Ron Martin, Community BookmobileNational Bookmobile Day is April 14. This is a good time to become aware of the bookmobiles operated by the Fresno County Free Library. There are three. The Community Libraries Bookmobile is a full-service library branch with 43 stops per month. The Children’s Bookmobile serves daycare centers exclusively. The Aprendo Van serves low-income communities instructing parents in fostering literacy.
The Aprendo van gives away books for parents to read to children and is funded through the tobacco tax increase that Californians voted in several years ago. It is based in Firebaugh and reaches out to families of agricultural workers.
The Community Libraries Bookmobile was housed in a new 33-foot vehicle in October 2007. It has a hydraulic wheelchair lift, and approximately 13 book cases with 63 shelves holding 3,000 items to lend in the same categories as the “stationary branches:” novels, nonfiction, magazines, children’s books, early-reader books, music CDs, books on CD, DVDs, videogames, and more. Borrowers have access to the entire collection listed in Valley Cat through hold requests; borrowers make around 70 hold requests each month.
Children patronizing the Bookmobile can participate in the Summer Reading Program, with presentations at two of the stops. Every visitor is given a schedule of stops printed with the days and times of their stop that they can write on their calendar to be ready to get their items returned at the next visit, which is their due date. The one-month stop cycle results in longer borrowing periods from the Bookmobile. If borrowers miss their stop, they can return items at any branch of the library consortium, in Fresno or from California City to Livingston. If borrowers misplace their schedule copies, they can access it at the library website, through the links to library branch hours.
The Bookmobile stops at a dozen senior residences and two convalescent care centers, near eight schools of the Central Unified School District and four of Fresno Unified and two other districts, and at two daycare centers near Auberry. It is in Auberry two days per month, and stops in Friant and and Cantua Creek. It visits four community centers, the Fulton Mall, and two southeast Fresno apartment developments. Schedule modifications are made near the beginnings and ends of school years.
When the Bookmobile workers are not on the road, during business hours they are in the Bookmobile office at the Sunnyside Regional Library. Just give them a call at 458-7323.
Showing off their masquerade masks...
Snack time...
Enjoying the Sosa Sisters...
Piedra Library hosted a great summer event on July 17. We made sock monkeys! It was a lot of fun and so much wonderful help from our local volunteers. Our Board members, Corkey Wakefield, Sandy Grant and Donna Weinberg, worked hard and long hours to prepare and sew the monkeys for the children. The ladies had 17 monkeys ready for kids to stuff and sew.
Speakers (left to right) Ernest Velazquez, Herminia Guitron, Venancio Gaona and moderator Ken Loders are pictured here. The speakers were well received by their attentive audience and responded to numerous audience questions following their presentations.
What better day than Earth Day to explore pine needle basketry, re-using natural materials? Politi Branch Library held a basketry workshop the evening of Thursday, April 22 that attracted 9 beginning basketeers: pre-teens and seniors, women and men. Children’s Librarian Terrance Mc Arthur showed a variety of examples and taught the basic stitches and techniques. The basketmakers had such a good time coiling and stitching their projects that they plan to come back on Thursdays to learn and practice new methods, share their progress, and have fun together!
Kids and parents enjoyed a fun fire safety program at the Bear Mountain branch as part of The Big Read: Fahrenheit 451 in March. Activities included crafts, fire engine, firefighters reading stories, and a visit from Smokey the Bear!
From March 29 to April 3, Politi Branch patrons were invited to color eggs (paper ovals), which were stapled to the wall of our Children's Area. 88 eggs were colored by children, teens, and a few adults, and displayed among the shamrocks (formerly known as St. Patrick's decorations). It was a colorful, interactive activity that brought joy to the Politi community.
How do you celebrate National Poetry Month? The Leo Politi Library is using several methods. Stacks o' Poems has printed poems hanging from the library shelves. Each one is tied to the Dewey Decimal Number of that area: "The Grave" by Robert Blair is found in 133 (Ghosts); Henry Fielding's "Roast Beef of Old England is next to 641.5 (Cooking), and where else would you find "Sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?)" but 822.33 (Shakespeare)?
Pick a Peck of Poems is a display of poetry books that can be checked out by patrons, along with more printed-out poems and the third part of the Poetry Month activities: Write Your Own Poems!
The first week of WYOP featured Haiku poems. An instructional sheet by the main display and in the YA area contained samples and the format for writing haiku. Twelve patron-written and staff-written haiku poems were pinned onto the display! The second week's poetic form is the cinquain, a five-line poem featuring nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Clerihews (4-line, semi-biographical, non-rhythmic, irregular-line-length poems) are scheduled after that. Concrete poems (shaped poems that resemble the outline of the subject) will wind up the month.
Just listen,
