Blogs from the Oakland Public Library
Lakeview Book Club Update: Too Close To The Falls by Catherine Gildiner
Savor the memories of a young, precocious girl on the 1950s, so fresh and real you can taste the Niagra Falls snow and feel the magic of her strength, invincibilty and intelligence.
Search Saving = YAY!
Now you can save a preferred search and be notified when new materials are added to the catalog. Isn't that exciting?
You know how it is when you just LOVE an author and you want to make sure you know the instant one of their new books comes out? Well, now we can help you with that!
As of this week, our users are able to save up to 25 preferred searches in the catalog. This is, basically, a way of letting us know your preferences, and giving us the chance to email you when new materials that match your preferences are added to the catalog. What a great way to get to the front of the holds queue!
So, how do you do it? First of all, this doesn't work in Encore, and only works in the Classic Catalog. So, take yourself over to the Classic Catalog and log yourself in. Then just follow these steps:
- Search for your favorite author
Summer Reading Successes
Oakland Public Library's 2013 Summer Reading Program was a great success, setting a record for children's reading hours.
Though it may seem a distant memory; we wanted to take a moment to tell you about the great accomplishments of Oakland children in our Summer Reading Program:
6,196 children recorded reading for 8 hours or more this summer, a record! That's two-thirds of the 9,372 who signed up to participate. Reading during the summer helps children retain and enhance their reading skills.
Attendance at our special summer programs for children was 13,813. Wow! Were you there for one of our Bubble parties? Did you catch the Scraper Bike Workshop at West Oakland? Did you garden at the Main Library? Or decorate a flower pot to plant your Summer Reading seed quarters?
Children’s Author Spotlight: Nic Bishop
Information about author and nature photographer Nic Bishop, including his books that may be found at the Oakland Public Library.
Vivid. Colorful. Captivating. Nic Bishop’s nature photography is all this and more! His exciting insect and animal books, effectively designed for young readers, feature eye-popping images that satisfy children’s curiosity about the natural world. These are, quite simply, some of today’s best science books published for kids, and they’re available at your local library!
Bishop has been creating kids’ books for over 25 years, and is an experienced photographer both in the studio and in the field. Check out the trailer for his book, Spiders, for a glimpse into his creative process:
Found, Library Style
You find amazing things inside books, and not just the way you might think I mean!
The little things found in library books and left around the library often give me pause. I can't help but wonder who created them and why. I think about where these people might be now, and wonder if they ever noticed they had lost the object I had found. So many stories can be invented to explain these tiny glimpses into someone's life.
I've collected quite a few things from staff around the library system, and thought it might be fun to share them with you, bit by bit over time.
So, to start, here is a small selection of items found in the Oakland Public Library by library staff members. Most were found in books, but some were just left behind in the library. All of them could tell quite a story. More to come!
(This is my personal favorite. Poor CJ!)
Therapy Pets Dogs Help Children Learn to Love to Read
Dogs in Lakeview Library??? Bark!
Is your child shy about reading out loud? Is he or she shy about reading at all? Join us on Wednesday afternoons in October. Therapy Pets in Oakland is bringing dogs to the Lakeview Branch to give your child a easy way to practice reading. These gentle dogs do not judge children; they only love them. Research has shown that children gain ease in reading when they read to dogs.
Sign up for a 20-minute session at Lakeview.
It's Almost October!
October at OPL is busy, exciting, and spooooky! Come see what there is to see!
It's almost October, which is shaping up to be one of our most amazing event-filled months ever at the Oakland Public Library! With author talks galore, a travel program, Affordable Health Care Act information, Teen Read Week, Halloween and Día de los Muertos events for children and exhibits at several locations, you do not want to miss out!
You can always find our events listed on our website, and you can also grab a print calendar at any of our library locations. You can also see a PDF version of our October 2013 calendar here. You might notice it looks
New Series: Readers I Know
Introducing a cartoon series of readers I've worked with as an Oakland librarian. First up: two sisters who rhyme.
This week, I'm starting something new: cartoon portraits of some of my favorite readers. Readers, get to know your librarian-- knowing you is one of the best things about this job.
For those interested, the book we're reading is DON'T SQUISH THE SASQUATCH, a small marvel by Kent Redeker.
--Miss Amy
Reading with Others
October is National Reading Group Month. Come read with us!
October is National Reading Group Month (NRGM). According to the NRGM website, one of the goals of National Reading Group Month is "to increase public awareness of the joy and value of shared reading." I admit I found my way to book groups slowly and reluctantly. After spending years discussing assigned reading for school, I didn't necessarily want to read what someone else had chosen for me and I wanted to have my own experience of the books I was reading. However, I'm now a member of two book groups and I have to say I enjoy being introduced to books I might not necessarily read on my own. Having a conversation about what I'm reading enhances my reading experience and it helps me to articulate what I liked or didn't like about a book and to see points I may have overlooked.