SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

Wed, Jul 1 - Fri, Jul 31
All Library Open Hours

Growing Up Asian in America 2009 Exhibit
Each year the Asian Pacific Fund sponsors a contest and invites young Asian-Americans from all across the Bay area to submit entries. This year's theme was "Change - if you could change one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be?" Entries could be in the form of essays or artwork of different types. This year's winners feature many from the South Bay.

We invite you to visit Almaden Branch Library during July to view this year's award-winning submissions. The Asian Pacific Fund gives thousands of dollars of awards each year in the form of scholarship money to the students whose outstanding work has been judged worthy of being included on these display panels.

Tue, Jul 7
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Almaden Book Club reads When a Crocodile Eats the Sun
Join the Almaden Book Buddies to discuss Peter Godwin's biographical work, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: a Memoir of Africa. Publishers Weekly described it as "... exquisitely written, deeply moving account of the death of a father played out against the backdrop of the collapse of the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, seasoned journalist Godwin has produced a memoir that effortlessly manages to be almost unbearably personal while simultaneously laying bare the cruel regime of longstanding president Robert Mugabe. In 1996 when his father suffers a heart attack, Godwin returns to Africa and sparks the central revelation of the book -- the father is Jewish and has hidden it from Godwin and his siblings. As his father's health deteriorates, so does Zimbabwe. Mugabe, self-proclaimed president for life, institutes a series of ill-conceived land reforms that throw the white farmers off the land they've cultivated for generations and consequently throws the country's economy into free fall. There's sadness throughout -- for the death of the father, for the suffering of everyone in Zimbabwe (black and white alike) and for the way that human beings invariably treat each other with casual disregard. Godwin's narrative flows seamlessly across the decades, creating a searing portrait of a family and a nation collectively coming to terms with death. This is a tour de force of personal journalism and not to be missed. "
This event takes place in the Program Room

Tue, Jul 7
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Ventriloquist Steve Chaney & Corny Crow
Ventriloquist Steve Chaney will have you laughing your head off with his partner, Corny Crow. This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration and is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Llibrary.

Summer Reading Celebration 2009 takes place June 13-August 8. See more Summer Reading events.
This event takes place in the Large Community Room

Fri, Jul 10
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

teensReach Meeting
Teens (ages 13-18) are invited to participate in our monthly teensReach meeting held in the library's program room. Community service credits are given to participating students. Light refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Almaden Library.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Sat, Jul 11
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Sustainable Vegetable Gardening with the Master Gardeners
Join the Almaden Library for the next presentation in our series of events called FOOD FOR THOUGHT that focuses on eating healthier while supporting the community and the environment.

The Master Gardeners program will provide instruction and demonstration techniques as they guide us through sustainable preparation, planting and maintaining of a home vegetable garden.

According to a San Jose Mercury News article this past March there has been a significant increase in the number of people that are new to vegetable gardening: "In the bay area, where food can be grown year-round, people are lining up for gardening classes and workshops. 21% of food-growing households will be new to gardening in 2009. Main reasons cited for growing food at home include: it is better-tasting, saves money, is of better quality and they know the food is safe."

Come and be a part of the growing number of vegetable gardeners...there is nothing more restorative than running your hands through your own soil, planting a seedling you've grown from a seed and watching it grow through your own efforts, then harvesting it and serving it with pride to your loved ones, and knowing all the while that you are doing so in a sustainable way that is good for you and good for the earth.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Sat, Jul 11
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Story Time for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
We are pleased to offer a series of three Story Times tailored for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ages 3-8). There will be music, fingerplays, stories and puppets for the children's entertainment and socialization. Youth Services Librarian, Ed Koetitz, "Mr. K" is a seasoned storyteller and will have his trusty sidekick "Shaggy the Sheepdog" to keep things interesting. There will be a "Stay and Play" opoportunity after the story time. Please call (408) 808-3040 for more information and preregistration.
This event takes place in the Program Room
Pre-registration required

Tue, Jul 14
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Stories and Dance by Patricia Bulitt
Patricia Bulitt performs nationally and internationally as a dancer and storyteller. This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration and is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Llibrary.

Summer Reading Celebration 2009 takes place June 13-August 8. See more Summer Reading events.
This event takes place in the Large Community Room

Thu, Jul 16
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

ESL Book Club
July's book is Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti. In the summer of her junior year, sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen and her mother, both nursing broken hearts, set out on a journey to reunite an elderly woman with her long-lost love, and in the process, learn many things about "the real ties that bind" people to one another. All adult and teen ESL learners are invited to attend. See the Information Desk for a reading guide, or speak to Kaye Moore if you have any questions.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Sat, Jul 18
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Environmental Action Through Eating: Best Bang for the Bite
Laura Stec believes that, "One of the most positive effects you can have on your environment begins on your dinner plate."

The final event in the summer FOOD FOR THOUGHT series features Laura Stec, as she talks passionately about the many topics covered in her book: Cool Cuisine: Taking the Bite Out of Global Warming. She will present a mini-culinary "how to class," featuring ways to move toward making food choices that benefit our bodies AND the environment.

Laura is a San Francisco Bay Area chef who enjoys teaching about the artistry, health and energetics of cooking. She has 37 years combined experience in the food and environmental sectors and currently speaks and consults on ways to incorporate regionally responsible cuisine into institutional food systems, or what she calls green cuisine practices. She promotes this message throughout her many endeavors: private chef and caterer, Culinary Health Educator for Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Consulting chef with the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of CA, Acterra (a Palo Alto environmental organization) and Eco-Eaters, one of the first food & environment education programs in the U.S.

She will also create a California Cheese Platter for our taste and enjoyment.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Tue, Jul 21
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

History Book Club
Join the History Book Club for the discussion of Jared Diamond's work, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. In the Pulitzer-Prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond chronicled the rise of human civilizations since the Ice Age. This time, he turns over the log and probes the rotted side--the demise of once-productive societies such as the Maya, Easter Islanders and Greenland Norse. He also sounds the alarm on environmental practices undermining modern societies, including China, Russia, Australia and the United States.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Fri, Jul 24
10:00 AM - 10:55 AM

Drop-in Computer Help
If you need a little bit of help on the computer, come into our Tech Center, where a staff member will be able to help you. Time slots are limited, and assistance is first come, first serve.
This event takes place in the Tech Center

Sat, Jul 25
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Airplane Craft Project
Airplane Craft Project - Be creative! Make your own airplane. This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration and is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Llibrary.

Summer Reading Celebration 2009 takes place June 13 - August 8. See more Summer Reading events.
This event takes place in the Large Community Room

Fri, Jul 31
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Almaden Book-aneers
Almaden Book-aneers is a new book discussion group for ages 9-12. We will meet on the last Friday of every month. A snack will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Almaden Library. Contact Barbara Gilbert (408) 808-3040, if you have any questions.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Sat, Aug 1
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Michael Pearce - Master Juggler
You are invited to a fun juggling performance and workshop by Michael Pearce. This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration and is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Llibrary.

Summer Reading Celebration 2009 takes place June 13 - August 8. See more Summer Reading events.
This event takes place in the Large Community Room

Tue, Aug 4
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Almaden Book Club reads The City of Falling Angels
The Almaden Book Buddies will discuss John Berendt's The City of Falling Angels, an "exploration of the seamy side of Venice with an insider's hushed tones, chronicling the life and times of the city's movers and shakers like a naughty child sharing an overheard secret. Following up his similar study of Savannah in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Berendt has cobbled together a series of entertaining tales of the legendary canal city, ranging from the squabbles of Venetian fund-raisers to the fire in the Venice Opera House. Like a cocktail-party raconteur with a particularly juicy story to tell, Berendt twists his listeners' ears with his book's seamless string of Venice-themed misbehavior and decadence" (Publishers Weekly). Readers and travel enthusiasts are invited to attend.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Fri, Aug 7
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM

teensReach Meeting
Teens (ages 13-18) are invited to participate in our monthly teensReach meeting held in the library's program room. Community service credits are given to participating students. Light refreshments are provided by the Friends of the Almaden Library.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Sat, Aug 8
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Almaden Teen Puppet Show and Readers Theater
Our own Almaden Teens will perform a fun puppet show and present a reader's theater. This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration and is sponsored by the Friends of the Almaden Library and Friends of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Llibrary.

Summer Reading Celebration 2009 takes place June 13 - August 8. See more Summer Reading events.
This event takes place in the Large Community Room

Tue, Aug 18
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

History Book Club
August's book is Niall Ferguson's The Ascent of Money: a Financial History of the World. Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it's the sinews of war. To revolutionaries, it's the chains of labor. But historian Ferguson shows that finance is in fact the foundation of human progress. What's more, he reveals financial history as the essential backstory behind all history. Through Ferguson's expert lens, for example, the civilization of the Renaissance looks very different: a boom in the market for art and architecture made possible when Italian bankers adopted Arabic mathematics. The rise of the Dutch republic is reinterpreted as the triumph of the world's first modern bond market over insolvent Habsburg absolutism. Yet the central lesson of financial history is that, sooner or later, every bubble bursts.--From publisher description.
This event takes place in the Program Room

Fri, Aug 28
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Almaden Book-aneers
Almaden Book-aneers is a new book discussion group for ages 9-12. We will meet on the last Friday of every month. A snack will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Almaden Library. Contact Barbara Gilbert (408) 808-3040, if you have any questions.
This event takes place in the Program Room