at the Library of Congress, Katz has been honored for his contributions to the field of graphic art. His books explore two U.S. institutions – the national pastime of baseball and the late, great political cartoonist, Herbert Block.
Bette Blaydes Pegas is an El Cajon writer who fulfilled her life’s dream by visiting the Galapagos Islands, made famous by Charles Darwin. Her book “Chasing A Dream in he Galapagos” is an account of her own personal evolution. Her talk is set for 1 p.m. Nov. 8.
Spring Newsletter 2009
Contrarian is
a Compelling
and Arresting
Book
The
subtitle of Contrarian:
Peter
Kaye’s Life Journey
from the Depression
to Checkers, Dallas,
Watergate and the
Great Wall,
tells one the scope
of this absorbing
collection of memoirs.
Kaye was 
born
in Illinois in 1928
but came as a seven-year
old child with his
mother to Laguna
Beach in 1936. A
1950 graduate of
Pomona College,
he moved to Del
Mar in 1956 and,
with several interruptions,
has lived here ever
since. His career
has mainly been
in print journalism
(from cub reporter
to editor), but
also in public television
locally and nationally
and in politics,
where he defines
himself as a “political
hack,” flack catching
for Richard Nixon,
Pete Wilson, Houston
Flournoy and Gerald
Ford among others
during their election
campaigns.
Kaye’s work in the media began in his college days, and he matured as a writer on his National Guard division paper in the U.S., Japan and Korea. He worked at the San Diego Union twice, from 1953-1968 and 1976-1993 where he rose to associate editor. In between, he transitioned to public TV here and in Washington D.C. The Kennedy assassination, the Watergate hearings, and the PSA crash over San Diego in 1978 were among the many significant events he covered.
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| Peter Kaye |
Self-deprecating and generous with his associates, Kaye has the rare ability to tell a story skillfully and with deft wit. In his hands, our English language fares well. What a marvelous raconteur! Among many reminiscences, I particularly cherish those about scientist-philosopher Jacob Bronowski and eccentric composer-inventor Harry Partch.
Were I to quibble in any way with this compelling and arresting book, it may be with its topical arrangement (reporter, politics, T.V. etc.) that leads to some repetition. Also, as a local, I should have dearly loved to see more on the Del Mar scene–past and present. After all, he has not only lived here before incorporation, he also wrote a lively column on Del Mar in the North County Times.
Overall, Contrarian is a humane and engaging book that you should get now and read. Copies of this book may be bought at Earth Song Books or on Amazon.Com.
Marc Gitttelsohn was undergraduate librarian at UCSD from 1971 to 1985.
Short
Stories from
Around the Del
Mar Library
Youth Librarian
Donna Melnychenko brings a wealth of experience to her job as Del Mar’s youth librarian. A native of Michigan, Donna was an elementary school teacher, school and corporate librarian before joining the San Diego County Library staff in 1999. She now splits her time between the Del Mar and Cardiff branches.
Donna’s outside interests center on music, books, her cat Noah and astronomy. “I’ve become an eclipse chaser,” she said, ”traveling to Europe and Africa to see total eclipses of the sun.”
Closer to home, her goal is to encourage parents and children to visit the library often and to become lifelong readers and learners.
Summer
Activities
Emphasizing creativity, Del Mar Library kicks off its summer program at 11 a.m. June 17 with a puppet show. There will be activities – magic, puppet show, arts, crafts, and games -- for children and adults through August.
Adult programs include Knit and Stitch at 3 p.m. on first Thursdays, acrylic painting at 9:30 a.m. June 20, book talks on fourth Frdays at 2 p.m., collage art at 1 p.m. July 11 and beginning crochet at 1 p.m. Aug. 22.
Children’s activities include story times in English and Spanish, Grandparents and Books, a book club, arts and crafts and guitar lessons for teenagers. A full schedule of activities is available at the library.
Homework
Help
San Diego County Library now offers free homework help on line. Available from 1 to 10 p.m. every day, the service connects students with live tutors for one-on-one help in math, science, English, social studies and reading. Adult learners also are welcome. Tutoring sessions are available in Spanish and English. There also is a 24-hour writing lab.
Users can access the service at main.sd.ca.brainfuse.com by typing their library card barcodes. Called HelpNow!, the program is funded by the California Library Services and Technology Act.
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